Pawlenty Won't Veto MN Construction Projects Bill

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Gov. Tim Pawlenty is withdrawing his threat to reject a $1 billion construction projects bill, saying he can work with the proposal from House-Senate negotiators.

Pawlenty said the bill may need "a little trimming," which he can exercise through his line-item veto to remove individual projects.

Earlier, Democrats pulled back a different version of the package when Pawlenty threatened to veto the whole thing. In February, Pawlenty said Democrats intentionally put together a larger bill than he wanted and "now they've got to clean up the mess."

Democrats added Pawlenty's top priorities in his bonding proposal, although they aren't putting as much money as he wanted toward expanding the state sex offender treatment complex in Moose Lake.