Property tax cap stalling legislators

Gov. Pawlenty
Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
MPR photo/Tom Weber

End-of-session negotiations between legislative leaders and Gov. Tim Pawlenty are still focused on property tax relief.

The Republican governor is scheduled to resume closed-door talks with DFLers later this morning. Pawlenty says a property tax cap is the linchpin of a deal. House and Senate Democrats prefer direct relief to homeowners and increased aid to cities.

Their latest talks broke up just after midnight, with the focus still on property tax relief. The governor is insisting an end-of-session deal includes the property tax cap.

DFL leaders in the House and Senate say they want property tax relief too, but they say talks slowed because the Department of revenue had not yet provided data on property tax options

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House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher left one discussion with the governor frustrated that his staff had still not provided the data.

"No Minnesotan would want us making a decision with partial information. It's just not fair to the people of the state, when we're talking about trying to reduce their property taxes, hold their property taxes down. We can't appropriately do that without the proper information," Anderson Kelliher said.

Pawlenty spokesman Brian McClung said the Department of Revenue is providing complex information as quickly as possible. He says the governor wants to reach a negotiated agreement with legislators.

Lawmakers also have to solve the projected $935 million budget deficit. The session ends May 19th.