Dayton the goalie: Allies pressure governor to block GOP bills

Outside Gov. Mark Dayton's office Thursday, dozens members of the faith-based social justice group ISAIAH gathered for hymns and call-and-response sermons. Their voices echoed through the Capitol and their stand-firm message was loud and clear.

A preacher would say a few words and then the crowd would repeat his words.

"We are here to tell you to stand, to stand therefore for health care, for vulnerable Minnesotans. To stand therefore, for the rights of immigrants. To stand therefore, for livable wages," they chanted. "To stand therefore for paid sick time. To stand therefore, for local democracy. For we are with you. And you do not stand alone."

Inside, Dayton said he could hear those calls for him to show backbone — and knows there are others applying similar pressure. And he joked he's ready after surgeries of recent years.

"A stiff backbone," he began. "Well, I had two spinal surgeries and infused vertebrae and some kind of non-metal reinforcement there. So I guess Mayo is trying to get me prepared for this last three weeks."

Dayton has used veto threats sparingly this year.

But the V-word and other variations are flying around a lot from advocacy groups and Democratic legislators.

In the past few days they've called for him to veto a bill that prevents local governments from establishing higher minimum wage or benefit ordinance; to reject a bill that shutters a state-funded arts school; to nix a transportation bill that some argue shortchanges transit and would lead to bus route cuts; to stop campaign finance law changes that would effectively wipe out candidate spending caps.

"I think we've got to stop this. I urge the governor to veto this," Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, said of the campaign finance change, echoing similar calls on the other items. "But before that, I urge the Legislature to say 'Let's not do this. This is not what the public wanted.'"

Right now, Democrats lack a power base in the Legislature with Republicans in charge of the House and Senate. Convincing Dayton not to budge is their best hope.

The House Tax Committee Chairman, Rep. Greg Davids, R-Preston, said he's not surprised by the strategy.

"They're jockeying for their position. If they didn't get something they didn't want in the bill or if there's something they don't like in the bill, they'll have the press conference and say the governor should veto the bill."

Dayton is keeping his options open on some of those items.

He said he told Republican leaders in private this week that he won't accept a bill that he views as having meager funding for mass-transit or short-circuits planning for future transit routes.

"In that case, I did say if those are in there I am not going to negotiate. You send me the bills, and I'll veto it we'll go from there," Dayton said in an interview Thursday. "But I use that sparingly at this point. We have 2, 2 1/2 weeks left in the session. There's a limited amount of time."

On the so-called preemption bill, Dayton says he's strongly opposed to barring wage ordinances that are more generous than the state. But he said he can't close the door entirely because he's not sure if that measure will be sent on its own or as part of a budget bill necessary to fund part of state government.

"I will do everything I can to oppose it and to thwart it," he said.

In the meantime, the news conferences aimed largely at an audience of one or the rallies just beyond the giant white oak doors to governor's office probably won't abate until after the session ends.

Dayton, who is in the final two years of his last term in public office, said he feels the huge responsibility on his shoulders.

"I intend to stand very strong for what I believe is best for Minnesota," he said. "I'm not going to prejudge how it will come out at the end, but I'm not ready to concede anything I think is bad for Minnesota."