By T.W. Budig

ECM capitol reporter

Maybe he just wonít be able to make himself do it. Theyíre so opinionated. And thereís so many of them ó 201. And itís hard to know exactly what theyíre going to do. But calling a special session is the sole prerogative of the governor.

If lawmakers are going to be called back to the Capitol prior to the regular session in February, only Gov. Tim Pawlenty can do it. He was hardly bubbly about the odds ó "Not good," he said earlier this week (July 10).

"We have at least one caucus, maybe two, that donít agree," said Pawlenty.

Senate Assistant Majority Leader Tarryl Clark, DFL-St. Cloud, insists the DFL Senate is agreeable.

"Itís been hard to tell whether heís (Pawlenty) really been interested or not," she said of holding a special session.

House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, DFL-Minneapolis, said she placed a call to the Governorís Office this week concerning a special session. "The governor is in the driverís seat on this one," she said. "Certainly I can live with it," Kelliher said of the political legacy of the past session.

Kelliher, like Clark, cites bonding and property tax relief as the possible special session items.

Republicans are not necessarily keen on returning to the Capitol.

House Minority Leader Marty Seifert, R-Marshall, at close of session in May said a special session wasnít necessary.

"I donít think itís really changed since then," said Seifert this week, judging the odds of a special session as poor. The governor, save the inflation provision, was willing to consider the bringing forward the tax bill, explained Seifert.

But DFLers had a whole laundry list of items, he said.

Local lawmakers offered a mix of opinions on the need for a special session in their e-mails.

Some House Republicans ó Sondra Erickson of Princeton and Pat Garofalo of Farmington ó donít want a special session.Some Republicans are biting.

"I probably think we need to come back and tie up a few loose ends," said Sen. Paul Koering, R-Fort Ripley.

Sen. Betsy Wergin, R-Princeton, thinks the chances for a special session are ebbing away as time ebbs away.

"If there were to be a special session it should be VERY limited in scope and the topics agreed on in writing and with a mutual press conference ahead of time," she prescriptively wrote of the gathering of the clan.

Rep. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, sees a preagreement as unreachable. "I do not believe that is possible, nor do I think that the body could stick to such a limited agenda," said Abeler.

Democrats expressed a range of views.

"I would be open to a special session if we could pass the transportation bill and other items that the governor vetoed," said Rep. Sandra Masin, DFL-Eagan.

Sen. Rick Olseen, DFL-Harris, doesnít believe the governor will call a special session.

"I still canít believe he vetoed the tax bill!" Olseen wrote.

His district, said Rep. Tom Tillberry, DFL-Fridley, could benefit from a special session as the vetoed tax bill had language for a tunnel for a Northstar Commuter Rail station and the bonding bill, dollars for Springbrook Nature Center.

Rep. Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, is willing to return to St. Paul to help the governor "clean up the messes" he created with his vetoes.

But she looks for a change in the chief executive ó a willingness to meet lawmakers half way, she explained.

"The few statements I have heard the governor make so far sound as though he believes we (lawmakers) are either his children or his employees and that we shall do as we are told," opined Hortman.

"Until that changes, Iím not sure a special session would yield different results than the regular session," she opined.

Rep. Al Doty, DFL-Royalton, opined the governor perhaps has come to realize he needs items in the tax bill.

Maybe, too, Pawlentyís listening to some of angry people heís hearing who want their property taxes lowered, Doty said.

But Doty sees no hurry. "Iíd rather wait until we go back in February to deal with matters, butfirst-termers donít set policy!" said Doty.

Rep. Jeremy Kalin, DFL-Lindstrom, suggested special session rumors stem from gubernatorial "veto remorse."

"My constituents - especially local mayors, city councilors and county commissioners - are quite upset that all of their local government aid and county program aid was vetoed because of an ideological objection to a single sentence," wrote Kalin, referring to the inflation factor.

Sen. Jim Carlson, DFL-Eagan, sees the odds of a special session happening as low and dropping.

"I sincerely believe Minnesota has been severely damaged by the governorís vetoes. The e-mails I receive are overwhelmingly critical of his transportation veto," said Carlson, who views national political ambition guiding the governorís veto pen.

Which, fittingly, brings us back to the governor.

Is what he can gain politically worth calling the lawmakers back?

Maybe not.

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