Timing, breadth of Pawlenty unallotments draw court notice

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) A constitutional clash over $2.7 billion in budget cuts by Gov. Tim Pawlenty is now in the hands of seven Minnesota Supreme Court justices.

In a high-stakes hearing Monday, justices aggressively questioned lawyers for Pawlenty and for people affected by the cuts who previously won a ruling to reinstate some of the cuts.

Arguments centered on the timing and breadth of Pawlenty's cuts, which he made through an executive power known as unallotment. He was acting to balance the budget in a fashion that didn't require legislative approval.

Lawyers for Pawlenty said he was within his authority to make cuts aimed at heading off a deficit. An opposing attorney told justices that the Republican governor abused the power by making the reductions at the start of a budget period and by effectively eliminating programs arbitrarily.

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