Timothy James Pawlenty is an American Republican politician and businessman who served as 39th Governor of Minnesota.
Born November 27, 1960 in St. Paul, Minnesota, Pawlenty began politics as a member of Eagan City Council. In 1992, he was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives, representing District 38B in suburban Dakota County, and became majority leader by House Republicans in 1998. Pawlenty was elected as Governor of Minnesota, both in 2002 and 2006. His governorship from 2003 to 2011 was noted for his “no new taxes” pledge, lowering of state spending, and controversial bonding bills. Pawlenty sought the 2012 Republican presidential nomination from May to August 2011.
May 20, 2005 - Governor Pawlenty today (FRIDAY) proposed that the state collect an additional 75-cents a pack on cigarettes. He's calling the new money a "health impact fee," and says the money would be used to pay for state health care costs. Pawlenty insists his proposal is a fee, not a tax. The distinction is critical because a budget deal could hinge on Pawlenty's ability to come away from negotiations saying he's standing by his pledge to not raise taxes. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports...
May 26, 2005 - Governor Tim Pawlenty signed the 2.8-billion dollar higher education funding bill today (THURSDAY) in Rochester. It's the first major budget legislation to pass in the regular session. Lawmakers continue to meet in special session to patch significant gaps in the remaining two year state budget. The state's college and university leaders say the recent session was much better for higher ed than past efforts. But students and others say the progress isn't enough. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports.
May 31, 2005 - MPR’s Tom Crann interviews North Dakota poet Larry Woiwode on his dismay over Minneosta Governor Pawlenty’s decision to veto bill that would have established a poet laureate for Minnesota. At least 34 states have poet laureates. Like the majority of those writers, a Minnesota poet laureate would have received no tax dollars. But it wasn't the money that concerned Governor Pawlenty. Instead, he feared that naming a state poet would lead to requests for a Minnesota mime or state interpretive dancer.
December 15, 2005 - Governor Pawlenty has named Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Russell Anderson as the next Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. Pawlenty tapped Anderson to replace Kathleen Blatz who is retiring in January. The governor also named Hennepin County District Court Judge Lorie Gildea to succeed Anderson. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports....
December 23, 2005 - The Minnesota trucking industry is asking Governor Pawlenty to temporarily suspend a two-month-old mandate that requires diesel fuel sold in the state contain two percent biodiesel. Truckers say they are experiencing more mechanical problems and they suspect that the fuel made from soybeans is to blame. John Hausladen, President of the Minnesota Trucking Association, says many of his members are pretty upset right now. That is John Hausladen, President of the Minnesota Trucking Association.
November 15, 2006 - Governor Pawlenty says he wants to extend health insurance coverage to all Minnesota children. He made the announcement yesterday during a speech to a group of health care and policy experts in Minneapolis. Pawlenty's remarks come just one week after he narrowly won re-election and now faces a Legislature that is controlled by Democrats. Several groups were surprised by the announcement. While they applaud the move, they want to hear more specifics before signing on. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports.
May 7, 2007 - Members of a House and Senate conference committee are expected to agree on a higher education spending bill that adds 325-million dollars to current spending on colleges and universities. Legislators are still working on the details of the 2.75-billion dollar spending plan, but some major parts of the bill have been approved. The bill does not contain a provision to allow children of illegal residents to pay in-state tuition, a provision that Governor Pawlenty said would lead him to veto the bill. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports.
August 2, 2007 - MPR Special Coverage of government and city officials giving morning news conference on day after I-35W bridge collapse. Speakers include R.T. Rybak, mayor of Minneapolis; Tim Pawlenty, governor of Minnesota; Amy Peters, U.S. secretary of transportation; Norm Coleman, U.S. senator; Amy Klobuchar, U.S. senator; Keith Ellison, U.S. representative, Tim Dolan, Minneapolis police chief; Jim Clack, Minneapolis fire chief; and Mark Rosenker, chairman of National Transportation Safety Board. Topics include the recovery efforts, first responders, government relief, initial local reaction, and investigations going forward. Speakers also answer reporter questions.
August 2, 2007 - MPR Special Coverage of R.T. Rybak, mayor of Minneapolis; and Tim Pawlenty, governor of Minnesota, giving afternoon news conference on day after I-35W bridge collapse. Topics include the human loss, family privacy, first responders, road closures, and bridge inspections. Both Rybak and Pawlenty also answer reporter questions.
August 3, 2007 - *For Fri M.E.* Gov. Tim Pawlenty has ordered an immediate inspection of all Minnesota bridges that have a design like the one that collapsed. Federal officials have also alerted states to immediately inspect all bridges similar to the I-35W bridge. Meanwhile, National Transportation Safety Board investigators say they have a strong chance of determining why Minnesota's busiest bridge fell. Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports: