Pawlenty and his brothers Dan and Steve play on a charity hockey team. Pawlenty also likes to run. In , Pawlenty was first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives , after he chaired Jon Grunseth's losing bid for governor. As Majority Leader, he was instrumental in passing Gov. Jesse Ventura's tax cuts. He briefly explored a race for governor in He was elected Governor of Minnesota in and won re-election in Pawlenty was elected on a platform of balancing the state's budget without raising taxes.
Assessments of his success have been mixed. As a matter of economics, some argue that the savings Pawlenty claimed to achieve were illusory. In the next biennium budget, for instance, a reduction in state governmental aid to cities pressured many cities to increase local property taxes in addition to the expected reductions in local services. Nonetheless, reducing state costs, and keeping a campaign promise, was a political success.
A more controversial part of his approach to the budget came from his attempts to hold the line on taxes by raising fees instead. As members of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board complained, students' share of the cost of tuition increased by double-digit percentages in and the years following.
Some defended the practice by citing increasing tuition at universities nationwide, liberals maintained that Minnesota had a special responsibility to ensure affordable higher education at its public universities.
In , a government shutdown resulted from a deadlock between the governor's office and the split-party legislature on the state budget. Transportation, state parks, and other key infrastructures were threatened with the shutdown, dampening the tourism industry. In keeping his pledge not to raise taxes, Pawlenty made a priority of finding alternative revenue resources for the state.
One ambitious proposal was to enhance the Canterbury Park horse track into a "racino," which would be operated in cooperation with Native American tribes from the northern part of the state. This plan was poorly received by the few Native American tribes with casino ties very who already had established casinos in the state a very small percentage of tribes actually receive any benefit from Native American casinos , some social conservatives who objected to an expansion of gambling on the grounds of immorality, and by others fearful of the social costs of gambling addiction.
Democrats feared of losing one of their top organizations for campaign finance. Native American Tribes with existing casino ties spent millions of dollars in lobbying the legislature. A more popular strategy was to shift the budget burden onto cigarette smokers. Pawlenty proposed that the state collect 75 additional cents per pack of cigarettes, coined as a "health impact fee. The measure carried regardless, but victory was short-lived as the terms of the tobacco settlement stipulated that the state reserved a right to raise taxes -- but not fees -- on cigarettes.
Cigarette wholesalers sued, and on December 21, a District Court judge struck down the fee. The Minnesota Supreme court later upheld the fee.
While this figure came as a considerable relief, it came just three weeks before Pawlenty's cigarette fee, or tax, was struck down in court. Pawlenty worked throughout to fund a Minnesota Twins baseball stadium using tax dollars and signed the resulting Minnesota Twins-Hennepin County ballpark bill at the Hubert Humphrey Metrodome.
The legislation exempted the county from a state law which normally required a referendum for any new local taxes. During his term, Governor Pawlenty created the Minnesota Academic Standards and new graduation requirements; however, due to budget constraints, he was also the first Minnesota governor to reduce education funding. Pawlenty's argument was those policies ensured accountability in education, while critics point to education bureaucratization and a push to encourage more privatized schooling.
Pawlenty's choice for state education commissioner, Cheri Pierson Yecke, was met with some controversy. After developing a state-mandated "Profiles in Learning" education standards plan, much of it had to be rewritten after hearing complaints from some teachers and parents.
The revised plan was met with further concerns, especially regarding the lack of funding for implementation. Yecke was also criticized for backing the Governor's position on support for private schooling, which some saw as a lack of support for public education by her department. Yecke's reappointment was not renewed by the Minnesota Senate in May, During Pawlenty's term, urban traffic congestion came up as a significant concern of voters. During his term, the carpool lane's of Interstate leading into downtown Minneapolis were converted into high-occupancy toll lanes.
He did not favor expansion of the metro area's light rail system. However, he changed his position in support of funding for Northstar Commuter Rail in late summer , after polls have shown widespread support for it. In Washington, D. Governor Pawlenty initially supported importation of less-expensive prescription drugs from Canada, to be used with the state's MinnesotaCare health plan, and also as a means to band together with other states and negotiate lower drug prices.
Many Minnesota residents traveled to Canada, as well, to get prescriptions filled and the governor was supportive of their efforts to save money. However, the U. Since the s, Minnesota governors have increased their travel abroad with the goal of increasing Minnesota's visibility around the world. For example, Governor Pawlenty took a delegation of nearly Minnesotan business, government, academic and civic leaders on a voyage to China in mid-November, The objectives of the weeklong trip were to provide a forum for companies to acquire market information, assess market potential, evaluate market entry strategies and identify potential business partners, as well as to promote Chinese investment in Minnesota.
Pawlenty also led Minnesota trade delegations to the Czech Republic in and Canada in Pawlenty's first term coincided with the deployment of National Guardsmen from numerous states, connected with the War on Terror and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also welcomed Mexican President Vicente Fox in in an effort to strengthen trade.
The president announced that his country would open a consulate in Minnesota the next year, removing the need for Mexican residents in the state to travel to Chicago, Illinois for identification papers and other materials. By mid-year he had begun to send Minnesota National Guardsmen to the U. Department of Defense and the U. Department of Homeland Security. Critics have accused Pawlenty of exaggerating the dangers of illegal immigration -- an issue that arguably has more direct implications for southern and southwestern U.
In May , while in Iowa, the former Minnesota Gov. Pawlenty called for a phasing out of federal government subsidies for ethanol. He portrayed it as part of his campaign theme to tell people the truth. The hard truth is there are no longer any sacred programs.
The truth about federal energy subsidies, including federal subsidies for ethanol, is that they have to be phased out. There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.
Pawlenty launched his campaign to run in the presidential election on May 23, in Des Moines, Iowa. The launch introduced his first talking points, which include scaling back the role of government in society, such as cutting or eliminating federal programs. He was considered a possible vice presidential running mate for Mitt Romney , but was not chosen. In , Pawlenty was eligible to seek a third term in office but chose to not run. Governor Pawlenty was considered a potential candidate for president by some Minnesota bloggers.
He addresses what it takes to get things done successfully in a bi-partisan environment. Latest Books. For bulk book orders, click here to request a quote now. Tim Pawlenty.
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Courage to Stand: An American Story. Birth place: St. Paul, Minnesota. Birth name: Timothy James Pawlenty.
Read More. Father: Gene Pawlenty, a truck driver. Mother: Virginia "Ginny" Pawlenty. Marriage: Mary Anderson Pawlenty present. Children: Mara, ; Anna, Education: University of Minnesota, B.
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