Following the Minnesota Supreme Court’s opinion that Gov. Mark Dayton’s line-item veto of legislative funding for the 2017-2018 biennium is constitutional, Sen. Bill Weber (R-Luverne) issued the following statement:

“I am profoundly disappointed by the Minnesota Supreme Court’s decision to allow Gov. Dayton to effectively abolish the legislature by line-item vetoing its entire appropriation. The Court and Gov. Dayton have made it clear that they do not respect the legislature as one of the three co-equal branches of government and are seemingly comfortable silencing Minnesotans’ voice in their government.

This creates an unprecedented and unnecessary situation for our state.

Justice Anderson, in the sole dissent of the Court’s opinion, says it best: ‘The … line-item veto [of] the legislative appropriations … alters the balance of powers by elevating the powers of the Governor. [T]his result creates three unequal branches of government…’

I will continue to fiercely defend the legislature – one of the three co-equal branches of government – so the people of Minnesota’s voice in their government remains.”

Senator Bill Weber is in his second term representing Senate District 22, which includes communities in Cottonwood, Jackson, Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, and Rock counties. He serves as chair of the Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing Policy Committee.