We are a state of men, not laws. Governor Gutshot 2009.
Not so fast, Gutshot! Yesterday, The chief judge of the Ramsey County District Court ruled that the governor’s unallotment from a budget for a biennium that had not even begun violated the state’s constitution. There is an extensive article in the Strib today. Governor Gutshot, who is unaccountably in town, has apparently called a press conference to throw a tantrum even as this is being written.
Spot has quoted it before, but here’s the provision in the state’s constitution about dividing the powers of government:
Here’s an earlier post by Spot about the issue and a letter to the editor by Walter Mondale and David Lillehuag.
The case on which the judge ruled was brought by six persons receiving nutritional assistance for special health needs. The governor unallotted their program. If you follow the link to the Strib article above, you can read a comment to the article to the effect that was ironic that the six could afford to mount a legal challenge but needed state assistance for food.
What is not ironic, perhaps, is the deep ignorance of the commenter. The six were represented by a legal aid lawyer. The Minnesota House did – a little tardily in Spot’s opinion, but it did – file a brief in support of the plaintiffs.
There will be more to say about this in coming days.
Happy New Year.
Update: Just saw a David Brauer tweet with the same “quote” from Gutshot. Spot has used it in conversation before and disclaims any allegation of plagiarism.
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