True North

The Central Corridor, a state veteran's nursing home, and a state park at Lake Vermillion will proceed. Governor Pawlenty and state legislators have reached an agreement, and it looks like the session will end on a good note.

From the Pioneer Press:

The deal and a bonding package that provides funding for the Central Corridor light-rail project, a proposed state park along Lake Vermilion, and new facilities at the Minneapolis Veterans Home were announced at a 2:15 p.m. press conference at the State Capitol. "Minnesotans deserve tax relief and a state government that lives within its means," Pawlenty said in a statement. "This agreement delivers both.'

With the deal, legislators were prepared to approve the bills in floor sessions and end the session on time later today. The deal, the product of weeks of closed-door discussions, also includes a property tax cap sought by Pawlenty and tax benefits for veterans and military members.The impasse broke Saturday afternoon when the governor and lawmakers reached agreement on a health-care package that cleared the way for other elements to fall into place. At the press conference in the governor's reception room, Pawlenty and lawmakers generally praised each other for the work that had been done, not only during the budget talks, but the session.

Looks like an amicable end to the 2008 legislative session. So far...