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The provincial government is amending controversial legislation to prevent Saskatchewan cities and towns from challenging it in court “because they were going to,” according to Government Relations Minister Donna Harpauer.

Every piece of legislation is evaluated separately, but the government’s ability to pass Bill 64 without being “hand-tied” is part of Saskatchewan’s democratic foundation, Harpauer said Wednesday in an interview.

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“Is it reasonable for the provincial government and a municipal government to spend money to fight each other in the courts?” Harpauer said. “Is that reasonable?”

The government needs to pass Bill 64 to redirect into its general revenue fund about $33 million in grants that would otherwise have been paid by SaskPower, SaskEnergy and TransGas to 109 municipalities.

Finance Minister Kevin Doherty announced the cuts last month as part of his 2017-18 austerity budget, which attempts to shave about $600 million off the province’s roughly $1.3 billion shortfall.