Budget Negotiations Stretch Past Friday Deadline

Gov. Mark Dayton and legislative leaders remained locked in negotiations Saturday after they failed to meet a 10 p.m. Friday deadline for having all budget bills in place.

The biggest sticking points remain the bills on Health and Human Services, K-12 education and state government.

But despite the complexity of those three bills, Taxes Committee Chair Sen. Julianne Ortman (R-Chanhassen) said Saturday’s talks made “very good progress” compared to those on Friday.

After a short break in the afternoon, the Taxes Committee reconvened at 5 p.m.

The aim, Rep. Linda Runbeck (R-Circle Pines) said, was to present a finished bill to the governor as quickly as possible.

“We’re making progress. It’s all down to small details,” Runbeck said before returning to the negotiations.  

Capital Investment Committee Chair David Senjem also reported progress on the $500 million bonding package, which was a condition of the governor’s acceptance of the GOP budget Thursday.  

“We are 80 to 90 percent of the way there,” Senjem told reporters Saturday afternoon. 

Legislative leaders gave no indication of how long they would meet Saturday night.

Dayton has maintained all along that he will only call a special session once negotiations are finished and he approves the bills. The shutdown will end once the bills are signed.