One-day special session to finish Minnesota budget
Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton and House Speaker Kurt Daudt have agreed that a special session will be held at the State Office Building. No date has been set, but both sides would like a one-day session to finish the state's budget.
Speaker Daudt said the House will meet in Room 10 and the Senate in Room 5 of the State Office Building -- a relocation that's necessary because of current renovation work at the Capitol. This venue won't cost taxpayers any money, plus, it has AHS TV and audio already in place, which means the public can join in.
"We didn't get into details of what we'd agree and disagree on. We agree that we want to get this resolved as swiftly as possible, and from my standpoint, still do as much as I believe can be done for the people of Minnesota," Dayton said.
Dayton and Daudt said they have made no agreements, but outlined their positions and will talk again Wednesday. The governor vetoed two major budget bills on Saturday, and also proposed a temporary tax cut in return for a scaled back version of his proposal for universal preschool. That's another $250 million added to the education bill to fund a 2 percent increase each year in the student aide formula and partial funding of his preschool plan. However, after Tuesday's talks, both Daudt and Dayton say those specifics are a ways off at this point.
"We have not really agreed to anything yet. We had a really good, constructive conversation. I sense a willingness on the governor's part to work with us and be flexible on some of those things and I hope the governor feels the same way. I tried to represent that we want to be flexible and we want to get the work done the people of Minnesota expect us to get done, and if that means we have to give a little, we will do that as well," Rep. Daudt said.
Dayton also vetoed the environment bill and the agriculture bill. In addition to resolving those budgets, Daudt said he wants to take up the legacy bill and the bonding bill that didn't get passed in the closing minutes of the session last Monday night.
Minnesota lawmakers have a July 1 deadline to pass budget bills in order to avoid a partial state government shutdown.