Minnesota Lawmakers Called to Special Session to End Impasse

[Elmore Furth]

Source: NY Times

Lawmakers in Minnesota were called back to the state Capitol on Tuesday afternoon for a special session intended to end a budget impasse that has brought state business to a standstill since July 1.

For months, Republican lawmakers and Gov. Mark Dayton, a Democrat, have disagreed about how to solve a projected $5 billion deficit, with Republicans favoring spending cuts and Mr. Dayton calling for a tax increase. The standoff dragged on, even as a new budget year arrived and 22,000 state workers were sent home, parks and rest stops were closed, and many state services suspended.

By late last week, the Republicans and Mr. Dayton agreed to a compromise, which involves borrowing some $1.4 billion to pay for services Mr. Dayton insisted on continuing. Details of the deal, though, took days to draw up, and some Minnesotans seemed to be growing anxious by Tuesday morning (Day 19 of the shutdown) as to whether a compromise really had been struck. By then, though, leaders were calling lawmakers back to work; the session was to open at 3 p.m. Tuesday in St. Paul.

State employees are expected to return to work as soon as Mr. Dayton signs a series of spending bills that lawmakers are expected to pass. Leaders have agreed to expedite the legislation, suspending the usual rules and amendment practices, in order to finish the job quickly.


Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/us/20minnesota.html?_r=1&hpw