Surprise Surplus Reignites Tax Battle Between Gov. Dayton and GOP
In light of an unexpected windfall, GOP leaders hope to definitively kill Gov. Mark Dayton's proposal to increase income taxes on top earners.
Gov. Mark Dayton
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Friday, December 2, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Resident Input Sought in Redistricting
This year, the governor and the GOP-dominated legislature locked horns on how to redraw Congressional and legislative districts, which could greatly alter Minnesota's political landscape.
Residents are invited to give input into how the state’s new congressional and legislative district lines should be drawn. Every 10 years after the census, the Legislature is charged with changing the legislative and congressional lines to reflect population shifts. However, for decades, the contentious political process has led the courts to redraw the lines, and this year is no exception. Draw the Line Minnesota Redistricting Commission is a joint project of the League of Women Voters Minnesota, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and TakeAction Minnesota. The commission has been holding meetings across the state to help residents get a better understanding of the redistricting process and provide an opportunity for input. Burnsville and …
Monday, July 25, 2011
ONGOING COVERAGE: State Government Reopens
A roundup of news after Minnesota's historic state government shutdown and reopening.
July 25: Duluth News Tribune: First campers return to find Jay Cooke State Park in good shape MinnPost: New budget fails to take on Minnesota's long-term problems MinnPost: Dayton talks about the pivotal meeting with supporters that helped end the shutdown Star Tribune: Tobacco bonds in Minnesota budget deal come at hefty price to future state budgets Star Tribune: Empty campsites at Jay Cooke State Park for reopening weekend St. Cloud Times: Minnesota budget: A closer look at the deal to end the shutdown July 24: National Review: Minnesota Isn’t America Pioneer Press: Minnesota budget: A closer look at the deal to end the shutdown Pioneer Press: St. Paul tightens belt as Minnesota state budget cuts aid Twin Cities Daily Planet: 'Bank CEOs…
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Staving Off Another State Shutdown: GOP lawmakers Announce New Legislation
Three senators plan to unveil a bill in 2012 that would spare Minnesotans from the shutdown blues.
A group of Republican lawmakers today announced a plan that would effectively end state government shutdowns. Under the proposal, if a budget agreement isn’t reached by the end of the legislative session, funding for state services would continue at previous levels. However, some of their colleagues believes a repeat of the 2011 shutdown is not in the cards — at least not in the next two years. In an interview on Wednesday, Burnsville Rep. Pam Myhra said this year all involved learned a lesson, albeit the hard way. Myhra was not asked about this specific proposal, but when asked if she expected another shutdown in 2013, Myhra said: "One thing I've heard is that the negotiation process (over the last few days) was a positive experience, …
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Minnesota Shutdown: Timeline
A complete compendium of coverage.
The state of Minnesota officially shut down on July 1. Normal government functions will resume on July 21. Here is a complete compendium of coverage on Burnsville Patch. July 21: Shutdown Over: Dayton Signs Budget Bills July 21: A Week Late, A Wedding Short: Fort Snelling to Reopen Saturday July 20: End of Shutdown in Sight July 20: UPDATED VERSION: Governor, Legislature ‘Ready to Go’ July 17: Deal? July 15: Lewis House in Hastings to Reopen July 14: GOP Offer, June 30 July 14: UPDATE: GOP Accepts Dayton Proposal July 13: 48 Legislators Decline Pay for Shutdown July 12: Shutdown: A Bipartisan Failure or a Golden Opportunity for Reconciliation? July 12: Governor Embarks on State Tour July 10: Minnesota Shutdown Update: Three More Rulings In…
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Shutdown recap: Q & A with Rep. Pam Myhra
After pulling an all-nighter in St. Paul, the Republican rep called Patch to give us the lowdown on the conclusion of the state's longest budget battle.
At 9 a.m. today Gov. Mark Dayton signed the state's budget into law, thus ending the longest standoff and subsequent shutdown in the state's history. During the 20 days of deadlock, partisan rancor flared, at least 20,000 workers temporarily laid off and many day-to-day services were abruptly cut off. The impasse was finally resolved during a special session that lasted into the wee hours of last night. At the time of the interview, Rep. Pam Myhra (R-Burnsville) was working on five hours of sleep. Patch: Were you surprised by how quickly the budget resolved itself after the governor extended his the olive branch on Thursday? Myhra: I guess I expected it. Leadership said that if there was an agreement that we could override the rules. By …
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Shutdown Over: Dayton Signs Budget Bills
After working through the night, the legislature and the governor finally came to an accord.
Insults were hurled. Accusations were made. Pleas were ignored. But in the end, the people’s business was finished. Gov. Mark Dayton just signed into law all 12 budget bills passed in the middle of the night Wednesday by the Minnesota House and Senate. Dayton’s signatures ended the shutdown of Minnesota government—at 20 days, it was the longest continuous shutdown of any state government in United States history. In the end, Dayton kept his promise that he wouldn’t sign any of the bills until all 12 had passed through both houses of the legislature. At the start of the marathon special session, it seemed as though the process would be over quickly. In its first hour, the Senate passed six of 12 bills while the House passed five. But by 1 a…
End of Shutdown in Sight
Eight bills passed by both house and senate. Two remain.
Updated at 1:00 a.m. July 20: As of 1 a.m. Wednesday, eight bills were on their way to Gov. Mark Dayton's office to be signed into law. Two additional bills had been passed in the House but not the Senate. Dayton has said he would not sign any bills until all 12 had passed the House and Senate. Between the hours of 7 and 8 p.m. Tuesday, the process was moving along smoothly. Within 45 minutes, the Senate passed six bills and the House passed five. Then they recessed. Lawmakers adjourned to discuss some of the most contentious and complex pieces of upcoming legislation. The bills: health and human services, taxes, K-12 education, bonding, pension and state government. When the parties reconvened at 9:30 p.m., the finger-pointing began. “…
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Deal?
Gov. Mark Dayton and Republican leaders report considerable progress after a weekend of negotiations.
Sunday, 6:15 p.m. — Gov. Mark Dayton, House Speaker Kurt Zellers (R-Maple Grove) and Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch (R-Buffalo) report reaching “considerable progress” during weekend budget negotiations. The parties struck a positive tone with their joint statement, released at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday. MPR News reported on Sunday evening that a handshake deal has been reached on an $11 billion Health and Human Services bill. But despite any supposed progress—and contrary to Dayton’s intent, the governor won’t call a special session on Monday morning. “Work on the detailed budget bills continues to move in a positive direction, with an urgent focus on getting Minnesotans back to work,” the joint statement read. “A special session will be …
Thursday, July 14, 2011
UPDATE: GOP Accepts Dayton Proposal
Lawmakers will be heading back to St. Paul for a special session.
Update: Minnesota’s legislators are heading back to work. Gov. Mark Dayton and state Republican legislative leaders Thursday afternoon agreed on a preliminary budget and took the first steps toward ending the government shutdown. During a three-hour meeting in the governor’s office, the parties agreed to a June 30 Republican budget proposal that would not raise taxes, but would borrow money to balance the budget. The deal will raise $1.4 billion by issuing state bonds against future tobacco revenue ($700 million) and shifting K12 education aid from 70/30 to 60/40 ($700 million). In a tense meeting with reporters at the Capitol following the meeting, Dayton said he expects to call a special session for legislators and to pass a budget “very…
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