Dayton Vetoes Republican Budget
ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO/AP) -- Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed the entire budget from the Republican-controlled Legislature on Tuesday, guaranteeing that he will have to call a special session. Dayton said beyond a special session, he expects there will be a government shutdown in a few weeks.
The Democratic governor struck down eight spending bills and a tax bill about 12 hours after lawmakers adjourned as required by the constitution, calling it "extreme" and "wrong."
"The republican all-cuts budget is extremely harsh and unfair to thousands of Minnesotans, and it is not Minnesota," Dayton said.
Failure by Dayton and Republicans to agree on a budget by the end of June would mean a state government shutdown beginning July 1 -- something Dayton is confident could happen.
"I think there's a strong likelihood we'll have to go to a shutdown of state government July 1st," he said. "The appropriations run out then so legally you can't operate without a budget."
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Dayton said the republican leadership of the state legislature is not willing to compromise.
"I don't see it likely that they're going to change their attitude for the next 38 days," said Dayton.
He also warned that a shutdown this year would be more severe than what happened in 2005. He said in 2005 several agency budgets had been approved before the shutdown began, while this time the only department with full funding is agriculture.
"No aspect of state government is going to be funded so we'll have to find out from a judge what he or she determines to be the core, essential services for public safety," Dayton said.
He said a shutdown of one month would cost the state $240 million.
The governor said he'll be meeting with republican leaders later this week or early next week to continue talks, which so far have produced no movement. Dayton said there would have to be prior agreement on a budget before he would call a special session of the legislature.
Last night, Republicans sent Dayton a budget he repeatedly threatened to reject as budget talks bogged down in a dispute over taxes and spending.
"You chose to present me with an all-cuts approach, one that has serious consequences for Minnesotans, and that I do not believe is in line with our shared commitment to build a better Minnesota," Dayton said in one of the veto messages.
The GOP-approved budget would have capped state spending at about $34 billion, the amount the state is projected to take in over the next two years. Dayton instead proposed higher taxes for the top 2 percent of incomes to bring in $1.8 billion more.
Minnesota has a budget deficit projected at $5 billion over the next two years.
Dayton hasn't indicated exactly when he will call lawmakers back to the Capitol.
Republican legislative leaders toured the state by plane Tuesday to promote their budget and speak out against Dayton's proposal to raise income taxes.
"After 38 years in the minority, republicans put together a budget plan exactly as they promised Minnesota," said Sen. Amy Koch. "We said what we were going to do, and we came to St. Paul and we did it."
But Dayton said Minnesotans had no idea who they were electing --
extreme right-wing lawmakers held captive by the state Republican Party.
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