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Dayton Asks Lawmakers To Slow Down Auditor Changes

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- With thousands of state jobs in limbo, top lawmakers called it a week -- with no deal to finish their work in a special session.

Legislators now have just 25 days to reach a deal or parts of the government start shutting down on July 1.

It's down to just one issue, and it's a head scratcher for many lawmakers.

Republicans are rejecting Gov. Mark Dayton's demand: he won't call a special session until they agree to change a law he signed which takes away many of the state auditor's duties.

Legislators are ready to go and meet in makeshift House and Senate chambers, where they are forced to meet because the Capitol building is closed for construction.

There was a rare joint meeting of a House and Senate committee to go over possible special session bills.

But top GOP leaders said it's time for the governor "to come to his senses" and end the stalemate.

"It's time for us to do what's best for the 9,400 Minnesotans that don't have certainty on their jobs, for the farmers in Minnesota that don't have certainty on the avian flu relief, for the steelworkers on the Iron Range that are waiting for unemployment benefits and for the communities that are harmed by flood relief, waiting for that needed disaster relief money," GOP House Speaker Rep. Kurt Daudt said.

Dayton will not call a special session until this issue is resolved, and it appears it won't be for at least several more days -- creeping closer to possible state employee layoffs, and the "S" word: shutdown.

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