Dayton: Special Session Called By End Of Week, Or Early Next Week

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton says he hopes to call a special session as soon as possible.

Dayton says his office is working out the final details with Republican leaders to agree on the spending bills that fund state government.

He has dropped his number-one demand to Republicans: Repeal the new law that guts the duties of the state auditor's office.

Now it's just dotting I's and crossing the T's.

On Tuesday, Dayton inspected the site of this weekend's train and semi-truck collision in St. Paul Park, and renewed his call for the legislature to pass a rail safety package. He says times and dates for the session are almost in place, and everyone agrees it should be as soon as possible.

"It depends on how the final negotiations work out, but I think the people want to get it over with, we should get it over with, and I'm hopeful that it will be concluded by the end of this week or the very beginning of next week," Dayton said.

The governor says he will call the session after all the Republican and Democratic leaders sign a letter agreeing to a one-day-only session, and to limit votes to only bills they agree upon in advance.