No Budget Deal Reached At Capitol
ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- As the midnight deadline approached and passed Monday night, and no deal could be made to solve Minnesota's $5 billion deficit.
Lawmakers couldn't find a middle ground in the budget mess, and there weren't even meetings between Republican leaders and Democratic Governor Mark Dayton.
That means the clock is ticking on a possible special session, and even worse, a potential government shutdown.
Adding to the late night tension, hundreds of public workers lined the steps to the House and Senate Monday to protest job cuts and the possibility of a government shut down.
Democrats placed on their desks the No. 0: To symbolize how many jobs they said Republicans have created.
But Republican leaders said they have done their job. Circled by protesters, they said Governor Dayton is preparing for a shutdown because he wants to raise taxes.
The governor has all of the Republican budget bills on his desk, which include cutbacks to longtime state programs. He wants to include tax hikes in the mix, and says he won't sign any of them until there's agreement on all of them.
It's up to Dayton to call a special session, and if lawmakers can't come to an agreement by July 1, state offices will be shut down.
