Politics & Government

Governor, GOP lawmakers still don't have an agreement

Nonprofit services and child care assistance in Golden Valley will be affected if the state shuts down Friday.

The political arena in Minnesota today was filled with potential, plans and posturing but ostensibly little progress on the $1.8 billion that separates Gov. Mark Dayton and GOP lawmakers from a budget deal.   

At around 9:30 p.m. this evening the parties concluded what, by all accounts, was their final round of budget negotiations without an agreement.

According to Michael Brodkorb, executive assistant to the majority caucus, the governor has left the Capitol and there are no more meetings between the parties scheduled for tonight.  

This with just over 27 hours to go before a government shutdown.  

Golden Valley had about 330 state employees working in all industries in 2010, according to the Department of Employment and Economic Development. Then there are the many Golden Valley residents who are dependent upon agencies and programs funded by the state.

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According to tweets from Star Tribune political reporter Rachel Stassen-Berger, House Majority Leader Matt Dean (R, District 52B) has said the parties are “very very close on many issues” and that it would be “difficult to explain a government shutdown.”

Moreover, Deputy Senate Majority Leader Geoff Michel (R-Edina) told Stassen-Berger after the meeting that the parties have made progress on “almost every deal.”    

Lawmakers and the governor met this morning from 9 to 10:30 a.m. and quietly adjourned before slipping out a back door without offering a statement or status update.

Meetings at 12:30 p.m., 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. finished much the same way.

MinnPost also reported that unless a late-night deal is made, Republican legislators are planning to “march on St. Paul” tomorrow morning to demonstrate to the public their willingness to work.   

Ramsey County Judge Ruling
In a highly anticipated ruling, Ramsey County District Judge Kathleen Gearin decided this morning that core functions of the state government must continue to be funded even in the event of a Friday shutdown.  

According to MPR News, Gearin agrees with Dayton’s June 15 petition which states that correctional facilities, nursing homes, public safety, and payment of medical services are all "core functions" of government.

The Star Tribune reported Gearin’s written response: "The Court believes that the negative impact of a government shutdown on these programs does not justify a court in over-extending its authority....the Court must construe any authority it has to order government spending to maintain critical core functions in a very narrow sense.”

Gearin’s entire ruling can be accessed here, but according to local nonprofit organization Minnesota Budget Project here is what stays and what goes:

Funding continued

  • Medicaid
  • Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (Food Stamps)
  • Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
  • Basic custodial care for residents of state correctional facilities, regional treatment centers, nursing homes, veterans’ homes, and residential academies and other similar state-operated services.
  • Immediate public safety and health concerns
  • Benefit payments and medical services to individuals
  • Essential elements of government financial systems
  • Computer system maintenance, Internet security, issuance of payments and other administrative services
  • State aid to local cities and communities
  • Education funding
  • Care of animals and staff security at the Minnesota Zoo

Funding suspended

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All other services. Particular attention was given to the following:

  • Horse racing
  • Nonprofit services that are not included as part of the critical core functions listed above.
  • Child care: Programs that are federally-funded through TANF will continue, but payments for all other non-TANF child care assistance will cease.
  • Construction: Keeping a bridge from collapsing is a critical core function, but Judge Gearin ruled that all other bridge and road work is not.

Politicians Behaving Badly
In a move that several state employees said was inappropriate, House Speaker Kurt Zellers and Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch sent an email to thousands of workers regarding the budget, it was reported on Monday on the Star Tribune website.

The email read: "You can be sure about one thing: Our budget keeps state agencies open on July 1 and state employees will continue getting paychecks beyond June 30.”

It continued: "We agree with the Pioneer Press editorial from Sunday, June 26, that characterized Governor Dayton's negotiations as 'This is not a compromise. This is hostage taking.' Governor Dayton promised as a candidate to not shut down government, and he reiterated that pledge during his State of the State Address this year."

After state employees and a public employees union criticized the sending of the letter, both Koch and Zellers said they had done nothing wrong.


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