Dayton, GOP Leaders To Meet Again As Time Dwindles

ST. PAUL  (AP) - Gov. Mark Dayton and Republican leaders of the Minnesota Legislature plan to meet again on their budget disagreements as the clock runs down on heading off a government shutdown.

Dayton will meet again Tuesday with House Speaker Kurt Zellers, Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch and other lawmakers and administration officials. Dayton and the two Republican leaders met briefly Monday but have stayed mum about details of their negotiations.

That's made it difficult to tell if they are making progress toward avoiding the shutdown, which would be triggered at midnight Thursday into Friday if a new, two-year state budget is not in place.

A Ramsey County judge is expected to rule this week on how a shutdown would be handled.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)