Dayton, Republicans End Budget Talks for the Day

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Gov. Mark Dayton and Republican legislative leaders have broken from a day's worth of budget negotiations as they try to head off a state government shutdown on July 1.

Dayton, House Speaker Kurt Zellers and Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch emerged Friday after meeting for about seven hours. They were mum on what happened behind closed doors as the Democratic governor and GOP leaders try to bridge their dispute over taxes and spending in the state budget.

Dayton and the Republicans jointly talked to reporters at the start and end of the meeting, and all refrained from the squabbling that characterized recent days. A revolving group of GOP and DFL lawmakers and administration officials joined the meeting at times.

Dayton and the GOP leaders say they'll meet for another daylong meeting Saturday.

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