Minnesota State Employees Recalled To Work Thursday

ST. PAUL  (AP) - Minnesota state employees have been recalled to work beginning Thursday now that a budget showdown is over.

About 22,000 state workers have been off the job since the government shutdown July 1 because Gov. Mark Dayton and Republicans could not agree on taxes and spending in a new budget. One-hundred road projects came to a grinding halt, 66 state parks were barricaded and an assortment of services were discontinued.

Lawmakers finally agreed to a budget deal after meeting in a special session that ended early Wednesday. Dayton then signed the budget, but said he was "not entirely happy" with it.

The state recalled employees beginning at 6 a.m. Thursday, telling workers to report at their normally scheduled times.

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