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Dayton Seeks Wednesday Breakthrough As Shutdown Looms

The Associated Press — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 21:55:55 +0000

Governor Mark Dayton says Wednesday is the day for "final breakthroughs" in budget negotiations with Republican legislative leaders, with a government shutdown two days away. The Democratic governor and lawmakers wrapped up talks on health and welfare programs Tuesday afternoon with a plan to continue negotiating on Wednesday.

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From Capitol To TV, Ads Tackle Minnesota Budget Mess

The Associated Press — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 21:49:37 +0000

Those campaign-style TV commercials clogging Minnesota's airwaves are brought to you by the budget stalemate at the state Capitol. It used to be that political ads were mostly confined to election years. But the simmering dispute over taxes and spending between Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton and Republican legislative leaders have inspired interest groups on both sides to take to the airwaves anew.

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Dayton, GOP Make No Headway In Budget Meeting

The Associated Press — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 20:58:26 +0000

Gov. Mark Dayton and GOP legislative leaders met for another unproductive budget negotiation as hopes fade for heading off a state government shutdown on July 1. Both Dayton and GOP leaders said after the 90-minute meeting on Wednesday afternoon that they made no progress in bridging their fundamental split over how much the state should spend in its next two-year budget cycle.

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Dayton, Republicans Still Circling On Minn. Budget

Lee Voss — Fri, 06 May 2011 20:43:06 +0000

Gov. Mark Dayton says he's still waiting for legislative Republicans to send him a budget so they can start negotiating. The Democratic governor held a news conference Friday to push the GOP majorities for their fix for a $5 billion deficit.

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Dayton Gives Lawmakers 10 Days To Send Him Budget

Lee Voss — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 20:40:00 +0000

Gov. Mark Dayton is asking Minnesota's Republican-controlled Legislature days to send him a full set of budget bills within 10 days. The Democratic governor set a May 6 deadline on Tuesday, promising quick action on the bills so end-of-session budget talks can begin.

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Minn. GOP, DFL Dig In On Taxes VS. Spending Cuts

Lee Voss — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 21:38:29 +0000

The argument over taxes and spending at Minnesota's Capitol this year spilled out in a contentious committee hearing as Democrats and their allies demanded higher state taxes to help fix a budget deficit while Republicans who want more spending cuts beat up on Gov. Mark Dayton's proposed income tax hike.

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Budget Bills Take Center Stage At Minn. Capitol

Lee Voss — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 20:17:42 +0000

With the Legislature beginning its budget votes, Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton has warned majority Republicans that he won't accept slices of the budget until an agreement on a full plan is reached.

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Minn. Legislature Sends $900M In Cuts To Dayton

Lee Voss — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 21:34:29 +0000

Minnesota lawmakers have sent a $900 million package of budget cuts to Gov. Mark Dayton, risking a veto. The bill passed the Senate 37-28 on Thursday, after clearing the House 68-61 a day earlier.

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Minn. Tax Collections Run $28M Ahead For Nov.-Dec.

Lee Voss — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 23:20:26 +0000

First the good news: Minnesota tax collections exceeded expectations by $28 million the last two months. Now the bad: That's a drop in the bucket put against a forecast budget shortfall exceeding $6 billion.

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