republican leaders

Gov. Mark Dayton and Republican legislative leaders are returning to budget talks after Dayton offered to accept a Republican revenue plan to end Minnesota's two-week-old government shutdown. The two sides are scheduled to meet in Dayton's office at 2 p.m. on Thursday.

Gov. Mark Dayton and top Republicans met again Wednesday without meaningful progress toward resolving the budget dispute that has shut down state government. House Speaker Kurt Zellers and Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch say the negotiations went backwards when Dayton made an offer for either an income tax increase for top earners or a cigarette tax increase.

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.

Governor Mark Dayton and Republican legislative leaders met briefly but did not reach a budget deal with a government shutdown now only four days away. Dayton, House Speaker Kurt Zellers and Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch met privately for less than an hour Monday. Afterward the three appeared before the press together and say they're still hopeful of a deal that could head off a July 1 shutdown.

Gov. Mark Dayton and Republican legislative leaders will spend a summer Saturday behind closed doors trying to head off a state government shutdown that would hit in less than a week if they can't agree on a budget.

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.