Minn. lawmakers return to looming budget deadlines

Minnesota legislators will face deadline pressure when they return to work Tuesday after a spring holiday break.

They have less than five weeks to reach a compromise on fixing Minnesota's $4.6 billion deficit.

There is a lot of ground to cover.

Democrats who control the Legislature are at odds with Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty on taxes, the specifics of spending cuts and Pawlenty's $1 billion plan to sell proceeds from tobacco settlements.

The House and Senate also disagree on whether to cut school spending and other items.

Details of their budget proposals will become clearer on Thursday, the deadline for finance subcommittees to send spending bills to finance committees that oversee the entire state budget. Tax plans are due the following week.

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