Special session looking likely as deadline nears

Gov. Mark Dayton held a series of meetings with GOP legislators over the weekend but there's still no deal on the state budget. The session must end by midnight Monday, and it looks like a special session is in the offing.

Rep. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, said he spent about 50 minutes in Dayton's office Sunday discussing the large health and human services bill. Abeler said it was a friendly discussion, but he's convinced the session can no longer end on time.

"Knowing we'd not agree on the revenue number, then there's simply no way we could have got done," said Abeler. "If we would have got the revenue number for Monday we could of even pulled it together for Tuesday, because there were enough commonalities. But we have a ways to go yet."

The House and Senate both held floor sessions Sunday, but Rep. Ryan Winkler, DFL-Golden Valley, took issue with GOP leaders when they adjourned the session before the sun was down. Winkler said there's still too much work to do.

"We are nowhere close to passing a budget that will get signed into law," said Winkler. "We're adjourning early with no plan to get this session wrapped up, with no plan to get any work done between now and tomorrow evening, frankly. It just looks like this session is going to end in disaster."

DFL House Minority Leader Paul Thissen of Minneapolis said he was disappointed and frustrated by Republicans' refusal to compromise with Dayton.

The state is facing a projected $5 billion deficit. Dayton wants an income tax increase on the highest wage earners in the state as part of the solution, but Republicans aren't budging on their opposition to a tax increase.

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