Minnesota budget stalemate: countdown to government shutdown

The Minnesota House in session
Legislators gather in the House chamber at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, Minn., on March 30, 2011.
MPR Photo/Nikki Tundel

Layoff notices are in the mail and some state employees will get theirs today, as Minnesota's government makes plans for a shutdown. Governor Dayton and the Republican majority remain at an impasse over the budget.

Our guest -- a former MN Revenue Commissioner -- has a plan for breaking the impasse. John James was Revenue Commissioner from 1987 to 1991 and chaired a muti-state Tax Commission for several years. He is the founder of "Sensible Tax & Fiscal Systems."

We're also going to zero in on the politics of the standoff -- as independent groups try to influence public opinion. Eliot Side frion AFSCME and Dan McGrath from the Minnesota Majority will join us to talk about the ad buys each side has made.

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