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House GOP leaders ask Dayton to halt ‘misguided’ vote

House Speaker Kurt Zellers, R-Maple Grove, and House Majority Leader Matt Dean, R-Dellwood, sent a letter to Gov. Mark Dayton today asking him to stop next month's unionization vote among state-subsidized child care providers.

They want Dayton to rescind his recent executive order. Many Republicans argue Dayton doesn't have the legal authority to call the election. Zellers and Dean also disagree with Dayton's decision to limit participation to only about 4,000 of 11,000 providers, which they contend is "just as misguided as pursuing an executive order in the first place."

In addition, the GOP leaders wote that they believe the unionization would raise the cost of child care and decrease access to quality programs.

A spokeswoman for Dayton said yesterday that the governor will not rescind or adjust the order.