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Gov. Mark Dayton and top legislative leaders reported progress Thursday in their negotiations for a proposed special session, but an agreement remains out of reach.

Dayton and Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, want lawmakers to return to St. Paul early to take up three issues. They want to extend unemployment benefits for laid-off steelworkers, move the state toward compliance with federal identification law and start tackling racial economic disparities.

Dayton first proposed a special session in early November.

“I continue to believe we need a special session” Dayton said following a private meeting with Bakk and House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Crown.

Daudt still isn’t on board. He said he wants to wait until the regular session begins on March 8. But even so he didn’t close the door on a special session.

“We do support the issues, and I have made a commitment to Sen. Bakk and to the governor that we will continue to talk and work,” Daudt said. “If we can come to an agreement next week - we’re going to have our working groups continue to work on language - if we can come to an agreement, we certainly may have a special session.”

Daudt pledged to pass an unemployment bill and a measure related to Real ID during the first week of the regular session. He did not do the same for economic disparities.

Dayton said he thought the discussion of the disparity issue had become narrower than he wanted. He also rejected a recent House GOP proposal to include tax credits for private school tuition in an economic disparity package.

"I fail to see how that helps people in poverty in north Minneapolis or anywhere else," he said.

Bakk said bill language is close to completion. He wants the governor to call a special session for the first week of February.

Bakk represents many of the laid-off steelworkers in northeastern Minnesota, and he said the number of people who’ve exhausted their benefits keeps growing.  Action is needed sooner rather than later, he said.

“I think hammering out the language now and doing it and removing the insecurity for these families is the right thing to do,” Bakk said.

Politics and Government News

Capitol View®

Tim Pugmire

Author

Gov. Dayton and top legislators met to talk about a possible special session in February, but House Speaker Kurt Daudt said the issues can wait until the regular session in March.

Special session talks continue with no decision

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