Still no deal on special session
The prospects for a special session of the Minnesota Legislature this summer remain uncertain after the latest round of negotiations.
DFL Gov. Mark Dayton and top legislative leaders met privately Wednesday to discuss taxes, bonding and other issues that they want addressed when and if lawmakers return to St. Paul. But they moved no closer to a deal.
Dayton said afterwards that he’s not anywhere near being able to call a special session because of lingering disagreements with House Republicans.
“All four caucus leaders and I said we want a special session,” Dayton said. “We want to pass both a tax bill and a bonding bill that we can all agree on. That’s the catch point obviously is agreeing on it. We have significant differences, which were apparent at the end of session, and they remain significant differences. So whether we can find common ground, find middle ground, remains to be seen.”
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House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Zimmerman, said the funding that Dayton and Senate Democrats want for metro area mass transit, including the Southwest Light Rail project, is the biggest sticking point. House Republicans oppose it.
Daudt said they also remain at odds over the size of a bonding bill.
“We like the compromise bills that were passed on the last night of session out of the House,” Daudt said. “The governor obviously wants some additional things and has made some demands, which is certainly his right to do that. But I think we’d like him to appreciate that the bills that we passed were compromise bills.”
Dayton said he was looking at other options for transit funding, but he did not elaborate.
House Minority Leader Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis, blamed the lack of progress toward a special session on Republicans' unwillingness to compromise.
“The governor has had a letter about how to resolve this legislative session since June 1,” Thissen said. “We asked today for the Republicans to actually put in writing a counter offer, so we know where they stand. They refused to do so.”
Another meeting is planned next Tuesday.