Local governments win with shutdown ruling

A Minnesota judge has ruled that core services and local aid must continue to be funded in the event of a government shutdown.

Ramsey County Judge Kathleen Gearin is ordering Minnesota budget officials to keep paying for "critical core functions" in a shutdown and has appointed former Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz as "special master" for the shutdown to hear and make recommendations to the court regarding funding issues (MPR's Shutdown 2011).

The ruling brings clarity to a situation that has vexed local governments across the state.

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