Governor, GOP Resume Talks as Shutdown Drags Through Day Six

Day Five of the Minnesota state government shutdown produced little progress toward resolution. Gov. Mark Dayton and GOP lawmakers met for the first time since the parties called for a "breather” last week, but no deal emerged.

At issue is a $1.7 billion difference between budgets proposed by both sides for the 2011-13 biennium.   

Republican leaders on Tuesday again asked Dayton to call a special legislative session to pass a lights-on bill that would provide temporary funding and allow the state government to resume operations for an additional 10 days.

“The shutdown was unnecessary,” Senate Majority leader Amy Koch (R-Buffalo) told reporters assembled outside the governor’s office. “We want the parks open and construction going.”

But while Dayton called the talks “constructive” and said he would consider “anything” to achieve progress, his stance on the lights-on bill remained unchanged. With Republicans sticking to their $34 billion-dollar budget, Dayton said, he isn’t hopeful.

“We have the same gulf between us that we have always had,” Dayton said Tuesday.

Owing to the complexity and size of the K-12 Education and Health and Human Services bills, Dayton said they would receive special scrutiny this Wednesday and Thursday.

Dayton said he reached out over the weekend to a handful of moderate Republicans to attempt to break the budget impasse, but the governor wouldn’t divulge specifically which legislators he contacted.

The parties are scheduled to meet again this afternoon in the governor’s office.

Follow the latest shutdown developments on Lake Minnetonka Patch:

July 6: (Updated) Shutdown News From Around the State and Nation

July 6: Shutdown May Affect Local Family

July 6: State Likely to Continue Funding Counties During Shutdown

July 5: Doepke Wants Compromise Without Tax Hike

July 5: Committee Tasked With Finding 'Third Solution' to Budget Crisis

July 3: Zoo Open, Canterbury Still Closed as Talks Take Holiday Break

July 1: Buses Still Stopping at Local Park-and-Rides—For Now

July 1: A first: DNR Ceases Most Activity

July 1: No Deal: State Government Goes Dark

June 30: (Update) The Latest From St. Paul as Deadline Nears

June 30: Local Clinics Await Their Fate

June 30: Locals React to Approaching Shutdown

June 29: Judge Rules What's Essential During Shutdown

June 29: Hennepin County Battens Down Hatches as Shutdown Nears

June 28: Invasive Species Inspections Continue as Shutdown Nears

June 25: Local Nonprofits, Hospitals Brace for Shutdown    

June 23: Shutdown Shouldn't Hurt Minnehaha Watershed District      

June 22: State Shutdown Would Freeze DNR