Dayton: Special Session Could be Called Monday to End Minnesota Shutdown

Appearing on Minnesota Public Radio, Gov. Mark Dayton on Friday said he is willing to call a special session Monday morning but first needs to read all nine of the unsigned legislative bills.

The governor gave his negotiators a deadline of 10 p.m. Friday to have the deals in place.

While Dayton has said he’s happy with the , he understands that not all Democrats share his zeal.

“It may be there are some (bills) they find they can support,” Dayton said, referring to the K-12 education bill. “(And) there will be bills that have bipartisan support. The tax bill, I wouldn’t vote for, either.”

Rep. Kelby Woodard (R-District 25B) told Northfield Patch that Thursday's news was "great for Minnesota" and that "now the work begins over the next week."

Details still need to be fleshed out with a framework for a budget in place, but said he looks forward to digging into the numbers with his fellow legislators and finalizing a budget, which is expected to be somewhere in the $34.2 billion range.

While Dayton is expecting some resistance, he said he was confident that the “rough edges and details” would not be enough to derail negotiations or extend the shutdown.

Dayton also said he hopes to be able to provide back-pay to the 22,000 state workers laid off on July 1. But he did not confirm whether this would happen for sure.  

The governor is scheduled to appear on Almanac on Twin Cities public television at 7 p.m.