Governor Mark Dayton’s point-man on the state budget acknowledges, although the legislature is much further along on its work than usual, negotiations could still push hard against the constitutional deadline in the third week of May. State Management and Budget Commissioner Myron Frans says, “They’re in the right position right now, they just need to come to an agreement about what their legislative position is. We don’t need to just sit here for the next two or three weeks and wait.”
Governor Dayton says House Republican negotiators and their Senate counterparts must agree on major budget bills, then his number-crunchers will determine whether GOP lawmakers’ budget proposal is balanced before Dayton gets involved in final negotiations. Republicans argue to avoid doing things over and over again, Dayton should get involved in negotiations now. Dayton responds such three-way talks turned “nightmarish” during budget negotiations in 2015.