Dayton continues budget stops in Rochester, Mankato as GOP prepares to sue

Governor Mark Dayton is in Rochester this morning and Mankato this afternoon, talking about state budget bills he recently signed — even as Republican leaders of the Minnesota House and Senate prepare to sue him. Dayton vetoed funding for the legislature effective July 1st, to try to get Republicans to reverse some controversial measures in the bills. Dayton argues what he did is no different than lawmakers’ decisions on the other branches of government.  “The legislature funds the executive branch, or doesn’t fund. The legislature funds or doesn’t fund the judiciary,” he says.  Republican House Speaker Kurt Daudt responds Dayton violated separation of powers: “Where he violates the Constitution is by punitively, because he may not have liked the agreements that he made, line-item vetoing the entire funding for the legislature.”