Gov. Mark Dayton
Governor Mark Dayton told House Republicans Friday night the tax-cut bill they agreed on with Senate Democrats is “in the ballpark” — but will *not* be signed unless they also use money from the budget surplus for rural broadband, improving the economy in communities of color, and expanding pre-kindergarten. The governor says, “They’ve [Republicans] rushed all over themselves to do the tax cuts, and I understand that the House is not enthusiastic about the supplemental spending, but I am — and I have a say in this.” The governor says he won’t sign a tax cut bill unless the programs he wants are funded — and if a tax credit for private school tuition is in the bill, he won’t sign it either. Meanwhile lawmakers are still trying to agree on a bonding bill, but hopes for a transportation package are fading as the clock ticks down to Sunday’s midnight deadline.