Gov. Mark Dayton
Governor Mark Dayton wrote legislative leaders today that he’s willing to call a special session for health insurance premium relief only — if they can’t get agreement on the other agenda items , namely a bonding bill and tax relief. The governor says special session negotiations have been like “herding cats” and he wants an agreement by Thursday for a special session next Tuesday, December 20th. He says it’s time to agree on three major bills or defer to next year. Dayton says he’s agreed to Republican House Speaker Kurt Daudt’s proposal to pay for health insurance relief out of the Health Care Access Fund. And the governor says, if a special session happens, legislative leaders have also agreed to make 334 million dollars from the “rainy day” budget reserve available for general spending.