The Republican-led state Senate today, on a party-line vote of 35-31, passed a “lights on” bill that would continue funding at current levels if Governor Walz and Republicans can’t agree by the end of the fiscal year–June 30th. Lino Lakes Republican Roger Chamberlain said as negotiations drag on “the political reality is what it is, and you cannot deny that, you should always prepare for the worst.” But Senate Minority Leader Tom Bakk on the Senate floor said to those who call it a “continuing resolutions” bill: “I just want to be clear, that’s not what this is, what this is is a new 2-year budget for the state of Minnesota.” Republican Senator Carla Nelson countered: “this bill is not the Senate’s next budget, it is the Plan B.” The bill faces stiff opposition in the DFL-led House. Governor Walz and legislative leaders have been hammering out the details of a budget–so far with no agreement and a session deadline of midnight Monday.