The Minnesota Supreme Court is expected to rule later this morning in the continuing dispute over Governor Mark Dayton vetoing operating funds for the state legislature. It comes as Republican lawmakers meet to decide whether to tap reserve funds to keep the state Senate running through mid-January. Majority Leader Paul Gazelka says the roughly three million dollars would keep the Senate running through mid-January — still over a month shy of the start of the 2018 session.
Governor Mark Dayton says the legislature has more like 40-plus million available and adds, “They got enough money. That’s been clear all along. I don’t know why they’re continuing with this kind of obfuscation.” Gazelka responds, “Most of that money… is encumbered — it’s already used for things. So we can’t just raid that money.” Republicans have asked the courts to restore funding.
Dayton vetoed funding to try to force Republicans to rescind tax cuts enacted at the end of the 2017 legislative session. Republicans refused and sued the governor, arguing his vetoes violated the Separation of Powers clause in the Minnesota Constitution. A district judge sided with Republicans, but the Supreme Court issued a mixed ruling and ordered the two sides into mediation, which was unsuccessful.
Governor Dayton’s comments from his Wednesday news conference:
Senator Gazelka’s comments from earlier: