Ugly divides revealed in budget negotiations even as leaders express optimism
The Brief
Legislative leaders expressed optimism Tuesday that a budget deal could be finalized by the end of this week and a special session would start next week.
An explosive taxes meeting -- one of the few working groups meeting publicly -- revealed some deep divisions on the road to finalizing agreements.
Layoff notices will likely need to go out to state employees next week because July 1 is when a government shutdown would happen without a deal.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - An explosive day at the Capitol has revealed some deep divisions as legislators try to work out a state budget before a special session.
Explosive day
They're on the clock to avoid a government shutdown and we saw the good, the bad and the ugly Tuesday.
Walking into the governor's office, Speaker of the House Lisa Demuth, (R-Cold Spring), Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, (DFL-St. Paul), and House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, (DFL-Brooklyn Park), were all smiles — Hortman even expressing optimism that the finish line is near.
"We're hoping to wrap things up this week and that the revisor will finish drafting soon thereafter," she said, acknowledging a special session would likely follow next week if everything goes right.
Missing pieces
But reasons for pessimism are also abundant.
Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson was absent Tuesday and hasn't been invited to meet with the other leaders in five days.
And most of the negotiations are happening behind closed doors, but two working groups are meeting in public.
Tensions escalated in the taxes group Tuesday when Sen. Ann Rest pushed House members to dry the ink on a couple compromises proposed by the House members.
"To move forward, the Senate is accepting your offer," said Sen. Rest, (DFL-New Hope). "One would think that the House would vote for their own offer. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Opposed, say no. The motion fails. Let it be known to our leaders that the House cannot even accept their own proposal."
MN Care's till Tuesday
The issue of healthcare coverage for undocumented immigrants is also still a powder keg.
A few dozen protesters rallied in front of the governor's office, hoping to convince negotiators to back down from the change cutting undocumented adults out of MN Care.
They argue the coverage saves money in the long run and it's the right thing to do with the budget.
"Always it has to be a moral document, but people tend to make a political document," said Pablo Tapia, an organizer from Blaine.
Deadlines approaching
They're working under a couple deadlines at the Capitol now.
The state government would shut down without a deal before July 1.
And because of that, layoff notices have to go out to state employees if there's no deal before next Monday -- 30 days notice.
That seems like a foregone conclusion now, even in the best-case scenario.
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