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Brian Bakst
St. Paul

GOP, Dayton trade barbs over Minnesota budget impasse

Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka
Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-Nisswa, speaks to reporters at the state Capitol, May 9, 2017.
Brian Bakst | MPR News

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Updated 11:30 a.m. | Posted 10:25 a.m

Republican legislative leaders Tuesday threatened to push ahead with passing their budget bills despite promised vetoes from DFL Gov. Mark Dayton, ratcheting up the pressure at the Capitol with only two weeks left in the session.

Dayton and Republican leaders traded accusations of bad faith over the budget process. House GOP Speaker Kurt Daudt dismissed several offers from Dayton, saying the governor wasn't serious and that, aside from an agricultural spending bill, everything proposed had been "microsteps."

"We know that compromise is necessary," Daudt, R-Zimmerman, told reporters. "We also know that the governor gains leverage if he pushes us to the end." The GOP wants negotiations to continue but the Republican-driven budget bills are ready to go to the House floor "at any time" if real progress isn't made soon, he added.

"Every option is on the table to get us to the place we need to get with the governor," said Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-Nisswa.

Tax cuts remain the biggest hurdle at this point. The $1.15 billion tax bill that Republicans want is too big for Dayton. Even though the state has a budget surplus that now stands at $1.5 billion, his tax bill proposal is just $300 million.

The size of that cut will influence spending across the state budget. Dayton wants more money to spend on early childhood education, colleges and other budget areas.

DFL leaders dismissed the GOP's tactics. Dayton said passing bills the GOP knows he'll veto would stymie any negotiations toward a compromise.

It "changes the tenor for sure" if they send bills, Dayton said following Daudt's earlier comments. A confrontational approach wouldn't lead to a smooth finish by May 22, the governor added.

"I actually believe it's just a sideshow," said Senate Minority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook. "The real negotiations are going to happen with the governor involved" or they'll collapse, he added.