ST. PAUL, MN -- Rep. Barb Haley (R-Red Wing) is urging Governor Dayton to work with legislative leaders to reach joint agreement on budget targets for the 2018-2019 budget by this Thursday, May 4th. Haley noted that legislative leaders agreed to and met Governor Dayton's requests to pass budget bills by March 31st and establish legislative targets by Friday, April 28th, and believes agreement by Thursday will ensure a smooth and orderly end to the legislative session.
“I really hope Governor Dayton becomes more involved in the negotiation process this week; the budget cannot be completed without his input and approval,” said Haley. “Minnesotans are expecting us to provide meaningful tax relief and funding for our road and bridge infrastructure, as well as critical investments in our schools.”
On Friday, House and Senate leaders unveiled agreements on budget targets for the 2018-2019 budget, meeting an April 28 deadline outlined by Governor Dayton early last month. The targets include $1.15 billion in tax relief, $372 million in new, ongoing funding for road and bridge infrastructure, and more than $1.1 billion in increased funding for K-12 schools compared to the previous two-year budget. Conference committees have met for the last two weeks and are meeting early this week to hold public hearings on the agreed-upon House and Senate budget. Language and spreadsheets for each of the Legislative budget bills can be found publicly here.
Governor Dayton’s commissioners have refused to engage and negotiate on his behalf, despite repeated requests by the Legislature. At Friday's press conference, House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, and Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-Nisswa, requested that Governor Dayton work with the House and Senate to meet a deadline of Thursday, May 4 to establish global budget targets. The legislature remains well-ahead of schedule, and has continued to focus on avoiding the last-minute lawmaking which has occurred during every budget session of Governor Dayton’s tenure.
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