ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - The Latest on the Minnesota Supreme Court decision to uphold Gov. Mark Dayton’s line-item veto of the Legislature’s operating budget (all times local):
12:25 p.m.
Republican legislative leaders are disappointed that the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld Gov. Mark Dayton’s line-item veto of the Legislature’s operating budget.
After the ruling was posted Thursday, GOP House Speaker Kurt Daudt said of the justices, “We had hoped they would end this debacle and they did not.”
And Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka said he was shocked. He said the high court did not recognize the hardship ahead for the Legislature as the money dries up.
House Democratic leader Melissa Hortman says the governor and Legislature need to return to the bargaining table as soon as possible.
So does Democratic Senate Minority Leader Tom Bakk. If they don’t deal with the “toxic” political environment, he says, the upcoming legislative session will be “the biggest do-nothing session we’ve ever seen.”
11:40 a.m.
Gov. Mark Dayton says he’s pleased the Minnesota Supreme Court has upheld his line-item veto of the Legislature’s operating budget.
The Democratic governor noted in his statement that the high court determined the Legislature has access to at least $26 million that will allow the House and Senate to keep operating until the Legislature reconvenes in February. So, he says, there was no need for GOP legislative leaders to sue him and impose the costs of their lawsuit on taxpayers.
Dayton vetoed the Legislature’s budget to try to force it to renegotiate tax breaks and other measures he signed into law this spring.
He says it’s time for all sides to agree the dispute over his veto authority is settled and resume working together for the best interests of Minnesota.
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10:10 a.m.
The Minnesota Supreme Court has upheld Gov. Mark Dayton’s line-item veto of the Legislature’s operating budget.
Thursday’s decision hands Dayton a major legal victory as he seeks to rework costly tax breaks and other measures he signed into law this spring as part of a new state budget. And it leaves the Legislature on uncertain financial footing.
The state’s high court says Dayton’s veto complied with the law, and that the state constitution does not allow the courts to order funding for the Legislature without an appropriation.
The decision overturns a lower court ruling that deemed Dayton’s action unconstitutional.
The Legislature took initial steps earlier Thursday to free up enough money to continue paying members and staff. Top lawmakers say they may still run out of money in early 2018.
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