Minnesota Independent

Minnesota Capitol. Photo: Paul Weimer, Flickr

Mondale/Carlson budget solutions fall flat

By Jon Collins | 07.08.11 | 7:45 am

Leaders on both sides of the aisle balked on a bipartisan proposal to end the Minnesota budget stalemate through a combination of across-the-board tax increases and spending cuts Thursday. The commission, led by former Democratic Vice President Walter Mondale and former Republican Gov. Arne Carlson, was praised by Democratic leaders, although Gov. Mark Dayton ultimately rejected their proposal of a tax increase for everyone, rather than just the very wealthy, which Dayton has proposed.

"Progress of the State" sculpture on the Minnesota Capitol dome. Photo: Michael Hicks, Flickr

New York Times calls out Minnesota’s ‘anti-tax extremists’

By Jon Collins | 07.06.11 | 10:53 am

The New York Times came down hard on Minnesota Republicans in an editorial in today’s paper saying their “antitax radicalism” is “doing enormous damage at all levels.”

GOP chair Tony Sutton. Photo: Fibonacci Blue, Flickr

GOP fundraises off shutdown as chairman Sutton begins $100,000 salary

By Andy Birkey | 07.06.11 | 8:30 am

Gov. Mark Dayton criticized the Republican Party of Minnesota on Tuesday for using the shutdown as an opportunity to fundraise. The party sent out an email to supporters asking for money to retain legislative majorities and blaming Dayton for the state shutdown. At the same time, the party announced that chairman Tony Sutton would start drawing a $100,000 salary — even as the party remains in debt and owes several counties money from the 2010 recount nine months ago.

Did abortion politics derail budget talks, lead to shutdown?

By Andy Birkey | 07.01.11 | 4:32 pm

Debate continued on Friday over what killed the budget talks between Gov. Mark Dayton and Republican leadership. Certainly, a no-taxes pledge by the Republican majority in the Minnesota Legislature and Dayton’s insistence that new revenues be raised by wealthy Minnesotans played a significant part, but social issues — especially abortion — seem to have played a part in the stalemate as well.

GOP pressed for abortion, stem cell research bans during budget negotiations

By Andy Birkey | 07.01.11 | 10:35 am

During budget negotiations the week before Friday’s government shutdown, Republican leaders pressed Gov. Mark Dayton to include a ban on abortions at 20 weeks gestation, a ban on taxpayer-funded abortions and a ban on some forms of stem cell research. Even as the shutdown of Minnesota government had begun, the principal anti-abortion lobby, Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, continued to push its agenda.

Alliance for a Better Minnesota's new Shutdown Shame site

SEIU pays for anti-GOP shutdown ad, launches video

By Sam Lane | 07.01.11 | 10:05 am

The Minnesota Service Employees International Union today announced plans to “dramatically increase” its donations to the Alliance for a Better Minnesota in order to run advertisements criticizing the state’s GOP-controlled legislature over the budget impasse that led to the government shutdown.

State employees rally on the Capitol steps, June 30, 2011. Photo: Kathy Easthagen

As workers protest, Minnesota government shuts down

By Sam Lane | 07.01.11 | 8:00 am

With Gov. Mark Dayton unable to come to terms with Republican legislative leaders on a budget deal late Thursday night, the state government shut down and the fate of up to 23,000 state employees who have received layoff notices is highly uncertain. A crowd of hundreds of state workers, including members of Minnesota’s two largest public employees’ unions — MAPE and AFSCME Council 5 — filled the steps of the Capitol Thursday night for a Shutdown Eve Vigil.

Shutdown Roundup: Core functions must stay open, judge rules

By Sam Lane | 06.30.11 | 7:30 am

In today’s roundup, a judge ruled that core services — including prisons, nursing homes and hospitals — must stay open should the government shut down. Bracing for such an event are immigration groups, unions and FEMA, which is concerned about the safety of nuclear plants.

Shutdown Roundup: Talks continue as Friday’s deadline nears

By Sam Lane | 06.28.11 | 7:30 am

As Gov. Mark Dayton and Republican legislators meet in the “cone of silence” in an attempt to avert a government shutdown, entities from the YWCA and the Minnesota Department of Education to the state’s horse-racing industry prepare for a shutdown. Here’s a roundup of recent shutdown news.

Gov. Mark Dayton. Photo: Kathy Easthagen for the Minnesota Independent

Union rep calls Dayton’s shutdown letter ‘exemplary’

By Sam Lane | 06.17.11 | 11:20 am

A representative from a union that represents 13,000 state employees said Gov. Mark Dayton’s letter to public employees in the wake of a possible government shutdown was a “class act” and “exemplary.”