Legislative budget panel meets as impasse drags

Published 11:58 am Thursday, June 2, 2011

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A bipartisan panel of state lawmakers is meeting to examine competing budget proposals from Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton and Republican legislative majorities.

The Legislative Commission on Planning and Fiscal Policy meets Thursday at the Capitol. It’ll be the first in-depth debate over the state budget since lawmakers adjourned last week without a deal between Dayton and GOP leaders over taxes and spending.

State government would shut down July 1 if a new two-year budget is not in place. Dayton says he doesn’t want to call the entire Legislature back into special session until he and Republicans agree on a budget framework.

Dayton’s revenue and budget commissioners are scheduled to testify at the Thursday meeting. Dayton and GOP leaders are meeting Friday for their first face-to-face budget talks since session ended.