With little time, lawmakers piece together spending package

Published 8:28 pm Saturday, May 21, 2016

 ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota lawmakers began a marathon Saturday to piece together spending plans for a $900 million budget surplus, racing toward a midnight Sunday deadline as legislative leaders tried to finalize a compromise that could satisfy Gov. Mark Dayton.

Leaders had cleared a major hurdle Friday evening in their quest to divvy the budget surplus only to find another obstacle, as Dayton vowed he wouldn’t sign a compromise package of more than $250 million in tax cuts unless it’s paired with extra funding for a preschool program and other spending he deems critical.

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk and Republican House Speaker Kurt Daudt appeared to have met the governor’s requirements. Bakk told reporters Saturday afternoon that he and Daudt were zeroing in on a package that would spend $25 million on a statewide preschool program, $35 million on broadband Internet expansion and $35 million to tackle racial disparities, plus ongoing money in future budget years.

A spokeswoman for Daudt didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Matt Swenson, the governor’s spokesman, said the office was awaiting further details before making any comments.

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“I believe the governor will reluctantly sign the bill with that funding at those levels,” Bakk said, adding that he thought the funding for broadband expansion was too low.

Negotiators from the House and Senate were still trading offers to fund a transportation package into Saturday evening. Proposals to use surplus dollars, borrow hundreds of millions dollars more, use existing taxes on auto parts sales and authorize a quarter-cent sales tax in the metro area for transit projects were all in the mix, but what combination of those would crack a stalemate was unclear.

Lawmakers had also begun work on a public works construction package, with the Senate proposing a slightly smaller $1.4 billion proposal. That offer was still $600 million more than one sought by the House.

Lawmakers were expected work all day and into the night, passing pieces of an overall spending package as soon as legislative leaders ironed out compromises.

The Legislature must adjourn by Monday and cannot pass any bills past midnight Sunday. On whether everything could be finished by then, Bakk said they’re going to be cutting it close.

“I think it’s getting awful close,” Bakk said.