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Capitol View®
Tim Pugmire

Daudt says budget talks have a ways to go

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DFL Gov. Mark Dayton and legislative leaders inched closer to a budget agreement Wednesday night, but they still don't have a deal with just five days left in the 2015 session.

The latest round of closed-door negotiations concluded at about 10:30 p.m. at the governor’s residence.

House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, offered reporters only a vague assessment of the negotiations as he walked toward his car.

“We’re still working,” Daudt said. “We’ve got a ways to go yet.”

Daudt added that discussions about transportation and tax issues have been set aside for now to focus on spending numbers. He declined to elaborate.

The governor and leaders have agreed among themselves not to comment publicly until the conclusion of their deal-making.

Neither Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, nor Dayton talked to reporters after the meeting.

Earlier in the day, Bakk said the silent approach would be the most productive way to get a three-way agreement.

“It’s a common action that’s taken at this point of the negotiations,” Bakk said. “The sides finally come to a point and say dueling press conferences aren’t going to bring us any closer together.”

Bakk said he had been seeing progress made in every budget area. He also said they were looking for ways that all three sides could get “some version of a win” on their top issues. Bakk said that means a tax bill for House Republicans, a transportation bill for Senate Democrats and universal preschool for Dayton.

Democrats and Republicans must resolve how best to spend a $1.9 billion surplus on things like public schools, health care programs and tax relief.

The range of negotiation topics was made evident by a parade of state officials entering and exiting the governor’s residence. Dayton’s commissioners for commerce, education, higher education, human services, labor and industry, and mediation services were involved at various times of the day.

Negotiations are expected to resume Thursday morning.