Countdown to Shutdown

This weekend was an eventful one in the ongoing struggle to prevent an all-out government shutdown of Minnesota state services.

Gov. Mark Dayton met with the Republican leadership extensively on Saturday and, according to Session Daily, reached consensus on a number of issues including state government finance, K-12 education, transportation, public safety, jobs and economic development.

But while it appears progress is being made, there is still cause for concern after Sunday talks ended just 60 minutes into discussion and both Dayton and lawmakers avoided the media, Forbes reported.

The parties are searching for common ground in their proposed state budgets, which differ by $1.8 billion. Dayton is hoping to tax the highest-earning 2 percent of Minnesotans, while the Republican leadership is staunchly opposed to any new taxation.

Elsewhere in Minnesota, the looming shutdown has left construction crews across the state working overtime to ensure road safety by finishing projects that would otherwise have been completed after July 1.

Finance & Commerce reported that MnDOT has given the green light for crews to work “longer-than-usual workdays and unscheduled weekend work to make sure road projects are (prepared) in the event of a shutdown.”

MnDOT is just one of many state departments hoping to avoid an expensive long-term shutdown.

MPR News reported that a state government shutdown could cost millions of dollars in lost productivity, delays and financial penalties. Here is a comprehensive list of costs associated with the shutdown.