Posted on 07/01/2005 1:37:39 AM PDT by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
ST. PAUL, Minn. - About 9,000 workers were laid off and highway rest stops were closed for the July Fourth weekend after Minnesota's government shut down for the first time in state history Friday.
The shutdown came at midnight after lawmakers failed late Thursday to pass a temporary spending plan designed to keep the government up and running. The Senate adjourned 20 minutes after Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty said he hoped the two sides could agree on a stopgap measure to keep the state's doors open for 10 more days.
"I'd like to say I'm sorry to the people of Minnesota," said Republican state Rep. Rod Hamilton of Mountain Lake. "This is disgusting."
Many states often miss their deadline for enacting new budgets. But Minnesota, unlike other states, has no law that automatically extends spending past the end of its fiscal year if a new budget is not approved.
Earlier Thursday, the Senate passed a temporary measure with no time limit, which the governor and Republican leaders in the House said they would not accept.
Most Republicans opposed the bill, saying it would create incentive to drag the budget debate deeper into the summer.
House Speaker Steve Sviggum, the Legislature's leading Republican, indicated he would not allow a House vote on the stopgap bill unless legislative leaders first reached a tentative deal on the full budget.
"The Senate wanted to shut down government from the beginning," Sviggum said.
The governor said Democrats wanted a government shutdown to embarrass him in the run-up to his 2006 re-election campaign.
"The Democrats turned and left tonight when Minnesota needed them most," Pawlenty said at a late-evening news conference.
Dean Johnson, leader of the Democratic majority in the Senate, said the sides had whittled the gap to less than $200 million in a two-year, $30 billion budget. But with the new fiscal year looming Friday, lawmakers remained deadlocked over issues including taxes, casino gambling and health care for the poor.
Eliot Seide, who heads the state's biggest employee union, lashed out at state leaders. He said it will be state workers not lawmakers or the governor who will have to pay the price for their failure to pass a budget.
"The services that they provide, the jobs that they do, the families that they care for ... , all in jeopardy because chicken was played in the Legislature by the governor of this state and the Legislature of this state," he said.
Minnesota had never before had to suspend services because of a budget dispute. The last state government shutdown was in Tennessee in 2002.
A judge earlier this month ordered Minnesota to protect essential services relating to health, safety and property including state police patrols, nursing homes and food inspections.
Services that were closed included highway rest areas and the issuing of new driver's licenses. But the most significant pain would be felt by the roughly 9,000 employees who were locked out without some deal or stopgap spending plan.
Lawmakers hurried through a compromise bill to keep state parks from closing, eliminating the risk the parks would be unavailable during the Fourth of July weekend. The governor signed it and ordered park employees to report to work Friday.
Meanwhile, Kansas still faces the risk of a school shutdown.
Interesting times
Quick...Organize a taxpayer rebate drive!
Now the "spin doctoring" begins. Who wins will not depend on who is at fault, but who most successfully blames the other party.
If they can lay off 9000 people, could be they'll find they didn't need them to begin with...
BUMP
I wonder how long it will be until someone who isn't on the state payroll notices. Personally, I think Minnesota shut down years ago.
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
NJ on the brink of shut down as well.
The temperature is 58, and it's cloudy this morning in Saint Paul. This must be due to the reduction of CO2 gases coming from the government offices this morning.
We are experiencing a sever cold snap here in the Midwest and altho I am 40 miles from the Minnesota border, I can almost hear the cries of the state employees who can not pay their heating bills this morning. Truly a tragic state.
Her is what is "closed" Oh the Humanity!!!
from the front page of the Pioneer Press:
1.All but 8 rest areas
2.getting new drivers lic.
3.Traffic message Boards!
4.LOCAL GRANTS to public health agencies
5.employment services for dislocated workers(not the checks)
6.MENTORING PROGRAMS
7.Worksite inspections
8.Gas pump inspections
9.air/water quality permits
10.ENFORCEMENT OF MINIMUM WAGE
11. processing of low interest loans to farmers
roads are being built -highway patrol on the job-
200 road contstruction projects! the Zoo -the Schools
evrything else is RUNNING
BUT 9000, yes I said 9000 workers of the STATE are Idled!!!!
Welcome to Minnesota the land of 10,000 +++ taxes and the fools that pay them -thinking of buying a place in Florida or Texas -ANY ideas?
Just in time for Independence Day! LET FREEDOM RING!
With any luck, it'll STAY shut down!
in Wisconsin, this is posted on the permit application site (for oversize/overweight trucks) "The Permit Office of the State of Minnesota is closed for an indeterminant period due to budget issues in that state. New applicants planning travel into or out of Minnesota may wish to select an alternate route. The only exceptions to the suspension of permit issuance in Minnesota are for movement in response to major emergencies and loads destined for Minnesota construction projects on state, US or interstate highway."
Bummer, I guess if I were moving my house to Texas-
I would make sure I am on the Federal interestate!
LOL
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