Minnesota Senate Passes ‘Lights On’ Bill to Prevent Government Shutdown
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Senate has approved a Republican plan for preventing a state government shutdown if the Legislature's budget stalemate persists.
Senators voted 35-31 along party lines Saturday to send it to the House, challenging Democrats to either agree or take the blame if there is a shutdown when the current budget expires June 30.
The bill would keep the government funded at currently projected levels. It's close to the Senate GOP's original budget proposal, which included none of the tax increases sought by Gov. Tim Walz and House Democrats to spend more on education, health care, transportation, and other programs.
Monday night's adjournment deadline is looming with no budget deal in sight, making a special session increasingly likely, though efforts by Senate Republican and House Democratic leaders and the governor continue.