Funding dispute could force MN Senate to lay off workers Dec. 1

ST. PAUL — Minnesota state Senate leaders say they are preparing to lay off their 205 employees and shut down the Legislature's upper chamber.

If the courts do not rule on a funding dispute between the Republican-controlled Legislature and Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton, Senator Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-Nisswa, said on Wednesday, Nov. 8, that employees will receive furlough notices in December or January. Workers would not get state-funded health insurance and the Senate could not transfer payments for its 2-year-old building to the executive branch, which "owns" the facility.

Besides employees, the 67 senators would lose their pay.

"We don't take the suspension of operations of the Minnesota Senate lightly," Gazelka said. "This is not a game, but we really have no other choice today."

The Senate is running out of money because Dayton vetoed legislative funding in May, an attempt to get lawmakers back to the negotiating table to discuss changing some provisions he does not like in bills he already signed. The two sides have not been able to resolve their differences and a district court and the state Supreme Court have not stepped in to fix the problem.

Read more: http://www.inforum.com/news/government-and-politics/4356286-funding-dispute-could-force-mn-senate-lay-workers-dec-1