Court Order Keeps Funds Flowing to State Legislature
St. Paul, MN (KROC-AM News) - Funding to cover the pay of state lawmakers and the staff of the Minnesota House and Senate will continue to flow from the state coffers, at least for a few months.
The judge given the task of considering whether Governor Mark Dayton exceeded his constitutional authority by using line-item vetoes to remove funding for the state legislature from the state budget has issued an order directing the Dayton administration to provide funds for operating the legislature while the legal cases pending. The court order will remain in effect until October 1st, unless the dispute is resolved or settled before that day. The ruling basically matches a stipulation agreement announced last Friday by Governor Dayton, House Speaker Kurt Daudt and Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka.
The judge yesterday heard oral arguments from attorneys representing the governor and Republican legislative leaders, but has not given any indication of when a ruling might be issued. Whatever the decision, the case will likely end up before the Minnesota Supreme Court.
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