St. Paul, MN (Learfield Wire Services/TTWN Media Networks) - The state Senate will not be passing a second round of state budget bills today in defiance of the governor’s veto threat, because a key senator can’t be there.

Majority Leader Paul Gazelka says Rochester Senator Carla Nelson’s father is gravely ill. Gazelka says, “We have to play it by ear, we just don’t know, and we want to recognize that her being near her dad right now is really important — and we’ll figure it out around that.”

Republicans have only a one-vote majority in the Minnesota Senate and need Nelson present to pass their budget bills. The GOP-controlled legislature is sending Dayton a first round of budget bills which he says he’ll veto. The two sides will then go back into negotiations as they try to wrap up the state budget before the May 22nd deadline.

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