With less than a month to go and little outward signs of progress, Gov. Mark Dayton is ramping up his rhetoric and his demands of the Legislature.
Anyone who expects him to completely cave on his budget demands as the end of session approaches, underestimates him, he said.
"I didn't get here by blinking," Dayton said.
The Democratic governor Tuesday said legislative doings on the budget are approaching the "theater of the absurd." During an afternoon press conference, called only to rail on about the budget and answer questions, Dayton said he submitted a budget 70 days ago but the Legislature has yet to follow suit.
"I'm mystified why they can't do what previous legislatures have done...I just don't understand what's so difficult," Dayton said. "I've heard excuse after another."
He said is asking lawmakers to pass a joint House-Senate budget by next Friday so that he can fully understand the Republican-controlled Legislature's position.
As it stands, the House and Senate have passed a series of separate, often divergent, budget measures and have yet to agree among themselves. Dayton has also said their budget measures simply don't balance because they rely on "fantasy" numbers.
Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch didn't warm to Dayton's request.