The Minnesota House plans to vote on their partial deficit solving plan just a few hours after Dayton delivers his address.
"Following the State of the State, we will recess and come back at 4:30 p.m. to finish any remaining business for the day," House Speaker Kurt Zellers, R-Maple Grove, told members in an email Tuesday.
The "remaining business"? House file 130, the compromise House-Senate plan to cut about $900 million in state spending, slashing funding for local governments, state agencies and programs. While Dayton has not said he would veto the bill he has called it a "piecemeal approach" and said he wants a comprehensive budget solution from the Legislature.
Rep. Alice Hausman, DFL-St. Paul, said the Republican plan is disrespectful to Dayton.
"As the session began in early January, I seem to recall that the Governor intended to have the signing of the health care funding on a date that coincided with the swearing in of new members. Majority leadership asked him to delay this signing so that the story would not conflict with the first day of session. The Governor accommodated this request. This scheduling of a session immediately following the State of the State address to pass a controversial conference committee report seems designed to interfere with the Governor's message. I hope we will re-think the timing of this," she wrote in response to Zeller's email.
