After notably long and divisive debates in other areas, the Minnesota House quickly approved budgets for state government finance and jobs and economic development.
Early Thursday morning, the Republican-controlled House passed the jobs bill 71-61 and then checked off the state government finance budget 70-62.
The jobs bill would eliminate the Minnesota Trade Office and cut funding for the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. The state government finance bill would impose a 15 percent workforce reduction and orders DFL Gov. Mark Dayton to trim another $90 million from state government.
Dayton is expected to veto the bills, giving legislators little time retool them to his liking before Monday's legislative deadline.
Edging close to 2 a.m., House members then took up the health and human services budget, which gobbles up more than $10 billion, nearly one-third of the state budget.
