The cone of silence remains firmly in place.
Gov. Mark Dayton met with Republican legislative leaders again Tuesday morning during a 75-minute session in an attempt to resolve a budget showdown that could trigger a massive state government shutdown starting Friday.
Both sides maintained their tight-lipped stance after the meeting, which was to be followed by another closed-door session scheduled for 2 p.m. in an office on the second floor of the state Capitol.
Dayton called it a "constructive meeting, but we still have our differences." Deputy Senate Majority Leader Geoff Michel called it "a good meeting with the governor."
In between Tuesday's meetings, Dayton administration commissioners will sit down with ROP committee chairs to work through the two sides disagreements, particularly the enormous budget bill that funds health and human service programs. That topice is likely to come up during the afternoon session.
That meeting will break in time for Dayton and legislators to attend the memorial service for the late Sen. Linda Scheid, who died June 15. Both Dayton and Michel held out the possibility they might meet again after the service. "Maybe," Michel said. "Potentially."
