As Republicans Pass Budget Bills, DFL Wary

Last week, Repubicans passed the preliminary versions of all their budget bills in the state legislature, only one of which has substantial bipartisan support.

House Minority Leader Paul Thissen (DFL-Minneapolis) said Republican efforts to solve the state budget crisis were like “landing on an aircraft carrier and declaring ‘Mission Accomplished,'” a reference to former Pres. George W. Bush's 2003 speech about the Iraq War. Thissen said there is no Republican budget yet, just a bunch of competing Republican proposals and $1 billion accounting hole. Thissen joked that the GOP banner should say “Mission considered, but it was too hard.”

On the other side of the aisle, Sen. Geoff Michel (R-Edina) criticized Gov. Mark Dayton’s proposed budget, which would increase the taxes paid by the very wealthy. Michel said those proposals wouldn't pass the legislature (see second video).

Gov. Mark Dayton has criticized Republican budget bills, but not said whether he will veto them.