Minnesota Government Shuts Down: Back In Session

(Updated, 5:35 p.m., Tuesday, July 19)

The overarching message to Minnesotans is “Be ready.” That comes from Gov. Mark Dayton’s chief of staff, Tina Smith, and Minnesota Management and Budget commissioner Jim Schowalter.

Smith and Schowalter sounded cautious optimism in a conference call with media on Tuesday afternoon.

“There are a lot of assumptions right now,” Schowalter said. “But it is important to remind everyone that normal operations will not resume immediately. The bills must pass both bodies and then be signed into law by the governor.”

Schowalter said that while the timing and enactment of the bills is still uncertain, after Dayton signs them, money will become available to the respective agencies. The money would not be available to the respective agencies until the following day.

It’s “unlikely,” Smith said, that state workers would go back to their jobs on Wednesday, noting the logistics of passing the legislation and contacting workers. Each agency will have its own process for resuming operations, and state employees will be given 24 hours notice to return to work, Schowalter said.

Smith and Schowalter concluded the call by encouraging Minnesotans to check out the Be Ready website, created by the state to deliver real-time information.

“We are moving forward with two things right now: urgency and common sense,” Smith said.

“The goal,” Smith reiterated, “is to restart the government as quickly as we can and get Minnesotans back to work.” 

Keep up to date with all our shutdown coverage:

Woodbury

July 19:

July 14: Done Deal: Rep. Kieffer Says She’s ‘Relieved’ Shutdown Will End Soon

July 14: Minnesota Government Shutdown Could End Soon

July 12:

July 8:

July 7:

July 5:

July 1:

July 1: Lawmakers Representing Woodbury React To Minnesota Government Shutdown

July 1:

June 22:

Schools

July 1:

June 17:

June 10:

Washington County

July 13:

July 5:

July 5:

July 1:

June 29:

June 29:

June 24:

June 17:

Statewide

July 14: Done Deal: Rep. Kieffer Says She’s ‘Relieved’ Shutdown Will End Soon

July 11:

July 7:

July 6:

July 5:

June 29:

June 22:

June 15:

June 1:

Opinion

July 2:

June 29:

June 28:

June 28: Minnesota Faces A Crossroads

June 11:

News Elsewhere

July 19:

• Bloomberg: Minnesota Shutdown, Wisconsin Recalls Show States Mirror Washington Split
• Kare 11: Minn. Capitol to reopen Tuesday, budget still in the works
• Kare 11: Gov't shutdown wreaks havoc on Minnesota roads
• Minnesota Public Radio: GOP leaders ready four budget bills
• Minnesota Public Radio (sidebar): At a glance: Details of the budget bills
• Minnesota Public Radio: Shutdown erodes state's already-sullied reputation for good governance
• Pioneer Press: 3 budget bills down, 6 to go
• Reuters: Minnesota grinds budget details to end shutdown
• Star Tribune: Secrecy reigns at State Capitol
• Star Tribune: Deal reached on 4 spending bills
• Wall Street Journal: The St. Paul Solution

July 18:

• Duluth News Tribune: Minnesota budget bills make progress, but no special session yet
• Minnesota Public Radio: No special session today: Lobbyists descend on Capitol
• The Minnesota Independent: Abortion politics threaten to again derail budget agreement
• MinnPost: Bogged down in budget details, two sides repeat a familiar refrain: 'We're close'
• Pioneer Press: Dayton, Republicans working on agreement, but not ready to meet yet
• Politico: Minnesota shutdown drags on
• Reuters: Minnesota leaders report progress toward ending shutdown
• Read this: Star Tribune: Chance for quick budget deal fades
• Star Tribune: St. Anthony: Shutdown 'solution' comes with funny money
• Star Tribune: Their paychecks stopped, but their work went on

July 17:

• Business Week: With abrupt deal, Minn. shutdown still upsets many
• Christian Post: Will Obama, Like Mark Dayton, Cede to Republican Pressure?
• Duluth News Tribune (Opinion): Lawmaker's view: Once again, a budget based on gimmicks
• Minnesota Public Radio: Dayton, GOP continue hammering out budget details
• Pioneer Press: When will the state be open for business?
• St. Cloud Times: State workers hesitant over tentative budget deal
• Star Tribune: Painful deal delays day of reckoning
• Star Tribune: Budget deal still not a done deal

July 16:

• Kare 11: State still shut down... for now
• Minnesota Public Radio: GOP leaders confident they have support for budget
• Minnesota Public Radio: FAQ: How state services are affected by the budget framework
• New York Times: Compromise in Minnesota Is Quick Fix on Budget
• Pioneer Press: More delayed aid to schools helps plug Minnesota's budget gap
• Politico: Mark Dayton: 'I didn’t give in'
• Reuters: Minnesota shutdown adds stress to prisons
• Reuters: Minnesota budget deal pushes problem down the road
• Star Tribune: Elbow grease ahead for budget bill
• Star Tribune: Vikings stadium deal has to wait
• Video: Budget deal explained

July 15:

• Associated Press: Minn. gov., GOP leaders have deal to end shutdown
• Fox 9: Shutdown Halts Mental Health Check in Gun Permitting Process
• Minnesota Public Radio: Budget deal draws criticism from education officials
• Minnesota Public Radio: Business owners eager to see end of shutdown
• Minnesota Public Radio: FAQ on the deal ending the state government shutdown
• New York Times: Deal Is Made for Ending Shutdown in Minnesota
• Pioneer Press: For some, hopefulness, relief and joy; for others, skepticism and dismay
• Pioneer Press: Shutdown-shuttered DNR prevents potential record-breaking fish from being recognized
• Politico: Deal reached to end Minnesota shutdown
• Star Tribune: Dayton, GOP finally reach budget deal
• Star Tribune: Without rest areas, truckers scramble to find rest
• Washington Post: Minnesota governor, GOP lawmakers agree to end shutdown

July 14:

• Associated Press: Minn. government shutdown puts lives on hold
• Duluth News Tribune: Child care assistance restored; Duluth women's shelter closes
• Fox 9: Shutdown Anger Grows as Lawmakers Talk, Don’t Meet
• Minnesota Public Radio: Shutdown forces mental health crisis programs to cut services
• Minnesota Public Radio: Several rank and file Republicans open door for more revenue
• New York Times: Amid Minnesota Crisis, Pawlenty Faces Scrutiny
• Pioneer Press: Horse track advocates fear long-term shutdown could destroy racing community in Minnesota
• Star Tribune: MillerCoors kicked off state shelves
• Star Tribune: Money flows again for some child care
• Star Tribune: No license means no fishing, says Minnesota DNR

July 13:

• Duluth News Tribune: Minnesota government shutdown: Judge extends loggers' access
• Fox News: Minnesota Lawmaker Proposes Legislature Skip Paychecks
• Minnesota Public Radio: Dayton continues state tour, waits for GOP counteroffer
• Minnesota Public Radio: FAQ: Latest answers to shutdown questions
• The New Republic: Lessons From Minnesota’s Government Shutdown About the Dismal, Irrational State of U.S. Politics
• Pioneer Press: With restrooms closed by shutdown, problems pile up at Minnesota state parks
• Reuters: Minnesota residents vent at politicians over shutdown
• Star Tribune: One by one, bars get tapped out
• Star Tribune: Shifting tactics, Dayton takes tax plan to the people
• Wall Street Journal: Frustration Bubbles Up in Minnesota

July 12:

• Associated Press: Minnesota shutdown stirs debate over who gets paid
• Bloomberg: Target Scion Dayton’s Plan to Help Minnesota Shuts It Down
• Kare 11: Lottery dollars pour into Wisconsin during Minnesota government shutdown
• Mankato Free Press: Local historic sites losing prime time to shutdown
• Minnesota Public Radio: Still no deal; Dayton hits road to put pressure on GOP
• St. Cloud Times: Dayton's housekeeper, chef among 'essential' state employees in shutdown
• Star Tribune: In some corners of the state, what shutdown?
• Star Tribune: Dayton offer goes nowhere
• Time Magazine: The Cost of Minnesota's Shutdown: A Warning to Washington
• Washington Post: Minnesota shuts down — to Pawlenty’s benefit?

July 11:

• Minnesota Public Radio: What's the budget fight about? $1.4 billion and much more
• Minnesota Public Radio: Most state government work stopped, but partisan tweets in high gear
• MinnPost: Several GOP legislators seem open to 'alternative' revenue proposals to solve budget impasse
• MinnPost: Shutdown's damage to the Minnesota economy will be real, significant -- and incalculable
• New York Times: Cautionary Lessons From State’s Shutdown
• Politico: Shutdown? Minn. lawmakers still get paid
• Star Tribune: Gridlock: Gut punch to businesses
• Star Tribune: Schools face shutdown hassles
• Star Tribune: Idled public employees holding on
• Washington Post: No new talks scheduled as Minnesota’s government shutdown enters its 2nd week

July 10:

• Austin Daily Herald: Concerns about shutdown grow
• KIMT-TV: MN Shutdown Could Break the State's Own Record
• Mankato Free Press: As area legislators see it, the shutdown is rooted in election results
• Minnesota Public Radio: Little urgency to end Minn. government shutdown
• NPR: For Minnesota Shutdown, A Deal Seems Distant
• Pioneer Press: The numbers at the heart of the state budget standoff
• Pioneer Press: Shutdown is longest on record
• Star Tribune: More signs point to a lengthy siege
• Star Tribune: 139 legislators are collecting paychecks during shutdown
• Star Tribune: In GOP, a deep divide over hard line on budget

July 9:

• Chicago Sun-Times: Shutdown in Minnesota racking up expenses
• Kare 11: Budget talks adrift at Capitol as shutdown drags on
• MinnPost: Minnesota's reputation taking a hit with government shutdown
• Minnesota Public Radio: Shutdown's eighth day passes with no talks, no movement
• Minnesota Public Radio: Voters sent mixed message, now disappointed with results
• National Journal: Why Tim Pawlenty Is Embracing the Minnesota Budget Shutdown
• New York Times: Shutdown in Minnesota Ripples Out to Day Care
• Pioneer Press: Interpreters who aid disabled work without funding in shutdown
• Star Tribune: GOP moves to block special funding
• Star Tribune: Schools likely to bear brunt of a budget fix

July 8:

• Bloomberg: Minnesota Shutdown May Cost State $23M Weekly
• Bloomberg Business Week: Minnesota bond rating downgraded over budget woes
• Kare 11: Shutdown shutting down some fundraising events
• Minnesota Public Radio: If it lasts, shutdown could make history
• Minnesota Public Radio: Dayton's essential staff
• Pioneer Press: Minnesota government shutdown will slowly take toll on state's bottom line
• Reuters: Some benefit from Minnesota state shutdown
• Star Tribune: Top earners cool to paying more
• Star Tribune: New plan: Raise taxes 'for everyone'
• Wall Street Journal: Panel Offers a Budget Plan to End Minnesota Stalemate

July 7:

• Associated Press: Minn. shutdown causes added pain, costs millions
• Kare 11: Hundreds of state workers rally for a compromise
• Minnesota Public Radio: Counties try to cope with effects of state shutdown
• Minnesota Public Radio: Parents await ruling on child care assistance subsidy
• Pioneer Press: Mondale, Carlson organize commission on shutdown
• Star Tribune: Zellers: 'Things went backwards'
• Star Tribune: Care for elderly, disabled starting to show strain
• Star Tribune: Minnesota models the partisan divide
• Wall Street Journal: No Progress in Minnesota Budget Stalemate
• Washington Post: In Minnesota shutdown, workers who calculate the cost are laid off
• Document: Gov. Dayton’s July 6 Offer to GOP

July 6:

• Alexandria Echo Press: Budget talks resume with agreement to talk more
• Computer World: Minnesota furloughs 75% of IT staff amid shutdown
• Kare 11: Minn. budget talks resume, but deal remains elusive
• KSTP-TV: Shutdown Forces St. Paul Concert Cancellation
• Minnesota Public Radio: Zellers renews call for 'lights on' bill, says gambling a revenue option
• Minnesota Public Radio: Mondale, Carlson organize commission on shutdown
• MinnPost: Minnesota's nonprofits feel the pain of government shutdown
• Star Tribune: Vandals trash closed state parks
• Star Tribune: 'Same gulf' divides Dayton, GOP
• Wall Street Journal: Pawlenty Fires Back Over Minnesota Shutdown
• New York Times (Editorial): Antitax Extremism in Minnesota

July 5:

• Alexandria Echo Press: Shutdown notebook: Closed parks first place people see shutdown
• Fox 9: Arsonist Strikes Gov. Mark Dayton’s Former Home
• Minnesota Public Radio: ABM launches shutdown ad campaign
• Minnesota Public Radio: Lawmaker gets earful along parade route
• Pioneer Press: Mondale, Carlson to weigh in on state government shutdown
• Politico: Tim Pawlenty shutdown ad: 'Pawlenty won'
• Salon: The roots of Minnesota's staring contest
• Star Tribune: Sunny for the 4th, but still no thaw
• Star Tribune: Time apart hasn’t lessened the rigid divide
• Wall Street Journal: Minnesota Shutdown Continues; GOP Meets at Capitol

July 4:

• The Business Times: Holiday weekend in Minnesota with state services idle
• Kare 11: Businesses struggling in shutdown but still open
• Kare 11: Minnesota Zoo back open, horse track still closed
• Minnesota Public Radio: Marking July 4th during a government shutdown
• Northland’s News Center: Tourists Hit Minnesota State Parks Despite Government Shut Down
• Politico: Cooling-off period in Minnesota
• Pioneer Press: Libertarians see opportunity in Minnesota shutdown
• Pioneer Press: Disabled girl's family on edge without Minnesota aid during shutdown
• Star Tribune: Businesses feel immediate bite
• WDAY: Family Camps in Own Backyard due to Minnesota Shutdown

If you are affected by the shutdown, let Woodbury Patch know. Email kris.janisch@patch.com or call 651-269-2432.