It’s like déjà vu all over again. Once again Minnesota is facing a possible government shutdown over a budget impasse, just like the last time the Republicans held a majority in one of the legislative bodies. The last shutdown, in 2011, saw a GOP controlled legislature square off against DFL (Minnesotan for Democrat) Governor Mark Dayton. The issue? How to deal with a projected $5 billion deficit over the next two years. Dayton wanted to raise taxes on the state’s wealthiest residents and return to more fair and balanced taxation, while Republicans of course wanted no tax increases and massive spending cuts. Nearly a month into the shutdown, which cost state workers $65 million in lost wages, a compromise was reached and a budget passed. The following year saw the GOP lose both the house and the senate to the DFL. Among the reasons cited: the state shut-down from the previous year.
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