Midnight — and end of session — nears with most of budget left unfinished

(Updated: 8:25 p.m.)

With mere hours left before the Legislature’s constitutionally mandated adjournment of midnight Monday, major pieces of the two-year $46 billion budget remain untouched.

The House and Senate passed the omnibus judiciary and public safety bill, but massive required spending packages to fund E-12 education, transportation, health and human services and some executive branch agencies haven’t seen the light of day. Meanwhile, lawmakers don’t necessarily have to pass bills that fund tax cuts and bonding projects.

Legislative leaders have been meeting in marathon closed-door sessions with the Dayton administration throughout the day. If officials can’t agree to budget deals, they have until June 30 to fund different portions of state government before programs and services are shut down.

Republican lawmakers, who control both the House and Senate, entered the final three days of the session vowing to push ahead with their renewed budget bills without any public agreement from Gov. Mark Dayton. The following day, Saturday, was slow under the dome with legislative leaders and the administration negotiating behind closed doors. The $219.8 million omnibus agriculture bill passed, however, capping the night with the first of 10 budget bills finished.

Bills funding higher education systems, clean water, land and funds under the Legacy amendment, and the omnibus environment bill came next on Sunday.

Shortly after the Monday sunrise, both chambers passed the omnibus jobs bill.