Future state shutdowns could have a more severe impact on Minnesotans.

 

That was the message from Rep. Nick Zerwas last week in his annual legislative update to the Sherburne County Board.

 

Two weeks ago, the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld Gov. Mark Dayton’s line item veto of the legislature’s operating budget.

 

Dayton vetoed the lawmakers’ $130 million budget in May in an attempt to force state lawmakers to remove expensive tax breaks, cuts for wealthy estates. He also wanted changes to how teachers were licensed removal of a rule banning driver’s licenses to immigrants and removal of a freeze on cigarette taxes.

 

The political standoff ended up in the courts, and although the District Court ruled the veto unconstitutional, MN Supreme Court disagreed and upheld the veto.

 

“It’s pretty clear they’re doing all they can to have what they’ve deemed a political dispute be handled between politicians and try to keep the judiciary out of it,” said Zerwas.

 

The legislature has been cutting back wherever it can, and some funding was shifted to allow operations until the next legislative session begins in February.

 

“We’re at a hiring freeze for staff for the legislature. We’ve also limited all reimbursements and per diems to try to conserve finances,” he said. 

 

“We expect to be able to avoid furloughs and layoffs until February, but then non-essential staff will be laid off. We’ll probably have a skeleton crew when session starts.”

 

Zerwas said there was also another decision in the court’s ruling that hasn’t gotten as much attention. 

 

“This court made a significant shift in funding in what has in recent past been talked about as essentials of government,” he said. “Since the days of Tim Pawlenty, the court stepped in and said certain things -  the MN State Patrol, the prison system, the department of human services, those were considered essential services that the government must provide and must fund. This ruling undoes that.”

 

He said if there is another government shutdown, it won’t be the same as in the last few decades where the only impact most Minnesotans noticed were barricades at highway rest stops.

 

“The court has set the table for shutdowns that could potentially furlough staff at St. Cloud Prison, at Stillwater Penitentiary and other moves like that,” he said. 

 

“Based off this ruling and how they determined appropriate funds, it could be a much more significant and impactful government shutdown in the future.”