The February 2011 budget forecast that knocked $1.2 billion off the state's recent budget deficit came with no shortage of caveats. Nearly half the rosier revenue picture was attributable to predicted capital gains collections, which are notoriously volatile.

Gov. Mark Dayton and the GOP-led Legislature are still a long way from solving the $5 billion budget deficit, despite taking several days off after negotiations collapsed last week and the state headed into a historic government shutdown.

Gov. Mark Dayton says he and GOP leaders must make serious breakthroughs in their budget talks on Wednesday in order to avert a government shutdown.

The Coalition of Minnesota Businesses has launched a statewide TV ad buy. The group's ads in support of the Republican Legislature's budget proposal contrast current ad campaigns by unions and liberal groups supporting Gov. Dayton's budget proposal.

Concluding several days of marathon floor sessions, the Minnesota Senate passed its remaining budget bills off the floor and the GOP-controlled Legislature has sent a complete budget Gov. Mark Dayton.

With just a week left before the Minnesota Legislature is constitutionally required to adjourn, Republican leaders are ramping up discussions with DFL Gov. Mark Dayton, but say they aren't backing down from their promise to not raise taxes to solve the state's $5 billion budget deficit.

In a Star Tribune article Thursday, Dayton said he would go to a special session before he would pass the all-cuts budget being touted by Republican leadership. In response, Republican House Taxes Chair Greg Davids sent a plea to the governor, asking him not to "quit" on the legislative session.

Gov. Mark Dayton is less optimistic that the Legislature will get done on time this session as Republicans look unlikely to meet his suggested Friday conference committee deadline.

In a news conference Tuesday, Dayton said he wants Republicans to pass their conference committee reports off both floors by May 6, giving the executive branch and legislators a little more than two weeks to hammer out a final deal to solve the $5 billion budget deficit.

House Speaker Kurt Zellers has sent a letter to Gov. Mark Dayton to reiterate the House's position in the continuing disagreement on the role of fiscal notes in the budget process.