Gov. Mark Dayton issued a response this morning to yesterday's petition from the Attorney General's office regarding what state agencies and services would remain active during a shutdown. With "a heavy heart," Dayton submitted his recommendations for which services would be shuttered in case of a shutdown, and asked the courts to order a mediator to help resolve the budget impasse.

Former Democratic U.S. attorney will advise Dayton on legal matters related to a potential state government shutdown.

The Dayton administration said it would file its own motion, along with suggestions on what should be deemed a critical service, this week.

With less than three weeks to avert a shutdown, public attention seems to be turning toward the Capitol.

Republicans who received the veto letters say they strike a tone of anything but compromise.

As the Republicans and DFL Gov. Mark Dayton persist in a stalemate that could result in a government shutdown, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce President David Olson said he’s not getting pushback from his members on the Legislature’s central budget choice: to hold the line on tax increases.

For five months DFL Gov. Mark Dayton and the GOP-controlled Legislature sparred at the Capitol over how to eliminate the state’s $5 billion budget deficit. But with the legislative session concluded and no end to the budget impasse in sight, the debate will now move beyond St. Paul as legislators face constituents in their home districts.

Not since 1999 — the first year of Jesse Ventura’s single term as governor — has a budget session of the Minnesota Legislature ended on time without a special session, partial governmental shutdown or red-letter controversy.

Several freshman Republican legislators over the weekend introduced bills that would keep certain services running in the event of a full-fledged government shutdown.