Ever since the latter days of the 2011 regular session, it was clear to lobbyists, staffers and other Capitol watchers that the main limitation on the ability of GOP legislative leaders to cut a budget deal was the hard line on spending adopted by numerous members of their freshman-dominated majority caucuses.

Negotiations on the major budget bills continued behind closed doors at the Capitol Monday, as lawmakers and Dayton administration officials worked to craft an agreement to fund government and end a state shutdown.

Gov. Mark Dayton has held the political upper hand throughout the first six months of his tenure. Polling has consistently shown him with approval ratings above 50 percent and widespread public support for his plan to eliminate the state’s $5 billion budget deficit through a mix of spending cuts and tax increases on the state’s wealthiest residents.

Will Republican Party’s close ties to GOP majorities make it harder to reach budget deal?

The House passed a flurry of finance bills in the early morning hours of Thursday, including the health and human services conference report. The chamber also passed legislation appropriating funds for state government and jobs and economic development.

The health and human services conference committee passed a finance bill on Thursday evening that reduces spending by $1.8 billion in the next biennium. Roughly half the savings -- $921 million -- comes from eliminating Medicaid eligibility for adults without children.

The health and human services bill that's currently being debated in conference committee is expected to eliminate the General Assistance program for poor adults without children, according to lobbyists who closely track the issue. The program provides $203 in cash assistance to roughly 20,000 individuals each month and is slated to cost $102 million in the next biennium.

On Tuesday morning, members of the Health and Human Services conference committee met for the eighth time since forming last month to merge the House and Senate proposals. But that busy schedule shouldn't be seen as an indication that the committee will soon be forwarding a bill to Gov. Mark Dayton for consideration.

Department of Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson has detailed 41 concerns about the House and Senate health and human services bills in a letter to legislative leaders. The two proposals, which account for roughly one third of the state's budget, are currently being debated in a conference committee.

In their efforts to assemble and pass an all-cuts budget, Republican legislative leaders have found themselves engaged in a session-long game of whack-a-mole within their own caucuses. Pockets of discord continue to surface periodically within Republican legislative ranks, compelling the leadership to defuse tensions. Now, however, the pressures are coming from the caucuses' right flank.