Dayton Reaffirms Special Session Demands

Governor Mark Dayton held a media availability Friday, June 3rd, and reaffirmed his demands for calling a special session. One of those demands includes a technical fix to a bill providing about $257 million dollars in tax relief, which GOP legislators argue should be signed without legislative action.

According to Dayton, his demands to call a special session include the issuance of general obligation bonds totaling $66.7 million dollars for the University Minnesota's Health Sciences Education Facility; $28 million dollars to improve MnSCU facilities; and $12.1 million for a new academic learning center at Bemidji State University. In addition, Dayton said a special session should include funding for metropolitan transit, and the tax bill should reinstate the Minnesota State High School League's tax exemption, which allows the league to redirect savings to low-income scholarships for athletic program participation.

To encourage Governor Dayton to sign the tax bill, Senate Minority Leader David Hann issued a letter of legislative intent to correct the tax bill's language that would result in about $100 million dollars in lost revenue to the state and the US Bank Stadium revenue stream.

When asked if he would call a special session to solely address the tax bill, Governor Dayton said his position has not changed regarding his special session demands.