Gov. Dayton Outlines State Services to be Kept in Event of State Shutdown

In Ramsey County Court on Wednesday, Gov. Mark Dayton outlined the state services and programs he says need to continue in the event of a government shutdown.

In Dayton's response to a petition filed by the attorney general Monday, the governor said he believes "as the Minnesota Constitution declares, that Minnesota's government was 'instituted for the security, benefit and protection of the people.'"

He went on to say a "government shutdown would threaten lives and safety of the people of Minnesota."

All told, thousands of employees would be kept at work despite the fact the state would lack the authority to spend money because of the budget impasse. But the governor also proposed closing more than 50 boards and agencies, while keeping on a contingent of employees, and keeping open services like corrections, the State Patrol and Human Services.

District 196 Director of Finance and Operations that during the 2005 shutdown the district received almost all its federal and state aids, and he didn't anticipate a huge effect on the district should another shutdown occur.

This week, however, he said one thing he questioned was . The state usually calculates the levy limits during the summer, he said; while the district certified its levy for 2011-12 in December, he doesn’t know what would happen with the levy for the following year if the state government wasn’t able to calculate levy limits on its usual schedule.