Longer than we think for state services to return?

Posted at 4:10 PM on July 19, 2011 by Paul Tosto (0 Comments)
Filed under: Budget

As we wait for the House and Senate special sessions to resume so lawmakers can pass the 12 bills needed to end the state government shutdown, It's looking like it may take longer than we think to get state services back to normal.

MPR News reporter Tom Scheck is quoting Tina Smith, Gov. Mark Dayton's chief of staff, as saying it's unlikely at this point that state workers idled in the shutdown will return to work Wednesday.

Plus,Smith says Dayton plans to sign all the bills at the same time, so there won't be a of state services.

And state budget commissioner Jim Schowalter is reminding people that Minnesota government remains in shutdown and that it could take "a while, probably a period of weeks" to get things to how they were before started.

Schowalter adds that he's not sure when road construction, lottery and permits will be up and running.

He also won't say yet if state parks will be open this weekend.