Senator Howe (R-Rockville) joined his Minnesota Senate colleagues in passing the “Keep Minnesota Open” bill to fully fund state government for the next two years in the event of a legislative stalemate. Unlike legislation previously passed this session by the House of Representatives that will only reimburse state employees for time missed time during a government shutdown, the Senate approach avoids that scenario completely by keeping the government open for all Minnesotans.

Following the passage of the bill, Senator Howe released the following statement:

“Today, we took the responsible step to avoid a government shutdown and provide critical services for Minnesotans in the case of a collapse in budget negotiations. The action taken today ensures that our criminals remain guarded, our parks remain open, and that our state employees have jobs amongst a multitude of other protections. We must be prepared for the worst, and the possibility that we are at an impasse as a result of billions of dollars of proposed new tax increases. This solution provides us a contingency without forcing us to sacrifice our values or principles that our constituents expect us to uphold.”

If a budget agreement is not reached by June 30, all state government funding would cease until a budget is passed. In 2017, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled in The Ninetieth Minnesota State Senate, et al., v. Mark B. Dayton that no legal mechanism exists to fund essential state government services outside of a legislative appropriation. As such, this legislation fully funds state government at the forecasted levels for the next two years – ensuring there is no lapse in funding for essential state government services.

The legislature is constitutionally-mandated to adjourn on Monday, May 20.