After weeks of negotiations between Democrat Governor Mark Dayton (pictured) and the Republican-dominated legislature, no resolution to Minnesota’s $5 billion budget shortfall was reached and, except for some essential services, the Minnesota state government shut down at midnight, June 30. Governor Dayton maintained that he had done all that he could to meet the Republicans halfway, but he was determined that higher taxes on wealthy citizens was the only way to close the budget gap. He said, “They [the Republicans] don’t want to raise revenues on anyone, and I believe the wealthiest Minnesotans can afford to pay more taxes.” According to Phil Krinkle, president of the Taxpayers League of Minnesota, the wealthiest Minnesotans are already carrying a disproportionate share of the burden with the top 2 percent of earners paying 30 percent of the state’s income taxes.

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