Legislative Watch 
LEGISLATIVE
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7/11/05-Minneosta lawmakers signed a temporary spending plan Saturday, July 9, ending an eight-day partial shutdown of the state’s government and services – including rest stops – and sending about 9,000 state employees back to work.
The temporary “lights on” bill will keep the government fully funded until midnight on Thursday, July 14; however, legislators are expected to pass a finalized budget by Wednesday evening, The Associated Press reported.
The government shut down began July 1 when lawmakers couldn’t come to terms on a temporary spending plan while sorting out details of the state’s $30 billion budget.
Lawmakers from the House and Senate were deadlocked over several key issues, including school funding and health care for the poor, which is what led to the impasse. The Senate passed a temporary measure that would have extended the current funding, but both the House and the state’s governor, Tim Pawlenty, rejected it.
