ST. PAUL, MN – Today, Governor Mark Dayton’s attorneys, Sam Hanson and Kristyn Anderson, submitted this memorandum in Ramsey County District Court. The memorandum requests a stay of enforcement in the District Court’s judgement, pending a final decision by the Minnesota Supreme Court. The following is a statement from Governor Dayton.

“For six months, I have urged Legislative Leaders to return to the negotiating table, and resolve this dispute. Protecting our state’s fiscal future is in the public’s interest.  Still, Legislative Leaders are unwilling to reconsider their tax breaks for big corporations, the super-wealthy, and big tobacco. 
 
“Instead, Legislative Leaders brought this matter to the Courts. They then falsely represented their financial circumstances to the Judicial Branch and to the people of Minnesota, claiming they were all but ‘abolished’ and were forced to operate 'on fumes.' In fact, the Legislature has $45 million in available funds, fully enough to pay for its ongoing operations.

“I urge Legislative Leaders to resolve our differences outside of the courtroom. If they are unwilling, they should at least stop wasting taxpayer dollars on expensive and unnecessary legal proceedings, and await a final judgment from the Minnesota Supreme Court.”