Behind Closed Doors

Many state political observers saw the 2011 state government shutdown coming in spite of the state’s reputation for “Minnesota Nice.” Voters planted the seeds of conflict the previous fall when Republicans, running on a pledge of creating a smaller government and lower state spending, won control of both chambers of the legislature at the same time that Democrat Mark Dayton won the governor’s seat with a pledge to raise taxes on the richest Minnesotans. Though Governor Dayton modified his proposal, first to raise taxes only on the top 3 percent of earners rather than on the top 5 percent, and then to raise taxes only on those making more than $1 million annually, Republicans in the legislature dug in their heels behind their pledge of no tax increases to ease the $5 billion shortfall. The partisan bickering intensified as the deadline to finalize the budget approached. Tensions reached a peak during a press conference held by the governor on the eve of the shutdown when a handful of Republican legislators jeered and booed his comments. ¹