Dayton Ends Push for Special Session for Miners

Governor Dayton said Tuesday that he is dropping his push for a special legislative session to help laid-off steelworkers. 

With the 2016 Legislative session scheduled to begin in early March and Republicans still not on board, Dayton says he ran out of time. 

He faults Republicans for “slow-walking” the emergency session negotiations. 

Dayton and fellow Democrats have pressed for months for a special session to extend unemployment benefits for miners on the Iron Range.  

They also weighed proposals to bring Minnesota in compliance with a federal driver’s license law and tackling racial economic disparities. 

Republican House Speaker Kurk Daudt has said the issues can wait until the Legislature’s scheduled return in early March.