Dayton Appeals Court Ruling Over Legislature Budget Veto

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Gov. Mark Dayton is appealing a decision from the Ramsey County District Court that ruled his controversial budget veto unconstitutional.

The Minnesota legislature narrowly avoided a shutdown earlier this summer, passing a budget bill that went to the governor's desk. Dayton, however, issued a line-item veto to the legislature's funding, saying he would only accept it if certain provisions were removed from the budget. The move appeared to allow the governor to avoid a shutdown while forcing legislators to renegotiate parts of the budget he didn't like.

State Republican leaders called the governor's move unconstitutional and took the case to court. A Ramsey County District Court agreed with Republicans, saying the governor's veto essentially eliminated a co-equal branch of government. That decision restored the legislature's budget.

Gov. Dayton is appealing that decision to the Minnesota Court of Appeals. It's not clear yet when the court will hear the case.