Court Asked To Restore Legislature's Budget Amid Fight With Dayton

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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota lawmakers want a district court to enforce its ruling that struck down Gov. Mark Dayton's veto of the Legislature's operating budget.

The legal battle between the Democratic governor and Republican Legislature has been in limbo for months. Dayton zeroed out lawmakers' $130 million budget in May in a bid to rework costly tax breaks and other measures.

Dayton appealed a Ramsey County District Court judge's ruling that restored that funding, eventually putting the case before the Minnesota Supreme Court. But the state's highest court still hasn't ruled definitively.

Lawmakers asked District Court Judge John Guthmann on Wednesday to enforce his July ruling. The motion says the House and Senate are spending budget reserves and have stopped per diem and other expenses while their funding's fate is uncertain.