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| Date: | December 2, 2011 | | Contact Name: | Susan Closmore | | Contact Phone: | 651-296-5712 | | Contact Email: | susan.closmore@senate.mn | | For Immediate Release | |
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| COURT’S FAILURE TO ACT HAS LEFT OPEN POSSIBILITY OF FUTURE SHUTDOWN |
St. Paul- The Minnesota Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit Wednesday from Senator Warren Limmer (R-Maple Grove) and fellow lawmakers challenging the constitutionality of the judiciary ordering state spending during a government shutdown. Senator Limmer, Chair of the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, gave the following statement in response to the Court’s decision.
“There have been three times in the recent 11 years that judicial interference, requested by Democrat as well as Republican governors, has violated the constitutional role of the Legislature,” Senator Limmer explained. “Those decisions to fund government during shutdowns are beyond the authority given to either the Executive or the Judicial branch of Minnesota government.”
“The power of the purse, the state budget, is clearly delineated as the role of the Representative branch of our government, the Legislature. The Legislature has been given a clear job description of creating and negotiating a budget with the Governor’s office. Minnesota’s constitution does not recognize or allow the judiciary to act in this manner,” said Senator Limmer.
“In the decision, the Court claimed the matter was moot due to the shutdown coming to an end. By failing to hear this case, the court has taken away the hard deadline to get the Legislature and Governor to work together in a reasonable manner and allows the Judiciary to act as nothing more than an interloper. Needless to say, the dismissal by the Minnesota Supreme Court will improperly extend legislative sessions into the future and has doomed the people of Minnesota to another repeat performance of a possible shutdown.”
Senator Limmer is the Chair of the Judiciary Committee. He encourages and appreciates constituent input, and can be reached at (651)296-2159 and by e-mail at sen.warren.limmer@senate.mn.
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