ST. PAUL,MINNESOTA-Mark Dayton, the Governor of the state of Minnesota, told the people of that state that the government would be back in business very soon, as he announced that the impasse that closed down the state government there was over. This ends the longest state shutdown in recent history that started 2 weeks ago.

The budget stalemate began on July 1st, the beginning of the fiscal year for Minnesota. That state requires a balanced budget in place every two years. When one wasn’t in place, the state shut down.

An agreement has been found to raise $1.4 billion in new revenue without raising the taxes. The increased tax issue has been a point of contention with the Republicans in the state. Half of that $1.4 billion will come in the form of a delay in state aid checks to the school districts and the other half will come from selling tobacco payment bonds.

The Republicans did give in a little. They have agreed to drop a list of policy changes that they had been pushing, the abortion issue and the stem cell research issue is effectively off the table, as is the 15 % cut to the state’s workforce.