Union leaders blasted Gov. Tim Pawlenty and legislative leaders Thursday for refusing to stop a partial government shutdown that will throw more than 11,000 state employees out of work at midnight and jeopardize services supplied not only by the state, but also by counties and hundreds of nonprofits under state contracts.

"We're saying that everyone is responsible if there's a shutdown," said Eliot Seide, executive director of AFSCME Council 5, which represents 19,000 state employees. "Shutdown is failure."

Seide and Jim Monroe, executive director of the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, especially singled out House Speaker Steve Sviggum, R-Kenyon, whom they called "irresponsible" for opposing "lights on" legislation that would keep state government operating at current spending levels until a broader budget agreement is reached.

"We think this is outrageous, irresponsible and uses state employees and the citizens of this state as pawns," Seide said at a Capitol news conference Thursday afternoon. "We are calling on the governor for leadership.? Act responsibly and in an adult fashion to keep government open."

If a private employer were laying off 11,000 workers, Monroe said, the governor would take the lead in finding a solution. "It's time for him to take a lead to get this situation resolved," he said.

"Our members want to work," Seide said. "State employees want to work. Find the revenue. Get the job done."

State workers began a vigil at the Capitol at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, carrying candles and glow sticks and urging that the lights be kept on.

Eliot Seide: "We think this is outrageous, irresponsible and uses state employees and the citizens of this state as pawns." Union Advocate photo

One new bill passes
It was still possible a "lights on" provision would clear the Legislature before the constitutionally imposed deadline of midnight Thursday. The DFL-controlled Senate was expected to pass the legislation Thursday afternoon and send it to the Republican-controlled House. In a procedural vote late Wednesday, four House Republicans broke with their leadership on similar "lights on" language, suggesting a slight majority could emerge to send the legislation to Pawlenty to sign or veto.

"Our members are in a state of complete anxiety," Seide said. "They don't know if they're going to be working or not.? They don't know what the future holds for them. There's a great deal of frustration, anxiety and growing anger."

One glimmer of hope came earlier Wednesday, when both the Senate and House passed and sent to Pawlenty a $686 million bill that will keep state parks open this holiday weekend and keep nearly 4,600 state workers on the job by providing funding for the departments of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Employment and Economic Development.

Budget deficit, spending, revenue still unresolved
That bill joins previously approved appropriations for public safety, higher education and government operations. But despite weeks of private negotiations, Pawlenty and the two top leaders from the House and Senate have failed to agree on budgets for K-12 education, transportation, or health and human services. Nor have they agreed on how to pay for it all while also eliminating a projected deficit of at least $466 million.

The structural gap in the budget may actually be worse. Recent court rulings upheld one form of corporate tax shelter, which may cost the state $300 million more in revenue. Further, adding the impact of inflation onto budget expenditures could add $675 million more to the deficit.

But a solution needs to be more than just making sure the numbers add up, said Brian Rusche, executive director of the Joint Religious Legislative Coalition and one of the leaders of the Minnesota is Watching coalition of labor, faith and nonprofit groups.

"We're still talking about life-and-death decisions,' he said, "policy decisions that really make a huge difference in the well-being of our state.? Philosophically it's not just an accounting exercise, counting the beans, making it balance, get out of town. We're saying this is people's lives and how we live, how we make progress as a state."

Michael Kuchta edits the Union Advocate, the official publication of the St. Paul Trades & Labor Assembly. E-mail him at advocate@mtn.org