ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton has signed a
new budget that ends the nation's longest state government shutdown
in the past decade.
     Dayton's signature came Wednesday after lawmakers met in special
session starting Tuesday afternoon to give their own approval to
the deal. All sides formalized an agreement that Dayton struck with
leading Republicans late last week.
     The two sides argued bitterly over taxes and spending for
months. When government shut down July 1, it closed state parks and
rest stops, laid off 22,000 state employees, stopped road projects
and much more.
     The end to the shutdown began when Dayton moved last week to
accept a borrowing plan offered by the GOP shortly before the
stoppage began.