ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Minnesota state employees have been
recalled to work beginning Thursday now that a budget showdown is
over.
     About 22,000 state workers have been off the job since the
government shutdown July 1 because Gov. Mark Dayton and Republicans
could not agree on taxes and spending in a new budget. One-hundred
road projects came to a grinding halt, 66 state parks were
barricaded and an assortment of services were discontinued.
     Lawmakers finally agreed to a budget deal after meeting in a
special session that ended early Wednesday. Dayton then signed the
budget, but said he was "not entirely happy" with it.
     The state recalled employees beginning at 6 a.m. Thursday,
telling workers to report at their normally scheduled times.