Clock ticking for Minnesota lawmakers to reach a budget deal

Lawmakers at the state Capitol are once again scrambling to puzzle together a massive two-year budget, ahead of a May 17 adjournment deadline.

• With a week to go, Democrats in the House and Republicans in the Senate remain fairly far apart on what to spend, who to tax and a number of major policy issues on the table.

The state of play: If they don't reach a deal by the 17th, they'll have to return for a special session to get it done. But the real deadline is June 30 — after that, state government would shut down without a deal.

Between the lines: It's not unusual for legislators to wait until the last minute to reach accord.

So what should you expect? Here's a look at when a final agreement passed in recent sessions (Note Biennial budgets are passed in odd-numbered years).

• 2019: About 7am on May 25, five days after the May 20 adjournment.
• 2017: At 2:42am on May 26, four days after the May 22 adjournment. An agreement that passed earlier in the session was vetoed by then-Gov. Mark Dayton.
• 2015: June 12, nearly a month after the May 18 adjournment. Like in 2017, a special session was held after Dayton vetoed part of a deal that passed in May.