Today the Republican Party of Minnesota actually shut down the state government rather than compromise on tax increases for the wealthiest.

The governor said his last offer would have raised income taxes only on those earning more than $1 million a year — an estimated 7,700 Minnesotans, or 0.3 percent of all taxpayers, according to the Revenue Department.

Republicans rejected the proposal, Dayton said, because they “prefer to protect the richest handful of Minnesotans at the expense of everyone else.”

Republican leaders made their own statement, saying Dayton’s proposal for dealing with the projected $5 billion deficit would cause irreparable harm to the state’s economy for generations.

Uh huh. But is this the whole story? Of course not; because just as Republicans are doing on the national level, the Minnesota GOP tried to push through a raft of far right social policies along with their “budget.”

Talks may have also broken down because an earlier GOP offer asked Dayton to accept controversial policy positions the Republicans pushed for this year, including photo ID requirements at the polls and abortion restrictions. An offer sheet provided to the Star Tribune said the policy adoptions were in exchange for “new revenue in a compromise offer.”