Retired Judge to Mediate Minnesota Constitutional Dispute

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Gov. Mark Dayton and top Republicans have chosen a mediator to try to help them out of a constitutional battle.

The two sides have been locked in a legal battle for months over Dayton's decision to veto the Legislature's budget after the session concluded in late May. The Minnesota Supreme Court didn't make a definitive ruling on whether that move was legal last week but ordered them to hire a mediator to work it out.

A filing with the court on Tuesday shows they hired retired Hennepin County District Judge Rick Solum. Solum has a history as a mediator, having helped resolve a dispute over the value of the land Minnesota Twins' new stadium was built on.

The state's high court wants a status report on mediation by late September.