The session is over, but there is no signed budget.

Gridlock.          Deadlock.        Principled.      But where is Compromise?

These are all words that have been bandied about in the past few weeks. As we hear about how principled everyone is, Minnesotan’s lose critical services that keep them independent.

You will hear me use that term “independent” frequently as we discuss the legislature. In the 2007 mental health bi-partisan reform, independence was at the core of that action. People with mental illnesses previously were hospitalized frequently with their illness. After the reform, hospitalizations lessened and prevention was the emphasis.

Now it appears we are returning to more of a crisis response, except crisis services are also being cut. So I guess we return to uncompensated hospitalizations and loss of independence.

If your legislator holds meetings in your community ask him or her why they didn’t compromise on the budget. Ask them if they are going to take the per diem for the special session and where that money is in the budget. Ask them about a government shut down.

Ask them what’s next.