Two weeks was apparently not enough for Governor Mark Dayton and the Republicans controlling the Minnesota Legislature to work out a budget agreement. Instead, talks broke down this week and Republicans began passing their own budget bills, which the governor says he will veto. He’s not even going to talk to Republican negotiators again until Monday, he said, giving everyone exactly one week to work out budget, bonding and all the other work they want to get done.

We doubt one week will be long enough to get the work done. That means a special session will be inevitable, and if a deal can’t be reached by July 1, it means another government shutdown.

Minnesota seems to have a government shutdown every six years. We had one in 2005, under Gov. Tim Pawlenty, and in 2011, in Dayton’s first year in office.

The problem seems to be that there is no “give” in the give and take between the governor and the legislators. They have both staked out their budget positions and will not listen to the other side. Instead they send out press releases and hold press conferences explaining why they are right and the other side is wrong, blaming the other side for being too stubborn to see the error of their ways and saying the other side will be responsible if the work doesn’t get done by the end of the session.

Perhaps a deal will be worked out at the last minute as the clock ticks down a week from Sunday. But chances of that coming to a successful, satisfactory conclusion are looking pretty slim.