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Minn. Saw Scrapes In Last Time With 1-Party Rule

One-party rule at Minnesota's Capitol means that harmony, efficiency and common purpose will reign, right?

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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - One-party rule at Minnesota's Capitol means that harmony, efficiency and common purpose will reign, right?

Don't bank on it.

Next month, Minnesota Democrats take control of the House and Senate to go along with a governor's office held by Democrat Mark Dayton.

It's a consolidation of political power in a state government defined for 20 years by the divisions that gave two or more parties a leadership stake.

The last stretch of one-party dominance in the late 1980s came with its share of scrapes, too.

Major legislation fell to vetoes, once forcing lawmakers into special session.

One major issue then was Governor Rudy Perpich's effort to remake the state's tax system.

Dayton has said significant tax overhaul will be a key part of his agenda next year.

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