Minnesota’s Republican legislative leaders met with reporters this morning — with 10 days left until a state shutdown — to plead their case in the budget battle.

They said they keep compromising, but Gov. Mark Dayton won’t.

Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch said:

“It really does make you start to wonder. In 90 days, we have seen no detailed budget plan. … There is more common ground than the governor would let on with his negotiations.”

The Republicans passed a $34 billion budget, which was vetoed by the governor. Since the session ended, they’ve offered two proposals: first $110 million in spending, and then they dropped their tax-cut proposal and shifted about $200 million more in spending. But still, the $34 billion budget with no tax increase.

Dayton has pooh-poohed those efforts. His take, of course, is quite different. He said he’s the one making the moves, noting that he started with a $38 billion budget, but dropped that to about $36 billion, which includes a tax increase on the highest-paid Minnesotans.

Republicans want Dayton to call a special session now to work on the budget, but he says that would cost too much and won’t do it until an agreement is reached.