They both want to phase out business property taxes but they don't agree on how ... or on much else. A roomful of Republicans will try to find common ground on how to change Minnesota tax policy as a legislative conference committee tackles House and Senate bills that are farther apart than you might expect.

A legislative panel on flood relief holds a Capitol hearing Thursday, to be followed on Friday by meetings with Gov. Mark Dayton. Dayton hopes to call a one-day special legislative session on August 24th to allocate money to counties struck by flooding this summer. Some Republicans have balked at the governor's proposed $190 million relief package.

The governor says he's sympathetic to the financial plight of Minnesota's counties, but they should not expect any help from the state's newly discovered budget surplus. Those funds will go to state reserves and maybe to schools but will not restore cuts in aid to counties. That'll keep more upward pressure on property taxes.

The proposal would cut taxes by about 30 percent over the next six to 12 years. The House Taxes Committee Chairman Greg Davids told the Pioneer Press it would be the "bigger job creator." DFL Gov. Mark Dayton hasn't ruled out the Republican plan, but doesn't know how they plan to pay for the tax cut.

The Minnesota Senate joined the House in approving a bill that would cut taxes by more than $40 million this year and by more than $140 million in the next budget cycle. But Governor Mark Dayton calls it fiscally irresponsible because it would take money from the budget reserve and would add to a deficit in the next biennium.

The Legislature's decision to replace the homestead tax credit with a market value exception saved the state money ... by shifting the cost onto local property taxes. That's the main ingredient in a mix of factors pushing up property tax bills around the region.