MANKATO — Legislative Republicans rejected a state employee contract Wednesday, led by Waseca Sen. Mike Parry, who slammed union leaders as “dinosaurs,” accused Gov. Mark Dayton of “erratic behavior” and cut off questions from a Democratic lawmaker.

Events surrounding the meeting of the Legislative Subcommittee on Employee Relations served as a highlight film of Parry’s contentious three-year tenure in the Senate. The former Waseca City Councilman and Godfathers Pizza restaurant owner decided not to seek re-election this year, making an unsuccessful congressional run instead.

Serving as chairman of the subcommittee, Parry gaveled the meeting to a close as state employees showered him with boos and catcalls. Moments earlier, a Democratic lawmaker shouted at Parry in an attempt to ask questions about the impending vote on the contract negotiated by the Dayton administration for more than 27,000 state workers.

“Mr. Chair, Mr. Chairman, you like to shut down debate in the Senate?” the lawmaker yelled.

“The secretary will take the roll ...,” Parry responded.

Midway through the 67-minute hearing, Democratic Sen. Jim Metzen of South St. Paul, attending the meeting despite recently undergoing eye surgery, predicted the result of the vote in the Republican-dominated panel and asked if the hearing had any purpose.

“I guess I wondered why we’re going through this exercise,” Metzen said as administration negotiators detailed the provisions of the proposed union contracts. “It just seems to me — and I could be wrong — that a lot of minds are already made up. ... We’ve heard this stuff before and if we’re going to hear it again, if the vote is 6-4, do we really need to continue?”

Parry and Rep. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa, had often indicated their concern about the contracts with the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees — including in a recent letter to Dayton. The letter — which called the contracts “lacking in any reforms,” “unsustainable” and “out of line” with the private sector — requested a conclave with the Democratic governor.

Parry’s request to confab with Dayton came three weeks after he described to a group of Brown County Republicans a “scary” previous meeting where the governor “pops 15 to 16 pills” during the course of the meeting. The governor’s office called the allegation a lie, saying the only medication Dayton takes during meetings is the occasional antacid — something he occasionally requires more of when in discussions with lawmakers.

Dayton didn’t reference Parry’s pill-popper remarks in response to the requested meeting, saying instead that “it was hard for me to take seriously your request” because it came less than 48 hours before the subcommittee was scheduled to meet.

“You could have given me more than a day’s notice, if you truly wanted to meet with me,” Dayton wrote Wednesday.

Drazkowski and other Republicans at Thursday’s hearing cited the lack of reforms, the cost of the contract’s 2 percent pay increase and the fact that the contract continues to pay 100 percent of employees’ individual health insurance premiums. Drazkowski said that 2 percent pay hike would likely continue in the ensuing two-year employee contract, adding to the red ink already facing the state in the 2014-2015 biennial budget.

“We would have a potential autopilot increase for each of the next two years,” he said.

Democrats described the contract as “modest,” particularly considering the lost wages of state employees during last year’s three-week state-government shutdown after Dayton and the Republican Legislature couldn’t agree on a new state budget.

Rep. Leon Lillie, DFL-North St. Paul, implied that Parry was politicizing the subcommittee’s work.

“We’ve never had press conferences or any sort of thing after this committee,” Lillie said of previous incarnations of the committee. “So I just question some of the timing. Right now, before an election, here we are. We’re going to take down employees.”

Lillie urged Parry to spend more time watching state workers on the job.

“Go to a corrections facility and see what they’re dealing with,” he said. “Go to Stillwater. Go to Oak Park Heights, walk with them, walk next to them, see what they’re doing. They’re not asking for much.”

Lillie and the other three Democrats voted to adopt the contracts, but they were outnumbered by the half-dozen Republicans on the panel.

“On a 6-4 vote (the motion) fails,” Parry said.

“I was right!” Metzen exclaimed in mock surprise.

Parry offered few opinions during the subcommittee meeting but had more to say in a press conference following it.

Parry said Dayton’s decision to not meet with the two Republican lawmakers “reminds me of his erratic behavior prior to his shutting down the state ... .”

“When we need clear-headed decisions based on fact, Gov. Dayton has given us irrationality,” Parry said.

He also said union members were poorly served by leaders unwilling to accept reforms.

“Today’s union leaders are dinosaurs living in the past,” Parry said.

The rejection of the contracts means MAPE and AFSCME employees will continue working under the provisions of a contract negotiated by the administration of former Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty — at least until the new Legislature convenes in January. All 201 seats in the state House and Senate are on the ballot on Nov. 6.