With the Republican-controlled Legislature and Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton at an impasse on tax policy, a Vikings stadium plan and a statewide construction bill, area lawmakers are wondering how much longer they should wait for the stalemate to end.

“Our leadership has told us each time they negotiate with the governor, it’s going backwards,” said Rep. Tony Cornish, R-Good Thunder.

Cornish said a growing number of Republican lawmakers are ready to pass major bills as they see fit, adjourn the session until next year, and hope that Dayton will choose not to veto them.

“Get out of Dodge and leave it up to him to decide whether to sign it or not,” Cornish said.

Unlike last year, when a new two-year state operating budget needed to pass to prevent government from shutting down, no legislation absolutely must be agreed to this session. That doesn’t mean that legislative Republicans, who won control of both the House and Senate in 2010 for the first time in nearly 40 years, don’t care about what happens in the final days of the session.

All 201 legislative seats are on the ballot on Nov. 6, and Republicans would like to see some business tax relief, many would like to see a bonding bill of some size and an unknown number are hopeful of passing a Vikings stadium bill. Cornish wonders if DFL leaders would be disappointed about losing a key campaign theme if substantial work gets done this week, noting statements by minority leader Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis.

“I don’t think they want a settlement,” Cornish said. “Every speech he gives he rails on a ‘do-nothing Legislature.’”

The House passed its tax bill Tuesday afternoon even though Dayton hasn’t agreed to sign it and has expressly said he has deep concerns about its use of state reserve funds to finance property tax breaks aimed at businesses.

Rep. Paul Torkelson, R-St. James, said he’s trying to maintain hope that an agreement will be reached with the governor that will result in substantial legislation passing in the waning days of the session.

“Nothing’s dead up here until we go ‘sine die,’” Torkelson said, referring to the adjournment that ends the session until the following year.

If no agreement is reached, Republican lawmakers will do as Cornish predicted — send bills to the governor’s desk knowing they’re facing a likely veto, he said.

“I think that’s what will happen in the end,” Torkelson said. “But it’s not the end yet.”

It is near, however. Under the state Constitution, lawmakers could meet until May 21. There’s another limit in the Constitution, though, on the total number of days that either the House or Senate can meet and that number is down to five, Torkelson said.