Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz went down an admirable path this week when he offered his first State of the State address. He called for common ground and consensus solutions that lead Minnesota forward, and lead the nation in how things could get done.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka agreed that Walz delivered an encouraging message. He said Republicans are ready to negotiate with Walz in good faith as the current legislative session heads for the finish line in May.

We do not always agree with Gov. Walz on his approach to the issues, because he often only sees more government and higher taxes as his go-to solutions. But we have to wholeheartedly concur with his call for the state to do something about the death trap that is Highway 14, a road Walz calls the most dangerous in Minnesota. We believe southern Minnesota lawmakers of both parties would like to address the problem.

On the broader issues of spending and taxes, we all know that Democrats and Republicans are not going to agree. But given the divided government in St. Paul, we hope that Walz’s words, and those of Gazelka, mean that the two sides will be mature enough to agree to disagree, and so be able to move forward with what is bound to be a compromise.

There is no need for lawmakers to wait and wait and wait until the last day of the session to wrap up their work. Such brinkmanship has just led to unnecessary special sessions or pointless stalemate in the past.