ST. PAUL, Minn. — Gov. Mark Dayton says he won’t let two of his cabinet members go before a Republican-led panel of state lawmakers to talk about the budget.

Instead, he is suggesting that he and top GOP lawmakers bring a professional mediator into their stagnated budget talks.

Dayton held a news conference Thursday, where he called the Legislative Commission on Planning and Fiscal Policy meeting scheduled for later in the day a “political stunt” and criticized Republican lawmakers.

He says his advisers for budget and taxes won’t appear before the panel.

The stalemate over how to fix a $5 billion deficit could result in a government shutdown if a new budget isn’t passed by June 30.

Dayton and Republicans are scheduled to resume budget negotiations on Friday.