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shutdown of parts of Minnesota’s government, which had included rest stops, ended Saturday as Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) signed a temporary spending plan and lawmakers agreed on the outline of a two-year budget, the Associated Press reported.

The state’s legislature overwhelmingly approved the measure to send 8,900 furloughed state employees back to their jobs by restoring funding until Thursday. The shutdown began July 1 after the state’s fiscal year ended.

Lawmakers now have until Wednesday night to hash out the final details of the two-year budget or risk another shutdown, though that's considered unlikely, AP reported.

Truckers in the state last week had urged the state to open its highway rest stops as the government shutdown continued.

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