Minnesota legislative working groups continued to slowly reach agreements on budget bills in areas like transportation and commerce on Friday, but agreement remains elusive on some of the biggest and most contentious bills, like health, education and taxes.

Gov. Tim Walz said this week he won’t call lawmakers into special session until legislative leaders have agreements in all budget areas and bills are ready to go. However, once they’re in special session, the governor no longer has much control.

“This could get ugly really, really fast, unless they can get these agreements,” former DFL Party Chair Mike Erlandson said in a segment recorded for “At Issue with Tom Hauser” on Friday. “And if they don’t have a lock-solid agreement on the budget bills … and the governor calls a legislative session, that session is going to go on potentially for weeks and weeks and weeks because I don’t think they’re going to get any closer to solving it in one or two days, and it might get into two months.”

Republican strategist Andy Brehm agrees the special session will be unpredictable.

“It could be and it will be ugly, but it won’t be nearly as ugly as what happened last session when Democrats controlled everything and they started regulating keys and spending like drunken sailors,” he said. “I’ll take this over that any day of the week.”

One of the most controversial issues still to be worked out is how to pass a bill to phase out adult undocumented immigrants from the state’s public health insurance program. That remains in doubt, along with dozens of other provisions in other bills.

Walz is traveling out of state this weekend, which adds another layer of complexity to reaching final budget bill agreements.

“I think the most important part of being a leader is showing up, being present,” says Brehm of the governor’s absence. “Absolutely, it’s a huge problem. The governor’s gotta get off this national tour he’s on and start focusing on his day job.”

Erlandson says the governor can still participate remotely, but says it would be helpful to be here in person.

“Hopefully, he’s in communications with the people he needs to be in communications with and this is obviously a priority and hopefully the governor gets back to town as soon as possible,” Erlandson said.

You can see more on this topic and all the state’s political news Sunday on “At Issue” at 10 a.m. on Ch. 5 and 7 a.m. on Ch. 45.