Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton makes a humble retreat after two terms

Outgoing Gov. Mark Dayton was recognized by Gov. Tim Walz as he spoke after taking the oath of office January 7. Credit: Anthony Souffle, Star Tribune.

By the time you read this, former Gov. Mark Dayton will be off on his first vacation in eight years.

On his way out the door, he left his successor a jar of peanut M&M’s and a $1.5 billion budget surplus.

Minnesota’s 40th governor was there in the crowd in St. Paul’s Fitzgerald Theater on Monday morning as Tim Walz took the oath to become governor 41. Leaning heavily on a cane after recent surgery, Dayton accepted the crowd’s cheers and applause. But he stayed away from the stage and out of the limelight, because this day wasn’t about him.

View the complete January 7 article by Jennifer Brooks on The Star Tribune website here.

The Dayton difference: Governor’s 8-year tenure has reshaped state

Governor Mark Dayton is “the most consequential governor in recent history,” said DFL politico Wy Spano. Credit: Glen Stubbe, Star Tribune

Gov. Mark Dayton is leaving office in January after eight years with a far-reaching legacy that will endure for decades.

A glassy new Vikings stadium rises on the east edge of downtown Minneapolis, ringed by new office towers and condos. Rochester is on the verge of a dramatic, multibillion-dollar state-backed transformation. Minnesota’s rainy-day fund is at record levels and the unemployment rate is at an 18-year low. Education spending is up more than $2 billion.

Through a mix of good economic fortunes, shrewd political skill and the missteps of his opponents, Dayton’s tenure has reshaped Minnesota in innumerable ways. He locked in higher spending that will be difficult to roll back, with the help of new taxes on high earners. A vast expansion of the Medical Assistance program reduced the number of uninsured. He’s appointed more than half of the state’s judges, a pool that is more racially diverse and female than ever before.

View the complete December 23 article by J. Patrick Collican on The Star Tribune website here.

Gov. Dayton Announces “Free Park Friday” in Minnesota

Entrance fees to all 75 Minnesota state parks and recreation areas will be waived on Friday, November 23, 2018

Governor Mark Dayton has announced “Free Park Friday” in Minnesota, highlighting that entrance fees to all Minnesota state parks and recreation areas will be waived on Friday, November 23, 2018. Governor Dayton encourages all Minnesotans to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends on the day after Thanksgiving.

“I wish everyone in Minnesota a very happy Thanksgiving, and recommend visiting one of Minnesota’s beautiful state parks — for free — on Friday,” said Governor Mark Dayton. “Like sharing a meal, going for a walk can be a great way to spend quality time with family and friends.

Continue reading “Gov. Dayton Announces “Free Park Friday” in Minnesota”

Dayton, Walz, Murphy Present Unified Leadership to Minnesotans

DFLers hold press conference to discuss unified leadership in One Minnesota

State Rep. Erin Murphy, Gov. Mark Dayton, U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, State Rep. Peggy Flanagan, DFL Chair Ken Martin

Gov. Mark Dayton, Tim Walz, the DFL nominee for Governor, Erin Murphy, the DFL-endorsed candidate for Governor, and DFL Chairman Ken Martin held a press conference to discuss unified leadership in “One Minnesota.” Walz lauded Dayton and Murphy’s leadership, and Murphy and Dayton gave Walz high marks for his vision for One Minnesota.

“I congratulate Tim Walz and Peggy Flanagan on their victory in the primary and I am happy to endorse them to be the next Governor and Lt. Governor of Minnesota,” Gov. Dayton said. “Their vision for ‘One Minnesota’ is a needed call for unity that will bring Minnesotans together to solve the challenges we will face in the future. In the weeks to come, I will do whatever I can to support Tim and Peggy as they build a statewide coalition to win this November.” Continue reading “Dayton, Walz, Murphy Present Unified Leadership to Minnesotans”

Dayton’s health care proposal is a no-brainer

As I travel around Minnesota, I hear about many concerns facing communities throughout the state. But there is one issue at the top of list—an issue that weighs heavily on families in every corner of Minnesota—and that issue is health care.

Health care should be a right, not a privilege. Yet many Minnesotans do not have health coverage or struggle to afford their premiums. A recent report from the Minnesota Department of Health showed that limited options and rising costs have forced over 116,000 Minnesotans to drop their health care over the last two years. We must take action to ease the burden of rising health care costs on Minnesota families and make health care more accessible, so no person has to risk going without health care coverage. Continue reading “Dayton’s health care proposal is a no-brainer”

Dayton pushes plan for expansion of MinnesotaCare program

The following article by Don Davis with the Forum News Service was posted on the PioneerPress website March 1, 2018:

Credit: Scott Takush, Pioneer Press

Most greater Minnesota residents have one or two choices for health insurers, which Gov. Mark Dayton said shows a need to expand a state health insurance program to everyone.

The MinnesotaCare insurance program especially could help farmers, who often struggle with finding and affording health care coverage, Dayton said Thursday.

The expansion plan is not new; the DFL governor unsuccessfully pushed it last year, but the Republican-controlled Legislature did not consider it. There is no sign that the GOP has changed position, but Dayton said the Nov. 6 election could influence Republicans to reconsider their votes. Continue reading “Dayton pushes plan for expansion of MinnesotaCare program”

Minnesota swears in state’s first Hmong-American judge

The following article by Chao Xiong was posted on the StarTribune website January 5, 2018:

State’s first Hmong-American jurist is right at home on Ramsey County bench.

Sophia VueLo took the oath as Minnesota Second Judicial District Judge with her husband Dr. Muaj C. Lo next to her and Chief Justice Lorie Gildea administering the ceremony.

Sophia Vuelo was born in Laos during wartime and raised in Wisconsin by a widowed mother who could barely write her own name. On Thursday, she became Minnesota’s first Hmong-American judge, and only one of a few in the country.

“Never let your circumstances or your birthplace prevent who you are … ,” Vuelo told a packed crowd that included high school classmates, community leaders and young girls.

Vuelo was sworn in as the 29th member of the Ramsey County District Court bench. She switched between English and Hmong as she addressed attendees, tearing up as she recalled the Lutheran church that “took a chance” by helping to resettle her family.

“That has made all of the difference to me,” she said. “We were poorer than a church mouse.” Continue reading “Minnesota swears in state’s first Hmong-American judge”

Gov. Mark Dayton appoints Tina Smith to U.S. Senate

The following article by Erin Golden and J. Patrick Coolican was posted on the StarTribune website December 13, 2017:

Minnesota’s lieutenant governor, a Democrat, will take over for Sen. Al Franken when he officially resigns from Senate.

Lt. Gov. Tina Smith accepted an appointment to the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, preparing to replace Al Franken as one of Minnesota’s most powerful officials in Washington and vowing to protect the seat for Democrats in next year’s special election.

“Though I never anticipated this moment, I am resolved to do everything I can to move Minnesota forward,” Smith said, moments after DFL Gov. Mark Dayton announced that he was her choice to replace Franken following his upcoming resignation in the wake of a sexual harassment scandal.

When she officially joins the Senate — likely to happen in early January — Smith will join Sen. Amy Klobuchar to make Minnesota one of only four states with two women senators (the others are California, Washington and New Hampshire). Continue reading “Gov. Mark Dayton appoints Tina Smith to U.S. Senate”