Mark Dayton in 2013 Governor's State of the State speeches

On Budget & Economy: Lift us out of miserable deficit-to-deficit cycle

Where do we want Minnesota to be in a year, or in a decade? We will not agree on every aspect. However, if we can discover our shared goals, perhaps we will find greater accord on how best to achieve them. We can also better assess whether the path we're now on will lead us to them.

On Corporations: Lowest business tax states accompanied by lowest incomes

On Education: Education begins early in life, & continues throughout life

We know that our exceptional citizens, who are more inventive, harder working, and more productive than people anywhere, have been the most important contributors to our state's economic progress and social vitality. Most of us agree that our citizens' superior educations have been crucial to our previous successes.

And many of us agree that providing all Minnesotans with the best, most advanced, and yet affordable educational opportunities will be even more essential to their future success, and thus to ours.

On Education: Restore $240M for higher ed, but still lowest since 1981

I'll say it again. Since FY80-81, real state spending for all of postsecondary education has been higher than it is today. My budget would add $240 million in higher ed. funding for the next biennium. That counts as spending increase, which, technically, it is. However, it falls over $100 million short of restoring the funding cut from FY10/11; and it still leaves state support for higher education hundreds of million dollars below the real levels 30 years ago.

On Environment: Protect clean air to breathe & clean water to drink

A healthy life starts with, and depends upon, clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, protected natural environments to enjoy, and a secure ecological future. No one can endure the severe droughts or floods of recent years; endure (or, some, enjoy) our milder, snow-scarce winters; lather on sunscreen to walk outdoors without being greatly alarmed.

Even more alarming is that our state and our nation are still not doing enough to reverse this path toward global catastrophe, before it is too late. The question is: are we progressing fast enough? Are we doing all we can to utilize other renewables, such as solar, and also to make Minnesota the best place to locate these new industries and their jobs?

On Government Reform: Make even-years "The Unsession", to eliminate laws & rules

In my campaign, I proposed making an even-year legislative session "The Unsession." Except for responding to a fiscal or other emergency and passing a bonding bill, the session would be devoted to eliminating unnecessary or redundant laws, rules, and regulations; reducing the verbiage in those that remain; shortening the timelines for developing and implementing them; and undoing anything else, which makes government nearly impossible to understand, operate, or support.

I suggest making next year's legislative session the first "Unsession." After this session is concluded, I will ask my agency heads and legislative staff to begin making lists, and working with any legislators, other public officials, and citizens, who wish to spearhead these reforms.

On Local Issues: Make capital investments in the downtowns of major cities

For two years, my proposals to make capital investments in the downtowns of major cities, like St. Paul, Duluth, Rochester, Mankato, and St. Cloud, and investments in smaller, but equally essential projects throughout Minnesota were rejected by Republican legislative leaders. Despite a lagging construction industry and good Minnesotans in the building trades unable to find work, they just said No.

Well, just saying No just won't work...not in Rochester, where the renowned Mayo Clinic wants us to help them continue to outclass their competitors in other states and other countries...and to continue doing so from Rochester.