During the state of the state speech, Gov. Mark Dayton singled out four of his family members to illustrate points about Minnesota's past accomplishments.

He mentioned his great-grandfather, who founded the family's namesake retail empire, and his father, Bruce (who attended the speech) for shaping the company into a "successful national and international corporation."

Dayton also mentioned his late mother, Gwendolen, who was once hospitalized in New York City. "I learned there is no private or public hospital there, at any price, which provides a quality of care that is routine throughout Minnesota."

Finally, Dayton cited the experience of his son, Eric, who he said was told by a business school professor that "a crisis is a terrible thing to waste" and that state officials elsewhere "are getting down to business. That is what we need to do in Minnesota."