Freed from the burden of pushing new sales taxes, Gov. Mark Dayton plans "'Meetings with Mark' in communities around the state" to hear from Minnesotans what they think of the state's budget, the governor's office said Sunday.
Last week, Dayton, a Democrat, said he backs higher income taxes on the wealthy but no longer supports a sales tax overhaul. His previous sales tax plans drew a battery of criticism from the business community and failed to attack support from many DFLers in the Legislature.
Now, with those plans behind him, Dayton is going on the road -- away from Capitol insiders -- to talk about his budget and listen.
"'Meetings with Mark' will give Minnesotans the opportunity to weigh-in on the state's ongoing budget conversation – offering their ideas, questions, and concerns about the state's education system, our economy, and our shared future. Governor Dayton welcomes all viewpoints and invites all Minnesotans to join him in conversation," the governor's office said.
His first meeting will be a town hall in Duluth, one of the state's most reliably Democratic areas. The event will be at the Duluth Public Safety Building at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
