After 40 years at the Capitol, attorney Peter Wattson plans to say goodbye to the marble building.

Wattson, who worked for the Minnesota Senate from 1971 to 2010, became DFL Gov. Mark Dayton's General Counsel in December, after Democrats lost control of the Senate.

During his decades in service, Wattson began a nationally known expert in legislative process, state campaign finance and redistricting and his stamp is all over Minnesota laws. You can view some of the treatises he produced on those subjects here.

"Peter has had a very distinguished and highly respected career in public service, and my office has been the beneficiary of his vast experience and deep knowledge of the legislative process," Dayton said in a statement. "We are grateful for his invaluable contributions to the transition and first months of my administration, and we wish him the best in his retirement."

Wattson's last day will be July 1.