Gov. Mark Dayton Wednesday appointed four members of the Sunset Commission who have been in the sun and shadows of politics for years.

His four appointments to the commission, charged with figuring out if the state can end some functions, were Matt Entenza, Sharon Erickson-Ropes, Javier Morillo and Ruth Orrick.

Entenza, a former House Minority Leader, ran against Dayton in the DFL gubernatorial primary last year; Erickson-Ropes is a former DFL state Senator who was ousted last year; Morillo is a longtime union activist and Orrick is a former DFL party chair and served on Dayton's transition team.

The commission has 12 members, four appointed by the governor and four Senators and four House members, appointed by their respective bodies.