Dayton to pitch budget plan on state tour

DFL Gov. Mark Dayton says he'll be traveling throughout the state in the coming weeks to let Minnesotans know that he has a sound proposal for the state budget.

His budget tour is set to begin Wednesday with a town hall meeting in Duluth. Other trips will be announced later.

Dayton told reporters Monday that he will stress that his plan would not raise taxes on people with low and middle incomes. He also said legislators are welcome to improve upon his plan, as long as they meet some of his spending goals.

"They've got to meet the same standard in terms of the investments in public education, and higher education certainly will be well received at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and all over the state," Dayton said. "I just want to make people aware of what's at stake and ask them to contact their legislators in support of my proposal."

Dayton's revised two-year budget proposal relies heavily on an income tax increase for the wealthiest 2 percent of Minnesotans. That provision will raise an estimated $1.1 billion over the next two-year budget cycle.