Saint Paul - Following Governor Dayton's State of the State Address, leadership from the two largest state employee unions praised his call for improving government services.

"Governor Dayton's State of the State Address reminds all of us what Minnesotans really want - good paying jobs, an excellent education system, and a government that efficiently provides important state services to its citizens," said Minnesota Association of Professional Employees President Jim Monroe.

AFSCME Council 5 Executive Director Eliot Seide said, "Governor Dayton shares our commitment to good jobs and economic fairness - and we join him in asking the Legislature to focus on getting Minnesota back to work. Frontline public workers welcome the opportunity to partner with the Dayton Administration to improve service delivery for the people of Minnesota. Together, we can create a better Minnesota where everyone has the opportunity to prosper."

In his remarks, the Governor praised Department of Agriculture employee Harley Olinske for his work to save taxpayers money. Governor Dayton said, "Mr. Olinske epitomizes the dedicated state employees, who work hard every day, and get little credit."