Over the last two weeks, more than 1,000 Minnesotans gathered at town hall meetings hosted by Governor Mark Dayton in Duluth, Moorhead, St. Cloud, Mankato, and Rochester. The Governor's 'Meetings with Mark' are an effort to engage Minnesotans in personal conversations about his proposed investments in education, job creation, and improving the lives of middle-class families. Another Meeting with Mark has been scheduled for next week in Virginia at the following time and location:

Tuesday, April 16 at 6:00pm
Commons Area
Mesabi Range Community and Technical College
1001 West Chestnut Street, Virginia, MN

'Meetings with Mark' give Minnesotans the opportunity to weigh-in on the state's ongoing budget conversation - offering 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 about the budget challenges facing our state and the investments we need to make in order to build a Better Minnesota. All 'Meetings with Mark' are free and open to the public and press.

Governor Dayton has proposed a fair and balanced budget that will responsibly resolve the state's deficit and make crucial investments in Minnesota's future. The Governor's proposal focuses on improving the lives of Minnesotans by making major investments in /governor/assets/better_mn_education.pdf_tcm1055-92585.pdfeducation, /governor/assets/better_mn_jobs.pdf_tcm1055-92586.pdfjob creation, and /governor/assets/better_mn.pdf_tcm1055-92583.pdfa stronger middle class. Those investments include $640 million in new funding for education, $86.5 million for job creation and economic development, and $120 million in aid to local governments that will help provide /governor/assets/better_mn_property_tax_relief.pdf_tcm1055-92589.pdfproperty tax relief to Minnesota homeowners, renters, and businesses.

More information about the governor's Budget for a Better Minnesota is available online at http://mn.gov/governor/budget. You can also follow the conversation on Twitter at #BetterMN.