 In other news, Governor Mark Dayton urged lawmakers tonight to stay the course as he has set his last as he completes his last two terms and as Minnesota's governor used his final state of the state address to largely reflect on his seven years in office and send a message to his successor rather than lay out a new vision for lawmakers. Dayton renewed his calls for the two policies that he previously introduced. He proposed a public health care option saying it's a better alternative to the increasing cost of an individual plan. Dayton also asked lawmakers to fund $1.5 billion in public construction projects emphasizing the needed improvements across the state. After years of my urging the legislature has started to increase state expenditures for road and bridge repairs and improvements. Unfortunately most of that additional money has been taken from the general fund. $588 million last session. It's a convenient solution for as long as state budget services continue. Governor Mark Dayton caution lawmakers against making any changes to his policies that could change the state's financial stability or reverse his emphasis on public school funding. If you enjoyed this segment of Lakeland news, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland PBS.