Dayton Defends Raises For Cabinet Members

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Gov. Mark Dayton says there should be no controversy over tens of thousands of dollars in raises for members of his cabinet.

Pay hikes for commissioners and agency heads range from 19 percent to 58 percent. The raises add up to more than $800,000.

Republicans have criticized the pay hikes as exorbitant for top government officials, most of whom already made more than $100,000 annually.

But the Democratic governor says those positions haven't seen raises in more than a decade. He says he's lost talented employees to local governments and other entities with better pay.

Lawmakers first learned of the pay hikes earlier this week.