Dayton, Daudt Share Lunch Before New Power Lineup

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Governor Mark Dayton and House Speaker-designate Kurt Daudt are edging into their new Capitol power alignment.

The pair shared a pork-and-potatoes lunch Wednesday while discussing the need to bridge differences on transportation funding and sex offender confinement.

The governor's mansion lunch was their first face-to-face meeting since Dayton, a Democrat, won re-election and Republicans gained control of the Minnesota House.

It breaks up what had been a two-year run of total Democratic power.

Daudt says it was helpful to open the line of communication and hear the other talk about priorities for the upcoming session.

Dayton had similar meetings this week with Democratic Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk and current House Speaker Paul Thissen, who drops down to minority leader when the session opens in January.