Dayton keeps line in water

[Lee Borgersen]

Dayton keeps line in the water for special session on walleye shortage

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ISLE - Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton traveled to the Mille Lacs Lake area for the second time in two weeks Saturday, going bass fishing to help show potential tourists the lake has other fish for anglers besides walleye.

 
The state shut down the walleye season earlier this month following reports the lake would exceed its kill limit for the year. Dayton held a public forum in Isle July 31.

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Before Dayton climbed aboard a fishing launch at Nitti's Hunter's Point Resort on Saturday, he told reporters he remained optimistic a special session of the Minnesota Legislature would occur "very soon" in order to help Mille Lacs area resorts cope with the economic fallout of the walleye season shutdown.

"We need a special session, we need to provide all the help we can here," he said. "We can't do it without a special session."

Dayton's optimism comes despite opposition to the idea of a special session from lawmakers in the legislative working group tasked with helping to mitigate the Mille Lacs crisis. The group's next meeting is Thursday.

"They've had two meetings to talk about it," Dayton said of the working group. "Next week, I hope they'll get down to business."

Dayton said he had talked with Speaker of the Minnesota House Kurt Daudt, R-Crown and Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, in order to "press again the urgency of the situation."

Although Dayton said Daudt and Bakk seemed receptive to the idea, he acknowledged their subordinates in the Legislature might not feel the same way.

"There are 201 different legislators, each have their own opinion," he said.

Although he faces resistance in the Legislature, the crowd of onlookers at the busy resort seemed happy to see Dayton - he got a respectable amount of laughs when he used a joke that he repels fish. One man clad in a bathing suit cheered on Dayton's fishing expedition from the nearby beach, pumping his fist in approval.

"Mr. Dayton, go get 'em!" he yelled as the boat got underway.

It was unclear at press time if Dayton had caught anything.



Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton meets the rest of his fishing party on board a launch at Nitti's Hunter's Point Resort near Isle on Saturday.


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