Dayton still won’t say where jobs hunt led

Gov. Mark Dayton is refusing to say where he and the state’s top economic development official went last week to encourage a business to expand in Minnesota.

Dayton took the trip last Thursday for a meeting regarding a possible economic development opportunity for the state. Dayton’s staff won’t disclose which state Dayton visited or which company he’s looking to attract.

Today, Dayton too declined to say where he went as he defended the secrecy surrounding this trip.

“I went because I’m trying to get jobs for Minnesota, and part of that is meeting with businesses who don’t share my willingness to be put in the public limelight before especially before they made decisions," Dayton said. "If I’m going to have to disclose where I went in that kind of situation it’s going to cost me the opportunity to try to get jobs for Minnesota.”

Dayton said no deal was reached last week but said any tax subsidies negotiated between the state and unnamed company will have to be disclosed. Dayton would not say how many jobs could be at stake if the unnamed company decides to expand in Minnesota.

UPDATE: Dayton is hitting the road again tomorrow. His public schedule says he's "traveling out of state for a meeting regarding a possible economic development opportunity for Minnesota." He's traveling with Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Katie Clark Sieben and another staffer with DEED. Dayton's public schedule says he's leaving by commercial flight tomorrow morning and will return to Minnesota tomorrow afternoon.

 

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