Governor Defends Big Pay Hikes for Top State Officials

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 8 percent to 35 percent. The raises add up to more than $900,000.

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.