Will the $1.8 million jury award in the "American Sniper" lawsuit survive?

Will the $1.8 million jury award in the "American Sniper" lawsuit survive?

Judging by his behavior during the 2015 state legislative sessions, Gov. Mark Dayton fits comfortably into the series of unconventional Minnesota politicians.

A motion granted by U.S. District Court Judge Richard Kyle clears the way for Jesse Ventura to begin collection proceedings on the nearly $2 million award in his defamation ruling while the case remains under appeal.

Ventura was never the icon that he and a compliant media made him out to be, and his defamation trial is last gasp for fame.

“I cannot keep my name as a leader of a party that I do not believe is the best option for the voters of this state,” wrote IP state director Kyle Lewis.

Current Minnesota Court of Appeals Judge Matthew Johnson announced last week that he would not seek reappointment to the chief role when his term ends on Oct. 31. Johnson will continue to serve on the court as a judge. Cleary, who was Dayton's first appointment to the appeals court in 2011, will move into his new role in November. He will serve a three-year term.

Republicans are mired in an extended losing streak in statewide political contests. Since 2006, when Gov. Tim Pawlenty won re-election with 47 percent of the vote, Republicans have been shut out. That dubious streak reached a nadir of sorts last year, when U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar won re-election by nearly 35 percentage points over GOP challenger Kurt Bills.

If his 2013 budget proposal is any indication, Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton intends to make history. The document landed on Tuesday, containing some of the most significant proposed tax overhauls and increases in Minnesota in decades.

Here’s a guide to key policy matters that are likely to be addressed and heavily lobbied in the 2013 legislative session.