Minnesota House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher was up North Friday to address graduates of Pillager High School and, while on the trip, spoke about the recently completed legislative session, says Mike O'Rourke in the Brainerd Dispatch.

"We were dealing with a governor who decided to throw in the towel and walk away from the type of democracy we have," she said, unlike in the previous two sessions when the governor and lawmakers reached negotiated settlements.

"The governor was much more engaged in those solutions," she said. "He had a very different level of engagement this time."

Kelliher talked about her possible run for governor in 2010, saying: "My motivation, personally, is to make this the very best state we can have," she said. "I think we have to get back to our fiscally responsible roots in this state."