After strange week at the Minnesota Capitol, does business-as-usual prevail?

Jan. 28--Gov. Mark Dayton is ready for the Capitol to return to its normal level of bickering, chaos and policy after telling the state he had cancer and fainting in front of a statewide audience last week.

"Now, it's back to business to usual," said the Democratic-Farmer-Labor governor.

"Business as usual" included defending his $46 billion two-year budget proposal, signing a long-awaited health insurance premium relief bill and hosting a water summit in Morris, Minn. But it also included a trip to Rochester's Mayo Clinic, well-wishes from former President Bill Clinton and repeated defenses that he can -- and will -- perform the job the state elected him to do.

"I'm intellectually in my prime and I'm physically capable of doing the job. And I've done the job. I haven't had a vacation in almost two years," the governor said. "I know I'm fit for the job."

The split screen may last throughout what is expected to be a brutal legislative session, dominated by battles between Republicans and the Democratic governor on how much of the state's cash to spend. Dayton, who turned 70 on Thursday, pledges he will stay as involved in that fight as he ever was and legislators, while sympathizing with his health issues, will stand firm in return.

Lawmakers last week already added some humanity to their normal legislative process.

"I think maybe it humanized our relationships a little more," said House Speaker Kurt Daudt, a Republican from near Crown. "I think it helps us see him, and have a more personal relationship."

When Republican legislative leaders reacted to Dayton's budget plans -- too rich, by far, for many in the GOP -- they expressed concern about the governor before they began their critique. The Minnesota Senate on Thursday paused after passing the $325 million insurance measure to acknowledge Dayton's health concerns and sing "Happy Birthday" to him. And Alexandria Rep. Mary Franson, a Republican who is generally not a fan of Dayton's policies, sent the governor flowers after his Monday collapse.

"My heart just went out to the governor; what happened to him was on live television. ... My model is practice kindness, and what a way to show compassion and kindness," she said. "We can disagree about policies, but that does not negate the fact that we are human beings."

OTHER STATES

Dayton felt the need to announce his prostate cancer diagnosis Tuesday because of his dramatic tumble 40 minutes into his State of the State speech. He had fainted, he and his medical providers at Mayo Clinic said. The collapse, which happened in a House Chamber packed with lawmakers, state officials and watching Minnesotans, was "related to standing for a long time while giving his speech and possible dehydration," the clinic said.

Although he had told close staff and advisers of the diagnosis, he had planned to release it more publicly after he consulted with his doctors on the course of treatment.

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KNOW MORE: What is prostate cancer?

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That's the route other governors have taken.

Last year, both Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and Alaska Gov. Bill Walker disclosed to their states that they had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, a common ailment among older men.

When Wolf announced it, he was "unclear about the exact course of treatment he will undergo, he said it wouldn't require surgery or involve chemotherapy," according to a news report. Walker, surrounded by his family, shared the news of his cancer at the same time he said that he would have surgery to treat it.

In neither of those states did the cancer news change the political dynamics at play. Both of those governors took some time away from the public eye and then returned to work.

"The mood really did not change," said Jan Murphy, capitol bureau chief for Pennlive and the Patriot-News in Pennsylvania. "We have other issues that are occupying our lawmakers' attention these days."

In Alaska, the governor was out of commission for about a week. While there was an outpouring of well-wishes, like there has been in Minnesota, the cancer news and treatment did not change the mood.

"There has been no difference whatsoever in the way anyone has treated anyone," said Nathaniel Herz, a reporter for the Alaska Dispatch News. "It was almost sort of like a one-day distraction and then everyone moved on."

Dayton has long been dogged by speculation that he might prematurely quit his political life. The fainting spell and the cancer diagnosis, though, may have brought more attention to his health than other governors have experienced.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Dayton aggressively returned to work, despite the health issues.

On Tuesday, the day after he fainted and before he announced his cancer, he strode to a Capitol podium to promote his budget plans. Although the governor, who has had hip and back surgeries while in office, appeared slightly winded when he began speaking, he gained steam as the hourlong unveiling went on.

He also kept up a schedule of public appearances -- including a Wednesday morning speech to an educators conference and a Wednesday evening reception with lawmakers -- throughout the week before capping it off with travel to Morris, nearly three hours outside of the Twin Cities, to talk about water. He also was to appear on live television shows on Friday and Sunday.

In the coming weeks, he has said, other than a trip to the Mayo Clinic to talk cancer treatment, it will be more of the same. He has dozens of meetings scheduled with state officials and others for the first week of February as well as speaking engagements.

Despite his appreciation of the expressions of concern from legislators across the aisle, Dayton said he does not think his ailments will have a lasting effect on the tone of the negotiations.

"I'd like to believe they would all just agree to my budget now. It's just common courtesy," he joked. "No, it'll go down the same."

"I have my mandate, and they got elected recently and they have their mandate," he said of Republicans who control the Legislature. "They're very different perspectives on what's best for Minnesota. We have very genuine, very deep-seated and very sincere differences. But I'm not going to back down on what I believe is best for Minnesota, and I expect them to do the same."

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