More Minnesota legislators than usual announced their retirements this session. Whether they cited more family time, redistricting or a desire to seek higher office, the retirement list, currently at 31, is rather long. We talk with a couple of veterans and a rookie about how they came to their decision and why.

Rep. Nora Slawik (D-Maplewood) will join The Daily Circuit Monday. In her seventh term, Slawik cited financial concerns for her retirement from the Legislature.

"While I would thoroughly enjoy the honor of continuing to represent our area, the financial circumstances of having one child in college and another preparing for college make that difficult," she said in a written statement.

Sen. Linda Higgins (D- Minneapolis) will also join the discussion.

"I've been honored to serve the residents of north and downtown Minneapolis for 15 years. I'm proud of what we have accomplished, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to serve our community," she said in a statement.

Freshman Sen. Al DeKruif (R- Elysian) announced his retirement 12 days after the release of the new districts, which put him up against Sen. Julie Rosen (R-Fairmont). He'll also join The Daily Circuit Monday.

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