HELENA -- Incoming Gov. Brian Schweitzer comes from a family of dreamers. Although his parents didn't graduate from high school, they fulfilled their dream and sent their six children off to get college educations.

Schweitzer, 49, who will be sworn in Monday as the state's 23rd governor, said he wants to restore Montanans' pride and make it possible for families to dream again about brighter futures.

In an interview last week, Schweitzer outlined some ambitious goals, including the lofty philosophical ones.

"I want to give Montanans a sense of pride again about their state and about their leadership," he told the Lee Newspapers State Bureau. "That sense of pride will equate to Montanans being more likely to stay in Montana, Montanans more likely to invest in Montana, Montanans having a better capability of attracting new investment in Montana. So philosophically, it's about believing in ourselves again."

In recent years, Schweitzer said Montanans have heard a steady drumbeat of discouraging news about national studies that ranked the state 49th or 50th in categories such as average pay and per capita income.

"We need a new day in Montana that says it's all right to dream about the possibilities, and that's what we'll be doing," he said, echoing his campaign slogan.

Asked how he would measure that progress, he said it's probably not something that can be graphed on a chalkboard. As a businessman, the Whitefish farmer-rancher likes to talk about "deliverables" or actual results, not discussions about getting things done.

"But the main deliverable will be how we feel about ourselves again and the ability for every family to dream again, that it's OK to dream again, and those dreams are consistent with building families," he said.

Montana parents and grandparents dream that their bright children and grandchildren will be able to stay in Montana and prosper, he said. For businesses that employ two people, it's the dream of franchising their businesses and employing 10 times that many people.

Schweitzer said his budget recommendations released last week are aimed at helping Montanans achieve their dreams.

Besides offering what he called a major increase in

K-12 school funding, Schweitzer wants to create hundreds of college scholarships for Montanans.

He wants to add significant money into the state program that helps low-income people and seniors pay for their winter heating bills.

On the health-care front, Schweitzer has proposed fully funding the Children's Health Insurance Program to cover low-income kids. He favors income tax credits so small business owners can afford to provide health insurance for their employees and themselves. He wants to put more money into a prescription drug program for the elderly, but with an eye toward cost containment.

He plans to put significant money into economic development. He praised Dave Gibson, Gov. Judy Martz's chief business officer, for getting the state Office of Economic Opportunity off on the right foot. Gibson began the dialogue of looking at Montana's economy and recognizing its strengths and weaknesses and where the state needs to head.

But Schweitzer said he wants to elevate that effort to the next level. Whenever he sees his chief business officer, Evan Barrett, and Commerce Director Tony Preite, Schweitzer said he will ask: "Did you close a deal today?"

"'That's what I'm looking for -- closing deals, bringing investment to Montana," Schweitzer said. "They're going to get tired of me asking, 'Did we close a deal today.' Those are the deliverables."

Schweitzer is the first Democrat elected governor in 20 years, capping a marathon, 22-month campaign with a 50 to 46 percent win over Republican Secretary of State Bob Brown, who's also from Whitefish.

He is the first Montana governor to never have held prior elective public office. Schweitzer had a transition team meeting secretly for months before the November election so he could hit the ground running if he won.

Schweitzer has said he wants to be a bipartisan leader. He is the first Montana governor to run with a running mate of the opposite party, Republican Sen. John Bohlinger of Billings.

He said he's serious about his goal of bipartisanship.

"Well, since I'm being criticized by both the Republicans and the Democrats, I think we have it about right," he said with a smile.

As for his brand of leadership, Schweitzer said he won't be a deskbound governor. He intends to hit the road often and will have the state airplane at the ready.

Montanans will be surprised because they'll see the governor in their hometown more often, he said. Former governors have had Capitol for a Day programs in which the chief executive and some of his Cabinet and aides would travel by bus or plane and a town once a month.

"I'm going to every courthouse in Montana and all tribal councils the first year" he said. "And you'll see me sitting at a table maybe as grandiose as this one and maybe not a rotunda as large as this, but similar, and meeting with folks."

Schweitzer said he will travel alone, perhaps accompanied by a young staffer.

"So if you've got a beef with the government, talk to the governor," he said.

Schweitzer looks forward to working with legislators from both political parties. His family gave him a fancy poker chip set for Christmas, and he intends to invite lawmakers over to the governor's mansion to play cards.

"It wouldn't be a bad idea for the governor to invite legislators over to play poker and then lose," Schweitzer said with a laugh. "I'll let them win the poker games."

Legislative leaders' reactions to dealing with Schweitzer followed partisan lines.

"I had the good fortune of working with one of the very best in (Gov.) Ted Schwinden," said Rep. Dave Wanzenried, D-Missoula, one of the contenders for House speaker. "By all of my observations so far, Brian will be right up there, if not exceed, Ted Schwinden's ability to bring people together and to provide some real leadership for the state."

Less impressed was Senate Minority Leader Bob Keenan, R-Bigfork, who said he hasn't seen Schweitzer reach out yet to include and involve Republicans.

"The ball's in their court," said Keenan, Senate president in the 2003 Legislature. "They're the ones that have been talking about bipartisanship. I'm going to be down there for 90 days with nothing else to do."