The Daily Digest: 3-11-09

A bill on foreclosure mediation clears a Senate panel.

Unions are pushing back on Gov. Pawlenty's proposed pay freeze.

Gov. Pawlenty's spokesman says Minnesota can't reject Sara Jane Olson's move to Minnesota to serve her parole in the state. He says Pawlenty is sympathetic to a Los Angeles police group trying to keep her in California.

The medical marijuana bill takes another step forward.

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The mental health community battles budget cuts.

A bill that would remove the property tax cap moves through a Senate committee.

The early voting bill is approved in a House committee.

The Senate starts moving a bonding bill.

The Senate also rejected taking money from Twin Cities transit funds for out state school transportation.

Gov. Pawlenty will visit Worthington on Thursday.

D.C.

The Senate passes a $410 billion spending bill and sends it to President Obama. It includes plenty of earmarks.

The transportation funding debate becomes more urgent on the federal level.

Somalis in Minnesota come under FBI scrutiny.

Obama takes on the teacher's unions by backing merit pay.

The Star Tribune gets some reaction from Minnesota folks on Obama's education plan.

The card check debate is set to intensify.

GOP Rep. John Kline opposes it.

DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar backs the EPA proposal that would create a nationwide emissions report.

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann rips the carbon tax.

2008 Race for U.S. Senate

Democrat Al Franken will rest his case in the recount trial. MPR, AP, MinnPost, the Star Tribune and the Pi Press have stories.

Franken told reporters in Washington D.C. that he sees the light at the end of the tunnel in the Senate race.

Coleman's campaign manager said that light in the tunnel is the freight train coming.

The New York Times says there was a brief stand-up and applause at a Democratic luncheon that Franken attended.

DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar tells Time Magazine that she's not sure when the Senate race will end.

2010

A website called "My mayor is cheating on me" targets St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman. (H/T MnSpeak)

Coleman and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak discuss the possibility of running for governor.

2012

The Atlantic examines Pawlenty's chances in 2012.