The Daily Digest: 3-27-09

The evacuations begin in northwestern Minnesota and North Dakota as the flooding rises. President Obama, meanwhile, declares a state of an emergency for the region.

Under the Dome

The Pawlenty Administration wants state employees to take an unpaid leave. MPR, the Pi Press and the Star Tribune have stories.

A House panel votes against a plan to lift the ban on building new nuclear plants.

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A conference committee reached agreement on Green Acres and federal tax conformity legislation.

Gov, Pawlenty and DFL legislative leaders make little progress on the budget. MPR, the Pi Press and Forum Communications have stories.

The Legislative Auditor says the state needs to improve its monitoring of federal money. MPR and the Star Tribune have stories.

The Minnesota House votes to spend the stimulus cash on roads.

Stimulus money has contractors gearing up.

City and county workers urge small or no cuts to local governments. AP and the Star Tribune have stories.

Gov. Pawlenty releases a new website on state spending.

The Senate oks spending for sex offender programs.

A debate over newborn screening continues to brew at the State Capitol.

A proposal to merge state departments clears its first committee.

The state extends unemployment benefits.

Tax cuts in the stimulus will increase the state's deficit.

D.C.

President Obama is set to detail a new Afghanistan and Pakistan strategy.

NPR says the missing Somali men may have returned to Minnesota.

Jobless claims set a new record as the nation's GDP continues to drop.

Gary Stern, with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, says he expects the economy to turn around next year.

The Ag Chief aims to help the state's dairy farmers. DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar and DFL Rep. Collin Peterson are mentioned.

Politico says efforts to merge the Commodity and Futures Trading Commission into the SEC appear dead. Peterson is mentioned.

A bill proposed by GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann would prohibit global currency.

GOP Rep. Erik Paulsen blogs about increasing accountability and oversight.

His plan also gets backing.

President Obama also gets a list of the nation's top Muslim Americans. The list, which was compiled DFL Rep. Keith Ellison and others, aims to convince the White House to hire some Muslim Americans.

Congress passed a bill to expand wilderness protection.

2008 Race for U.S. Senate

The Star Tribune reports that a former executive of a Texas based company said in a deposition that a contributor to Republican Norm Coleman ordered $100k payments to a Minneapolis agency that employs Coleman's wife.

Reuters examines the length of time it's taking to sit a Senator. Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell says it's a shame Minnesota don't have full representation but says the appeals will take a long time. For the record, members of his caucus celebrate that Democrat Al Franken hasn't been seated yet.

2010

The DFL leaning blogger Dusty Trice points out that Gov. Pawlenty supported retroactive term limits during his time in the State Legislature.

Matt Entenza visits Worthington to tout Minnesota 2020's report on LGA funding.