The Daily Digest
Voters in Senate District 26 head to the polls today to elect a state senator to replace Dick Day, who retired to become a lobbyist.
Under the Dome
The House Rules Committee will discuss the unallotment litigation again today.
There will be plenty of discussion today about the bonding bill.
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On Monday, lawmakers questioned plans to expand the sex offender facility in Moose Lake.
Teachers ended up with the smallest pay raises in years.
Several lawmakers want to impose new restrictions on drug companies.
A committee focused on nuclear waste storage.
Colleges are bracing for deep higher ed cuts.
The Star Tribune looks at Minnesota's "Made in the USA law." It said some cities are finding that it's more costly to buy American made over imports.
The St. Paul Saints want a news stadium.
2010 Race for Governor
Duluth Mayor Don Ness will back R.T. Rybak for governor this morning.
The Minneapolis Police Relief Association Political Fund and the Minneapolis Firefighters Relief Association Political Fund issues a lit piece ripping Rybak over pension issues. It appears that they got access to the DFL lists.
Here's a copy of the lit piece.
One week after taking few questions from reporters, Democrat Mark Dayton held a wide-open q and a with reporters. He discussed his tax policy, his expansion of gambling and where he stands on the endorsement. The Star Tribune, MPR, AP and Forum Communications have stories.
Here's video of Dayton's newser.
Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau is backing Tom Emmer for governor.
Here's video of Molnau's newser.
Congress
President Obama will seek a three-year federal spending freeze and promises more help for the middle class.
Democratic leaders begin to coalesce around the health care bill.
A new poll says most Americans applaud the Democrats losing their supermajority.
The Pay Czar is going after AIG.
The 2010 Census begins in Alaska.
The Transportation Secretary was in Minnesota on Monday and announced three more train stations on the Central Corridor line. DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar and DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar are mentioned. DFL Reps. Betty McCollum and Keith Ellison also attended the announcement.
A group calls the extra stops on the Central Corridor line "an incomplete victory."
DFL Sen. Al Franken wants to use $10 billion in bank bailout money for wage subsidies for small businesses and government contractors.
Local lawyers representing some Gitmo detainees say they see big changes. GOP Rep. John Kline is mentioned.
DFL Rep. Betty McCollum's former press aide is helping with Haiti efforts.
McCollum and DFL Reps. Collin Peterson, Jim Oberstar and Tim Walz want more federal money for Indian schools.
GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann call for "new ground rules" in the health care debate.
Here's video of Bachmann's newser.
Bachmann is headed to California this week and St. Louis next week.
Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter apologized to Bachmann.
Pawlenty for Prez Watch
ABC News creates a cheat sheet of the 12 candidates who could run in 2012. Here's the pro and con on Pawlenty:
Pro: The Minnesota governor is packaging himself as a conservative who managed to win and govern in a state which has produced such well-known liberals as Eugene McCarthy, Hubert Humphrey, Walter Mondale, Paul Wellstone and Al Franken. "If I can do it in Minnesota, we can do it elsewhere," he likes to say. Pawlenty, who has talked about the GOP as being "the Party of Sam's Club," is the personable son of a truck driver who is good at portraying the GOP as the party which delivers a better value than the Democrats. Pawlenty was as active as anyone in 2009. He has hired a large and experienced staff and he is not seeking re-election this year so that he can campaign full-time for president if he makes the final decision to move forward with a White House run.
Con: Pawlenty's weakness is that he does not enjoy Romney's personal wealth and he is overshadowed by Palin's star power. He also came under scrutiny last year when Dan Balz of the Washington Post characterized his moves to the right as being "Romneyesque."