The Daily Digest

It will be a quiet day at the Minnesota Capitol as lawmakers head to a retreat at the University of Minnesota

Gov. Dayton will be in Minnesota but has no public events scheduled.

On Tuesday, Gov. Dayton started a listening tour by visiting Thief River Falls, Roseau and Hallock.

A panel in the Minnesota House approved a bill to lift the ban on new nuclear power plants in Minnesota.

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The state's teachers union offers a compromise on a school improvement plan but the chair of the House Education Reform Committee says part of the plan looks like "the teacher's Gestapo."

Minnesota is still waiting for a payment from the state of Wisconsin.

The MNGOP Elephant Club will host a luncheon today featuring Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch and House Majority Leader Matt Dean.

TPT's Almanac at the Capitol will feature GOP House Speaker Kurt Zellers and DFL Minority Leader Paul Thissen tonight.

MPR gets reaction to DFL Rep. Tony Sertich's appointment to Iron Range Resources.

The DNR says millions of dollars are needed to pay for land it already owns.

Gov. Dayton appointed Matt Massman, chief fiscal analyst for the MN Senate, to be Assisstant Commissioner for tax policy at the Department of Revenue.

Congress

The State of the Union is scheduled for 1/25.

The U.S. Supreme Court dealt a blow to the Mayo Clinic when it ruled Tuesday that medical residents should be considered employees when it comes to collecting Social Security taxes.

DFL Sen. Al Franken was in northwest Minnesota to tout jobs and the economy.

Rep. Erik Paulsen will speak at the bipartisan Congressional prayer service for the victims of the shooting in Tucson over the weekend.

DFL Rep. Keith Ellison will hold a Congress on the Corner event.

Pawlenty for Prez Watch

Tim Pawlenty went on an all out media blitz on Tuesday. He appeared on CBS, The View and Good Morning America.

Pawlenty also said he wants members of Congress to do their taxes themselves so they know how difficult it is.

Some of Pawlenty's talking points were thrown off because of the Arizona shooting. Pawlenty said Palin's crosshairs would not have been his style.

The Washington Post wonders whether Pawlenty can light a fire with the GOP base.

AP does a write-thru about Pawlenty's appearances.

Pawlenty is on Morning Joe this morning and will appear on The Daily Show tonight.

The LA Times takes a look at the activists who attend the Iowa Caucuses. The story features an activist Pawlenty stood up and has been working to make amends with ever since.

Sarah Palin released a video to discuss the Arizona tragedy.

Bachmann for Prez Watch

Tarryl Clark, GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann's opponent, targets Bachmann in an e-mail solicitation.