The Daily Digest

The Legislative Commission on Planning and Fiscal Policy holds a hearing today to focus on Gov. Dayton's budget. The group of mostly GOP lawmakers wants Gov. Dayton's commissioners to detail Dayton's proposed cuts and his tax plan. The big question is why lawmakers are holding the hearing now instead of during the legislative session.

The meeting comes at a time when the GOP is trying to sell a position that they have compromised by spending more in tax revenues than the current budget cycle. But as MPR points out, they aren't telling the entire story regarding the budget because they leave out the spending obligations paid for by the K12 shift and the federal stimulus.

The New York Times says tax collections aren't keeping with states' fiscal needs.

GOP Rep. Keith Downey faced down some of his critics at a town hall meeting on Wednesday night.

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An ad war starts over the state budget. The Alliance for a Better Minnesota targets twelve state lawmakers who oppose Dayton's budget. A business backed group started running newspaper ads thanking lawmakers for not increasing spending.

Campaign Finance Board ruling

The Minnesota Campaign Finance Board fined an alleged felon who can't be found.

Poll

A Public Policy Polling survey finds that Minnesotans don't want Pawlenty or Bachmann to run for the White House, give Gov. Dayton a 51% approval rate, are narrowly opposed to a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, give GOP lawmakers a 58% disapproval rate, give DFL lawmakers a 45% disapproval rate and support Dayton's plan to tax top earners (63%).

Vikings Stadium

The Vikings are still working with lawmakers on the stadium bill.

4-day school week

Another school district wants to go to a 4-day school week to save money.

Under the Dome

Attorney General Lori Swanson is aiming to end tiered rates at CenterPoint.

Congress

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will be in Minnesota today.

Google says Chinese hackers targeted the e-mail accounts of senior U.S. officials.

House Republicans pressed President Obama on spending cuts and Medicare.

Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-NY, won't say whether a twitter photo is him.

Stock Market

Stocks dropped sharply after several reports disappointed investors.

Race for President

Mitt Romney officially enters the race today.

The New York Times says employment data may be the key to President Obama's job.

Sarah Palin is in New Hampshire today.

The Wall St. Journal takes a look at the budget problems Tim Pawlenty left the state of Minnesota.

The New York Times says Pawlenty is working to build a grass roots base in Iowa.

Tim Pawlenty and Michele Bachmann are scheduled to speak Friday at an event in Washington D.C.

Politico looks at the often cool relationship between Pawlenty and Bachmann.

Pawlenty campaigned in Council Bluffs, Iowa on Wednesday and continued to talk tough on the debt ceiling.

The PoliGraph says a DNC ad distorts Pawlenty's comments.

Pawlenty hired the niece of Ovid Lamontagne to be his office manager in New Hampshire. Lamontagne is a conservative king maker in that state.

Time says several of the candidates, including Tim Pawlenty, have indicated support for a health insurance mandate.

The National Review says Pawlenty says he never supported it.

Bachmann is getting ready to run. Bachmann's Chief of Staff is leaving his position to accept a new position with her.