The Daily Digest (GOP leaders want Tax bill for stadium, Dayton vetoes fireworks bill, GOP divided on the stadium)
Today is the self-imposed deadline to adjourn and lawmakers are hinting that they're going to break the deadline. It's likely that GOP leaders will blow past their self-imposed deadline to adjourn tonight. The constitutional deadline to adjourn is May 21.
Sunday was quiet at the Capitol.
The move came after DFL House Minority Leader Paul Thissen says he'd put up half the votes to pass the Vikings stadium. Thissen, Gov. Dayton and Senate Minority Leader Tom Bakk held a Saturday afternoon news conference to call on GOP House Speaker Kurt Zellers to hold a vote on the stadium bill.
Zellers refused to hold the vote because he said supporters told him the votes weren't there. Lobbyists for the Vikings say they have the votes.
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Zellers and GOP Senate Majority Leader Dave Senjem now say the Vikings stadium vote is contingent on a Tax bill. The comments from Senjem are particularly interesting since he said on Friday night that the stadium vote would have been on Sunday. Senjem made his initial comments after the Senate Tax Committee approved the stadium bill on Friday night.
MPR says the Vikings stadium issue has divided Republicans in the Legislature.
The AP has an q and a on the financing of the Vikings stadium bill.
The joint House/Senate Tax Conference Committee passed an omnibus tax bill. The measure provides mostly business tax cuts. The initial conference committee report posted Sunday afternoon said it would rely on the surplus from the November forecast but the report was changed last night to say they were taking $43 million from the health care settlement with UCare. GOP Sen. Julianne Ortman said the change was technical and made at the request of nonpartisan research. She said using the UCare donation would keep the state's budget balanced before the November forecast. She also said the bill would put the payment of any surplus from the November forecast in front of paying back the K12 shift (which is already in law).
Republicans are fighting with Democrats over the size and shape of the bonding bill. Democrats are arguing that funding for civic centers and the Southwest LRT. Republicans don't support that idea.
Capitol restoration efforts are falling apart.
Gov. Dayton vetoed the fireworks bill.
Gov. Dayton signed a bill into law that changes how 2.5 million acres of northern Minnesota land is managed.
State lawmakers passed on the early fishing opener. They passed the Game and Fish bill and sent it to Gov. Dayton.
MinnPost says there are questions as to who is in charge of the Senate GOP caucus.
Under the Dome
Deep muck raises the cost of the St. Croix Bridge.
The State Board of Investment wants lobbying transparency at 3M.
Congress
The House is hopeful about passing a cybersecurity bill.
A sticking point for the Obama Administration has been the mounting job losses in the public sector.
The Star Tribune says efforts to curb milk production to keep milk prices stable has set off a political fight.
DFL Sen. Al Franken says he won't let anti-bullying legislation languish in the Senate.
GOP Rep. Chip Cravaack wants a full investigation into the Secret Service scandal but warned against a knee-jerk reaction.
GOP Rep. John Kline comments about the decision by the House to pass the student loan bill.
Democrats Tim Walz and Collin Peterson voted for the bill.
The DFL claim on student loans is inflated.
Party Politics
The Star Tribune says there is a dispute over the listed CEOs of the group that was created to pay for Tom Emmer's recount
Race for U.S. Senate
The three GOP candidates for Senate spoke at the anti-tax rally at the State Capitol.
You can listen to Pete Hegseth's speech here:
You can listen to Kurt Bills' speech here:
You can listen to Dan Severson's speech here:
Severson's campaign announced that political consultant Dick Morris is backing his campaign.
Race for Congress
Democrat Mike Obermueller won the DFL endorsement to challenge GOP Rep. John Kline.
Republicans in the 1st District are still trying to figure out whether to meet again to endorse a candidate to challenge DFL Rep. Tim Walz.
Race for President
Former President Bill Clinton is ramping up his efforts to reelect President Obama.
Top surrogates for Mr. Obama and Mitt Romney used the one year anniversary of the death of Osama Bin Laden to sharpen their political talking points.
The Fix says Mitt Romney has a narrow path to victory.
Herman Cain spoke at the anti-tax rally in St. Paul. He told reporters that he'll back Mitt Romney in the general election.
Young Republicans are ready for the campaign.
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