The Daily Digest ($288m in requests to DEED, Dayton to talk special session with leaders, House moves to repeal health law)
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development says 90 communities are requesting a total of $288 million from an economic development fund.That's more than six times what's available in the fund. DEED's commissioner says he hopes to reach a decision on the fund by late August.
You can read the list of requests here.
Gov. Dayton is scheduled to meet with legislative leaders today to discuss a special session for flooding in northeastern Minnesota. Dayton is also offering help to the Sartell mill in the special session.
The latest economic update offers good news and bad news for state policy makers. The good news is that state revenues are better than projected. The bad news is that economic growth is slower than projected.
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Dayton says MN is moving forward with the health insurance exchange.
Session Weekly will end in print form.
Congress
President Obama will meet with Democratic leaders today to talk about the extension of the Bush era tax cuts and job creation policies.
House Republicans launch an all-out assault on the federal health care law but aren't offering any alternatives to replace it.
GOP Rep. John Kline led some of the efforts to repeal the law. DFL Rep. Keith Ellison moved to adjourn the House to protest the vote. The efforts to repeal the law won't go anywhere since the Senate and the White House oppose the repeal of the law.
The Washington Post says Republican Mitt Romney would have a tough time trying to repeal the law if he's elected POTUS.
In 2009, Americans paid the lowest tax rates in 30 years to the federal government.
Senate Democrats want tax cuts for businesses that hire.
The U.S. House passed a bill that would make it easier for veterans to find jobs using skills acquired through military training. DFL Rep. Tim Walz co-sponsored the legislatoin.
Attorney General Eric Holder revs up the NAACP meeting by saying Voter ID laws will disenfranchise voters.
Bachmann says the Muslim Brotherhood has made "deep penetration" within the U.S. government and wants an investigation. DFL Rep. Keith Ellison said Bachmann should refer the information to the proper authorities if she has it or not be "whipping up fear and hysteria."
GOP Rep. Erik Paulsen talked taxes on CNN. A spokesman for Paulsen didn't return a message identifying the Minnesota business owner Paulsen mentioned.
The Army will pull out of NASCAR at the end of the season. DFL Rep. Betty McCollum has been pushing to repeal military sponsorship of sports.
Race for U.S. Senate
Republican Kurt Bills will appear on Bill Bennett's "Morning in America" radio show this morning.
Race for Congress
Republican Allen Quist will spend $100,000 on TV advertising between now and the August primary.
Campaign 2012
Best Buy terminates its membership with ALEC.
The Wall St. Journal says political spending by unions far exceeds direct donations.
Race for President
In Iowa, President Obama is trying to put a middle-class face on the tax fight.
Obama's campaign also criticized Mitt Romney on his private finances and tax returns. Vice President Joe Biden told the National Council of La Raza that "Mitt Romney wants you to show your papers, but he won't show us his."
Mitt Romney criticized President Obama on outsourcing.
Romney speaks to the NAACP today.
A Reuters/IPSOS poll and a Quinnipiac poll show Obama leading Romney. A CNN poll has it as a dead heat.
Romney may pick his running mate early
Roll Call has a look at the income sources for Romney's potential running mates.