The Daily Digest: Dayton sells gas tax plan
Good morning!
In Minnesota
DFL Gov. Mark Dayton's plan to raise gas taxes to fund transportation spending got a cool reception from Minnesota business leaders. (Pioneer Press)
Dayton announced that Mark Phillips is his choice for Commissioner of the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board. (MPR News)
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He'll face a potential fight over who controls as much as $100 million the state agency wants to squirrel away in a nonprofit. (Star Tribune)
The fight over Sunday liquor sales will return to the Minnesota Legislature this year. (MPR News)
Minnesota's health insurance exchange will receive up to $34 million from the federal government to accelerate software development and improve consumer assistance. (MPR News)
A trio of Minnesota political veterans, including former House Speaker Kurt Zellers, are teaming up to form a new St. Paul consulting firm specializing in government and public relations. (Star Tribune)
National Politics
President Barack Obama fiercely defended the virtues of free expression following a shooting spree at a Paris satirical publication Wednesday. (Politico)
House Republicans began the new Congress with old divisions on display, bitter fallout from a failed rebellion against Speaker John Boehner. (AP via Pioneer Press)
Speaker John Boehner and the House Republicans are planning to try to choke off President Barack Obama’s immigration executive action next week, according to multiple GOP leadership aides involved in the talks. (Politico)
Top Senate Democrats, newly demoted to minority status, are showing little sign of cooperating with Republicans. (New York Times)
Congressman Erik Paulsen makes his third go at repealing the medical device tax. (MPR News)