Daily Digest: Here comes another budget fight

Good morning, and welcome to Thursday. I have been somewhat lacking lately in witty remarks to kick off the Digest, and I see no reason to change that this morning. So here we go.

1. We knew it was coming to this, but now that majority Democrats in the Minnesota Senate have released an outline of their plans for the state's $900 million surplus, it's clear they have a big disagreement with Republicans who control the House. A big question is whether they can reach an agreement before the session ends on May 23. They certainly couldn't last year during a much longer session. (MPR News)

2. One area where Republicans and Democrats disagree is on expanding broadband internet access in rural Minnesota. Republicans want to spend $35 million over the next two years while Senate Democrats want $85 million and Gov. Dayton has called for $100 million. (MPR News)

3. National and local groups plan to file a lawsuit today alleging that state laws protect public school teachers at the expense of students because they keep ineffective teachers in the classroom. The groups say Minnesota's teacher tenure law unfairly protects those who have been on the job the longest and that the system is contributing to the racial achievement gap. The state education commissioner is defending the law and the head of the teachers' union calls the suit an attack on working people. (Star Tribune)

4. As a federal appeals court heard arguments this week about the future of Minnesota Sex Offender Program, another panel of judges is considering whether to release another person from the program. Cases involving people who never committed offenses as adults raise many troubling questions. (MinnPost)

5. It looks like Donald Trump's campaign manager won't be prosecuted for battery after all. A prosecutor in Florida is expected to announce this afternoon that no charges will be pursued against Corey Lewandowski for allegedly grabbing the arm of a former reporter at a Trump campaign event. The reporter had filed a police report, and Lewandowski was initially charged with a misdemeanor. (Politico)

 

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