The Daily Digest
It's the Martin Luther King Holiday today so the Legislature will have no meetings.
There are several events scheduled today to honor King's legacy. Newark Mayor Cory Booker will speak at the MLK Prayer Breakfast in Minneapolis. Gov. Dayton will also be in attendance.
Gov. Dayton sent a letter to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker asking the state to pay up regarding tax reciprocity.
Dayton appointed Ramona Dohman, the Maple Grove Police Chief, to be his Public Safety Commissioner.
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Dayton picked Ted Mondale to head the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission. Mondale says this is the year to replace the Metrodome.
The Pi Press profiles GOP Rep. John Kriesel.
$131 million in funding for state roads is in limbo.
Dayton will be at an ice fishing event in Brainerd on January 22nd.
While the state struggles, Legacy money is flowing.
Snowplow drivers in Virginia didn't show up for work on Saturday morning. A strike notice has been filed for Wednesday.
PIM says Republicans are weighing ballots pushes.
Redistricting
A lawsuit is filed in federal district court that asks for the court to be prepared to draw the maps.
Congress
Chinese President Hu Jintao will visit Washington this week.
In a move that surprised foreign diplomats and officials in Haiti, Baby Doe Duvalier returns to Haiti.
The condition of Gabrielle Giffords has been upgraded from critical to serious.
The parties are trying to make political profit from the Arizona shooting.
DFL Rep. Tim Walz and DFL Rep. Keith Ellison held Congress on the Corner events on Friday.
Ellison was in San Francisco over the weekend.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan will be in Minnesota on Friday. He'll speak to the MN Chamber of Commerce and will tour a school with GOP Rep. John Kline.
The New York Times has a fascinating look at the efforts to successfully deliver a computer worm to Iran's nuclear program. The initiative set back Iran's nuclear program.
DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar wants bipartisan seating at the State of the Union.
Klobuchar also wants to end the bogus tax refunds to prisoners.
Klobuchar holds an innovation summit at the U of M tomorrow.
DFL Sen. Al Franken says he's pushing to make Minnesota a biotech center.
GOP Rep. Chip Cravaack says he's considering opening an office in northern Minnesota. He only has an office in North Branch.
Pawlenty for Prez Watch
Gov. Pawlenty has a private "friends and family" book signing tonight in South St. Paul. The event is limited to those campaign officials and supporters who have been with him since 2002 and earlier. Those attending were asked to buy 15 books.
Pawlenty will have a public book signing tomorrow in Woodbury.
Pawlenty was on Fox News Sunday yesterday and was challenged on several issues. He was asked about his support for the cigarette tax in 2005, the fact that he left the state with a $6.2 billion budget deficit and his defense for TARP (while speaking for McCain). Pawlenty also said he opposes raising the debt ceiling and said he needs to do well in Iowa.
Pawlenty also wants Congress to pass legislation that would require the federal government's bills as revenue comes in. He says that will fix the debt ceiling.
On Friday, Pawlenty signed books in Florida.
He also spoke to the Hispanic Leadership Conference. Politico says he offered few views on immigration.
Gail Collins gives the Cliff Notes version of his book and it isn't complimentary.
A writer for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer takes a look at some of Pawlenty's health care ideas and says they aren't new and haven't worked in the real world.
Bachmann for Prez Watch
GOP Rep. Michele Bachmnann travels to Iowa on Friday. She'll be getting a lot more attention with this trip than other national appearances she's made.
Bachmann cites her social media presence as one of the accomplishments of her second term.
The Wall St. Journal considers Bachmann a "dark horse candidate."