The Daily Digest
Senate Republicans released a Health and Human Services budget bill that dramatically changes how low income people receive health care, cuts funding to nursing homes and cuts tens of millions of dollars in tobacco prevention, HIV prevention and mental illness treatment. Lobbyists for hospitals and nursing homes were downright shocked at the proposal. The proposal also relies heavily on approval from the federal government which is guarantee.
The House Health and Human Services committee also got an earful on their proposal.
Dayton's commissioners are taking issue with both HHS proposals.
Gov. Dayton ordered more disclosure from health plans.
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Expect Gov. Dayton to come out strong in favor of Local Government Aid during a speech to city leaders today.
GOP Sen. Julianne Ortman and DFL Sen. John Marty will talk about the Senate Tax bill on MPR's Midday at 11am.
The Senate tax bill that slashes local government aid. It also gives cities the option of raising a sales tax to increase funding. What's notable about the bill is that it also doesn't include a reduction in the corporate tax - a key "jobs" item put forward from GOP leaders.
Republicans in the Senate are taking issue with claims that 26 parks could close under the Environment and Natural Resources budget bill.
Republicans in the House backed off a plan to use metro sales tax money pegged for new rail projects to existing bus operations.
The House Ways and Means Committee also increased the budget target for the State Government Finance budget bill.
An anti-cloning amendment made it into the Senate Higher Education budget bill.
Gov. Dayton visited a business in Faribault.
State lawmakers consider bonding for flood relief.
Remember those cries that Hutchinson Technology was shifting jobs from Minnesota to Wisconsin? Well, there are layoffs in Wisconsin now too.
Congress
Fears grow of a humanitarian crisis in Libya.
House Speaker John Boehner presses President Obama on the Libya mission.
The European debt crisis may spike as Portugal deals with debt problems.
A report says $4.8 billion in earmarks have not been touched yet by Congress.
The Tea Party is scheduled to hold a rally to highlight disappointment with the House GOP.
DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar will hold flood preparation meetings in St. Paul, Chaska, Carver and Delano today.
The PoliGraph says DFL Sen. Al Franken's claims on oil companies are in the ballpark.
President Obama and Republicans in Congress are at odds over how to revamp the No Child Left Behind Law. GOP Rep. John Kline is mentioned.
DFL Rep. Betty McCollum visited the U of M's campus on the anniversary of the federal health care law.
Japan
Tokyo's tap water is unfit for infants because of increased radiation levels.
Race for President
GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann wooed Iowa voters at an event for Homeshoolers.
Tim Pawlenty will be in Iowa next month.
Gallup says Pawlenty is starting the race with 41% name recognition.
The Fix lists reasons why Pawlenty won't win the nomination.
Pawlenty and Bachmann both bought top-level tables at a GOP event in New Hampshire.
Politico takes a look at how the 2012 candidates are helping raise money for state parties. MNGOP Chair says fundraisers by Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich were needed at the end of the 2010 election.
"They came in late and man, we really needed it," Sutton said in an interview. "We were really hurting."
There may be some GOP anxiety over the current crop of candidates.
The New York Times discusses Pawlenty's use of web video.