The Daily Digest
Voter ID leads the Digest today. The Minnesota Senate takes up a bill requiring people to show photo identification in order to vote. Supporters of the measure say they hope Gov. Dayton will sign the bill. But they have back-up plans in case of a veto.
Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake, wants to amend the state's constitution to require people to present photo identification to vote.
Kiffmeyer's move comes one day after an amendment to define marriage as between a man and a woman was introduced in the Minnesota Senate.
Senate Republicans will tout today as "lawsuit reform" day at the State Capitol.
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The House Public Safety Committee will feature gun rights legislation in committee. On Wednesday, lawmakers in that committee debates the police role in enforcing immigration laws.
All of these policy issues surface at a time when the state is facing a $5 billion budget deficit. GOP legislative leaders bragged about how fast they released and passed their respective budgets. Now they're defending how slow they're taking in getting them to Gov. Dayton.
The Star Tribune takes a look at the impact of the proposed cuts to the Department of Corrections.
A bill to curb the Met Council moves forward.
Tidbit: Gov. Dayton received praise for mingling with Pheasants Forever, The Minnesota Deer Hunters Association and other hunting and fishing groups. Several praised him for the job he was doing as governor. The so-called Hook and Bullet crowd usually aligns themselves more with Republicans.
Congress
President Obama released his full birth certificate on Wednesday. He released the document to put greater focus on the budget. He called criticism that he wasn't born in the United States "silliness." The release created even more media hysteria.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs says Apple executives will likely testify at DFL Sen. Al Franken's hearing on the IPhone.
Apple blamed the tracking software on a "bug." It said a software update will fix it.
CIA Director Leon Panetta was hired to be Secretary of Defense.
General David Petreaus was hired to be CIA director.
Race for U.S. Senate
The PoliGraph says DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar got a claim about renewable energy wrong.
Race for President
Tim Pawlenty and Michele Bachmann will be in New Hampshire this weekend.
Pawlenty campaigned in Illinois on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, Pawlenty criticized Donald Trump for making an accusation without having the proof to back it up.
Trump was in New Hampshire on Thursday. He got fact-checked and it ain't pretty.
Tidbit: A new website, designed by political consultant Ben Golnik, aims to capture Minnesota's political traffic.
Tweet of the Day
"Donald Trump is a waste of oxygen. Tell this clown 2 get hair plugs. Maybe it will keep what little brains he has left inside his skull."
- Rep. Pat Garofalo, R-Farmington, not holding back his feelings about Trump and the constant media coverage he's getting.