The Daily Digest
With three days to go until the constitutional deadline for the Legislature to finish its work, Dayton and GOP legislative leaders remain hopeful a budget deal can be reached. The Legislature is sending the $33.9 billion budget to Dayton for an all but certain veto. Dayton hasn't received the budget bills yet so he has until Tuesday to act on the bills.
Tidbit: Dayton meets with GOP legislative leaders this morning at 8am. He will also meet with the chairs of the K12 and State Government committees.
Advocates for the disabled are upset with proposed budget cuts in that area.
Mayors of Minneapolis, St. Paul and Duluth warn of drastic cuts to LGA.
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Environmental groups say Republicans used money from the Legacy Amendment to backfill the Environment budget bill. Even with that money, there are deep reductions to that area.
Public employee unions are preparing their members for a shutdown.
Constitutional Amendment to ban Same Sex Marriage
House GOP leaders are mum on when they intend to hold the vote on a Constitutional Amendment to ban same sex marriage. MPR reports that one reason is because there internal debate in the caucus as to whether the vote should be held before they finish their work on the state budget.
Tidbit: There are more and more GOP members who are growing uneasy about the issue but will vote for it in the end.
Tidbit2: Expect Democrats to trash GOP legislative leaders on Tuesday for having misplaced priorities if the same sex marriage amendment is on the ballot and a budget isn't close to being signed into law.
Vikings
The Vikings Stadium language is in the hands of lawmakers.
Redistricting
Gov. Dayton vetoed the redistricting bill because he said the GOP map was drawn with the purpose of protecting Republicans.
Abortion
The Minnesota House approved new limits on abortion. The Senate has to take up the measures before it reaches Dayton's desk.
Under the Dome
Gov. Dayton signed a bill into law that requires CPR training for teachers and staff at day care centers.
Tidbit: Next year's session will start on January 24th.
Congress
President Obama says the status quo in the Middle East is unsustainable. He also urged Israel to reach a peace deal with Palestinians. Israel's president criticized the speech.
The Red Bulls are going overseas again. MPR takes a look at why the National Guard unit that served the longest tour of any combat unit in Iraq is headed back there.
Health insurers lose their push to ease the health law's price review.
DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar says she intends to visit the mother of the detained U.S. hiker held in Iran.
GOP Rep. John Kline is concerned about the results released in the Massey mine disaster report.
AP says the No Child Left Behind fix is lagging in Congress. Kline is mentioned.
DFL Rep. Keith Ellison wants President Obama to offer Elizabeth Warren a recess appointment.
GOP Rep. Chip Cravaack defended his budget vote during a town hall in Cambridge.
Race for President
A SuperPAC aligned with Democrats started running an ad in South Carolina criticizing Mitt Romney.
USA Today says GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann rivals President Obama when it comes to small donor contributions.
Bachmann and Tim Pawlenty both react to President Obama's speech on the Middle East.
Time writes a profile of Pawlenty. The biggest news for Pawlenty watchers is that Charlie Weaver says Bachmann will be "a pain in the ass in Iowa" for Pawlenty.
The Hill writes that Pawlenty is trying to balance the line of not embracing GOP proposals out of Congress but not completely trashing their either.