The Daily Digest (House approves same-sex marriage, farm bill, immigration bill markup begins)

In Minnesota

Minnesota is on its way to becoming the 12th state in the union to approve of same-sex marriage. Four Republicans joined all but two Democrats to pass same-sex marriage legislation in the House on Thursday. The Senate will likely take up the bill on Monday.

Some legislators are already preparing for the political fallout from their votes.

Lawmakers have approved a bill that would prohibit employers from asking job applicants to disclose past criminal records in the early stages of the application process.

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Secretary of State Mark Ritchie says a Census Bureau report suggesting that Minnesota no longer had the highest voter turnout in the country is wrong.

Many proposed frac sand mines would be prohibited because they fall within a mile of a trout stream or spring.

In Washington/National Politics

The Senate Judiciary Committee began what's likely to be a several week-long markup of the immigration bill. The panel adopted several GOP amendments on border security and senators from both parties beat back attempts to add 'poison pill' amendments to the legislation.

House Republicans passed a bill to pay creditors first if the debt ceiling isn't raised. The bill is going nowhere in the Senate and Democrats are calling the legislation a "pay China first" bill.

The Senate is likely to pass a water bill next week that would authorize a massive flood control project in the Fargo-Moorhead area.

Republican Congressman John Kline and the Obama Administration have an agreement on how to prevent student loan interest rates from rising later this year.

Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar was among a group of lawmakers at a White House meeting yesterday to discuss how to address sexual assault in the military.

Democratic and Republican House campaign committees step up their targeting of Minnesota seats but it's not clear how their announcements Thursday differ from past declarations.

Republicans boycotted a Senate committee hearing to consider President Obama's nominee to head the EPA to deny that committee a quorum and slow down the nomination.

The Senate Agriculture Committee released a draft farm bill that it will mark up next week. Agriculture leaders in the House are likely to release their draft as soon as today and also hold a mark up next week.

America may be a politically polarized country these days but Republicans and Democrats alike agree on this: Justin Bieber is annoying.