The Daily Digest (Legislative auditor raps Dayton political travel, Polymet hearings)
Good morning! Due to the Martin Luther King Day holiday, there will be no digest on Monday, Jan. 20.
In Minnesota
A new report from the Minnesota Legislative Auditor says Gov. Mark Dayton violated state law when a campaign aide traveled with him on the state airplane for political travel. The auditor said the governor’s use of the state airplane for political travel should be specifically authorized or prohibited in state law, with a clear requirement for reimbursement. (MPR News)
The first public hearing on what could be Minnesota's first copper-nickel mine drew some 1,300 people to Duluth on Thursday to rally for jobs, ask questions and poke holes in the 2,200-page environmental study that must pass muster before the project can go forward. (MPR News)
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One of the most seasoned and experienced House Republican staffers is leaving her post next month. House GOP executive director Chas Anderson notified staff on Wednesday that “it is time for me to personally pursue other professional opportunities.” (Star Tribune)
A lawyer who conducted pro bono legal work for Gov. Dayton during the 2011 state government shutdown was actually paid $77,000 for his services. (Star Tribune)
In Congress/National Politics
A landmark $1.1 trillion spending bill cleared Congress Thursday evening after conservative resistance collapsed in the Senate and tea party favorite Ted Cruz dropped his insistence on a vote on funding for President Barack Obama’s health care plan. (Politico)
Obama will deliver a speech today outlining a series of changes to the National Security Agency designed to quell recent criticism over the agency's policies. (New York Times)
DFL U.S. Sen Al Franken spoke with MPR's Tom Crann about a recent federal court decision on net neutrality, the National Security Agency and Polymet. (MPR News)
Both chambers of Congress are preparing to hold hearings next month about the theft of sensitive consumer data from Target Corp. (MPR News)
Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn will retire early from the Senate at the end of 2014 and it appears that his frustration with gridlock is one reason. (Washington Post)
Worst headline of the day: "Farm Bill Prospects Grow with Mooovement on Dairy Program" (National Journal)
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