The Daily Digest: Budget forecast, immigration fight
Good morning!
In Minnesota
Gov. Mark Dayton expects to have some extra money to work with next year, but he’s not yet willing to say what he might propose spending it on. (MPR News)
Dayton is braced for a repeat struggle over the Minnesota Lottery and said Tuesday that its director faces a challenge in trying to preserve online ticket sales that many lawmakers want to outlaw. (AP via Pioneer Press)
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
A deep dive into the background and thinking of Kurt Daudt, the incoming Speaker of the Minnesota House. (MinnPost)
The state's chief IT officer is stepping down. (MPR News)
Federal prosecutors on Tuesday charged a third person as part of an investigation into a possible pipeline between Minnesota and radical groups in Syria. (MPR News)
National Politics
President Obama appears set to pick Ashton Carter, a defense policy expert, as his new Secretary of Defense. (Washington Post)
House Republicans are trying to step back from a potential government shutdown over Obama's recent executive order on immigration. (Washington Post)
But Republicans might need Democratic votes to keep the lights on. (Politico)
Businesses are worried about another round of economic uncertainty as the new Republican Congress squares off with the Obama Administration. (New York Times)
Incoming U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer will serve on the Agriculture and Foreign Affairs Committees in the U.S. House, his campaign announced. That makes the House Ag Committee a very popular place for Minnesota lawmakers - Democrats Collin Peterson, Tim Walz and Rick Nolan also have seats on the panel. (Star Tribune)
And...a genuine Minnesota spruce tree is this year's U.S. Capitol Christmas tree. (MPR News)