The Daily Digest: vacation’s over
Good morning and welcome to 2015! There's lots of news to catch up on.
In Minnesota
DFL Gov. Mark Dayton will be sworn in for his second term today. Don't expect it or the inaugural parties to be fashion-forward events. (MPR News)
The legislative session also gets underway this week. Here's a look at the nine key issues lawmakers will face. (MPR News)
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Among the issues is a projected $1 billion budget surplus that has many state lawmakers looking for ways to return some of that money to taxpayers. (MPR News)
Transportation funding is also high on the list. (MPR News and Star Tribune)
But with Republicans in charge of the state House and Democrats in charge of the state Senate and executive branch, will the parties cooperate? (MPR News & Pioneer Press)
Despite divided government, Dayton has an ambitious agenda he's hoping to get through the Legislature -- and he has no qualms about being blunt. (Star Tribune)
A series of hearings this week will gather public opinions on a proposed pipeline that would increase the amount of oil flowing across Minnesota by 225,000 barrels a day. (MPR News)
National Politics
The new Congress gets sworn in Tuesday. Despite losing seats in both chambers, Minnesota Democrats are surprisingly optimistic about what they can accomplish in 2015. (MPR News)
Guess what? The word "cliff" is about to re-enter the national political vocabulary as the new Republican-controlled Congress faces a series of looming deadlines. (Politico)
Republicans say they will quickly advance energy and health care legislation that stalled in the Democratic-controlled Senate as they try to make good on claims, and address doubts, that they can govern effectively. (New York Times)
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee becomes the latest Republican to signal that he's running for President in 2016. (Politico)