The Daily Digest: Spending and tax cuts risky for GOP?
Good morning!
In Minnesota
House Republicans haven't released the details of their tax bill yet, but the push to cut taxes with the surplus is putting many vulnerable Republican House members in a tough spot with voters and groups who wonder why they're cutting spending to some popular programs in rosy budget times. (MPR News)
Republicans are using their budget bills to try to strip power from Gov. Mark Dayton. (AP via Star Tribune)
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Due to clerical errors, House Republicans had to do some last minute revisions to their Health and Human Services spending bill for the coming biennium. Instead of cutting about $1 billion, the new total is about $1.2 billion in cuts over two years. (MPR News)
A speedier process for getting pollution permits in Minnesota is so far getting good reviews from both business and environmental groups. (Pioneer Press)
Dayton again pushed for universal preschool over the weekend. (Star Tribune)
A DFL state senator wants to restrict public access to parental contact information listed on birth certificates. Supporters of the measure say it’s aimed at protecting parents from being bombarded with mailings after the birth of a child. (MPR News)
Oil trains traveling through urban areas will have to slow down under a new federal emergency order. (AP via MPR News)
National Politics
Republican presidential candidates were in New Hampshire over the weekend wooing conservative voters in an important primary states. (NPR)
For the first time in years, the amount of money is politics seems to be an issue presidential candidates are hearing about as they campaign. (Washington Post)
A group founded by former Sen. Norm Coleman that's mostly been used to attack Democrats at election time is now spending millions to boost congressional Republicans who support their party's leadership more than 18 months ahead of election time. (MPR News)
2nd District U.S. Rep. John Kline has had a rough go of it in the first 100 days of the new Congress. (Star Tribune)
6th District U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer traveled to Africa recently and said the trip was eye-opening about the role of foreign aid. (Star Tribune)
Expect to hear more about this story: an investigation by the New York Times into the military health care system finds serious lapses. (New York Times)