Daily Digest (Dayton surgery, Senate building, tax collections up)
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Hello and welcome to Tuesday. Here's your Digest:
Minnesota:
A spokesman for Gov. Mark Dayton said his hip surgery went well, and the governor was resting comfortably yesterday. He's still at the Mayo Clinic today, but Dayton will spend time at the governor's residence recuperating.
State Sen. Dave Thompson seems to be targeting former Rep. Marty Seifert as the two compete with other candidates for the GOP nomination for governor. An analysis released by Thompson's campaign Monday includes this conclusion: that Thompson and Seifert have emerged as the top two candidates vying for the GOP Endorsement in May, and that while Seifert received more straw poll votes on Tuesday, the makeup of the electorate and the distribution of delegates tilts the board slightly in Thompson’s favor.
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Any delay in a decision to fund a new office building for Minnesota Senators and their staff members could result in cost overruns on the entire State Capitol renovation project, the official in charge of the project warned Monday. Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL- Cook, says the overruns could add up to tens of millions of dollars. (MPR News)
Revenue collections in January ran $83 million above projections. The whole story won't be out until Minnesota Management and Budget releases it's next revenue forecast later this month, but all signs are the state budget will continue to show a surplus. (AP via Star Tribune)
Democrats in the Legislature say they'll announce a plan next week to fund major transportation projects in the state. “Transportation challenges and projects don’t go away, they just get more expensive,” said Rep. Frank Hornstein, DFL-Minneapolis. “So by procrastinating, we’re actually throwing money down the drain. That’s why these projects need to get done.” (MPR News)
Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges is encouraging all city employees to speak up if they witness or experience bullying, discrimination or retaliation in the workplace. Her letter comes after the city released documents related to an investigation of a former public safety official. (MPR News)
After nine months of unproductive negotiations, St. Paul teachers have set a Feb. 24th strike authorization vote. (Pioneer Press)
Washington:
The Obama administration extended more deadlines for businesses to comply with the Affordable Care Act. (Washington Post)
Groups on both sides of the political aisle start getting ready for the next Supreme Court appointment: "Republicans are growing increasingly confident that they can win control of the Senate this fall — and with it the power to block, or at least bedevil, Obama's efforts to fill potential Supreme Court vacancies during his last two years in office." (NPR)
Minnesota isn't the only state running a budget surplus. The question now: What to do with the money? (NPR)
Finally:
Shirley Temple Black was 85 when she died last night. But she'll always be remembered as a child. (New York Times)