The Daily Digest: DHS asks for more money amidst layoffs

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In Minnesota

Gov. Mark Dayton's new budget calls for more Department of Human Services funding to help DHS cover its share of MNsure's expenses. Dayton wants lawmakers to allocate an additional $11.6 million to the department. (MPR News)

Officials with the Minnesota Department of Human Services are eliminating 43 jobs, as they try to correct an ongoing shortfall in their current budget. (MPR News)

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How to spend a billion dollar surplus. (MinnPost)

Auto dealers are fighting an attempt to allow Sunday auto sales. (Star Tribune)

The Minnesota Lottery narrowly escaped being reined in last session, and lawmakers are pushing again this year to stop the games' expansion into online and other venues. (Pioneer Press)

The state is postponing the launch of a program that would require boaters to pass a training course to legally pull a boat on a trailer — an effort to fight aquatic invasive species. Lawmakers are trying to kill the law. (Star Tribune)

The Alliance for a Better Minnesota, a liberal political group, said its political tracker was improperly kicked out of a public legislative meeting in Burnsville organized by Rep. Steve Drazkowski, a Republican from Mazeppa. (Star Tribune)

National Politics

Republicans would really, really like Sen. Elizabeth Warren to challenge Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential primary. (New York Times)

President Barack Obama’s attorney general nominee came to Capitol Hill with one overriding message Wednesday: “I will be Loretta Lynch.” Translation: She won’t be Eric Holder. (Politico)

Minnesota's senators used the hearing to ask Lynch about their pet concerns. (MPR News)

Sarah Palin's speech at an Iowa gathering of potential presidential contenders seems to have lost her most of her remaining fans within the GOP. (Washington Post)

Senate Democrats sound increasingly likely to prevent the House’s Homeland Security funding bill from even coming to the Senate floor for debate, which would mark their second filibuster of the young Congress. (Politico)

How effective were the millions spent by Republicans last year against 7th District Rep. Collin Peterson? (Smart Politics)