Good morning and welcome to Friday. We’re getting near the end of another long week. Given that you’ve made it this far, how about a look at the Digest?
1. A little more than a week after the 2016 election, state Rep. Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, began campaign 2018 by declaring she’s running for governor. (Actually former state Rep. Ryan Winkler really started things by declaring a possible run for state attorney general the day before) Murphy says she will abide by the DFL endorsement, and her announcement is probably just the first of many, given that Gov. Mark Dayton has already said he will not run for another term. (Pioneer Press)
2.Property taxes levied by cities, counties, schools and other entities across Minnesota would rise an average of 3.8 percent for 2017 if preliminary rates don't come down after upcoming Truth-in-Taxation meetings. The total proposed increase of about $344 million is lower than what was suggested and ultimately adopted for 2016. Last year, property taxes across the state rose by a combined $397 million, or about 4.5 percent. (MPR News)
3. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen says now may not be the right time for a major infrastructure upgrade. That’s something Donald Trump promised during the campaign, but Yellen told a congressional committee Thursday that with unemployment on the decline it may not be worth adding the cost of a big building initiative to the national debt. She suggested that it would be better to wait and launch such a project if the economy slows down. (NPR)
4. Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan has launched a leadership challenge to U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. House Democrats delayed their leadership election earlier this week. In a letter to his colleagues Thursday afternoon announcing his intent to challenge Pelosi, Ryan said after a poor election showing it’s time for Democrats to take another look at the path they’re on."Under our current leadership, Democrats have been reduced to our smallest congressional minority since 1929. This should indicate to all of us that keeping our leadership team completely unchanged will simply lead to more disappointment in future elections," he wrote. (Politico)
5. President-elect Trump is scheduled to meet with 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney this weekend, amid speculation that Trump may be considering Romney for a Cabinet position. Romney was one of Trump’s most vocal critics during the campaign, calling him a “con man,” “phony” and a “fraud.” Trump has also called Romney names for losing to President Obama in 2012. (CNN)
