Good morning. Coldest day of a warmer-than-average week.
The U.S. Supreme Court could be pulled into a case with major 2024 political implications early. The special counsel, who is among those to bring charges against former President Donald Trump, wants the court to decide what immunity Trump does and doesn’t enjoy. Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office wants that determined early because the March trial date for Trump over alleged 2020 election interference hangs in the balance. They said their "extraordinary" request befit this extraordinary case, according to NPR’s Carrie Johnson. She writes that the federal government’s petition in this case — just one area of legal jeopardy for Trump — cites another landmark case involving executive authority. That’s the clash over White House tapes in United States v. Nixon, back in 1974. Last night, the court said it would seek briefs in the matter and decide soon if justices will take the case at this stage.
An impeachment push involving the current president could move to a more-formal stage this week. Several outlets, including Reuters , report that the U.S. House is expected to vote as soon as Wednesday to put the entire chamber on record about the probe into President Joe Biden. Republicans have been trying to show Biden and his family improperly benefitted from policy decisions when Biden was vice president. Democrats have called it a politically motivated exercise. The White House has declined to turn over certain documents given that the inquiry had been informal.
In lighter news, the flag panel is back in person today. MPR’s Dana Ferguson says the State Emblems Redesign Commission is set to meet Tuesday to again narrow the field of finalists for a new Minnesota state flag and possibly tweak their previous pick for the new state seal. The panel will hold a public meeting on a Capitol campus building in St. Paul to review public comments and get closer to picking a new state flag. The commission has penciled in a Friday meeting if it needs one, given that the year-end deadline is approaching faster than a stiff December wind.
A monthly tax collection report for November showed slightly better actual numbers than anticipated revenue in the recently published economic forecast. But the additional $10 million is not all that much in the scheme of things. It represents a 0.5 percent difference when you’re talking about $2.2 billion in overall November revenue. Read the update here.
Also in the realm of a slight change to a much bigger figure: The pricey State Office Building project will cost a tad less than an initial estimate. According to last week’s forecast , the construction project, which had been expected to run $500 million, will see reduced cost thanks to lower-than-expected relocation expenses for the legislative and other agency staff moved during the renovation. It’s around $24 million. The Department of Administration found more swing space than anticipated in the Centennial Office Building and Veterans Services Building, reducing costs from earlier estimates by about $16.5 million. There is another $7.2 million in debt-service payments coming in slightly lower in the near term. | 