Good morning, and happy Wednesday. I don't know about you, but I am looking forward to a thaw.

Gov. Tim Walz pitched a multi-billion dollar spending plan Tuesday that would boost funding for schools, expand teacher training programs and increase access to student meals and mental health services.Brian Bakst reports  that in outlining the $5.1 billion proposal, the DFL governor also revived his push for a 12-week paid family and medical leave system and guaranteed time off for sickness or other household emergencies. The key elements of his legislative session agenda are supported by a projected $7.75 billion surplus and more than $1 billion in unspent federal COVID-19 relief money. It sets up an election-year session debate over the state’s priorities as Walz and most legislators prepare to face voters. Walz, a first-term DFLer, said he’s ready to reach for a deal. “This is a time of optimism. This is a time to stop the drama,” Walz said at Hilltop Elementary School in Inver Grove Heights. “We certainly know this is about negotiations. It’s about making sure we get things right.”

MPR’s Tim Pugmire reports that DFLers in the House backed a plan that mirrors the governor’s but is possibly not quite as expensive. Their proposal calls for increased funding in K-12 schools, early childhood education, childcare and a tuition freeze for college and universities.  The cost of the latest proposal is unclear, but it is at least $1 billion. “Democrats fought for more investment in education and workforce training, and our compromise budget came up short,” said House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park. “Now we have an opportunity to go back and add in those places where we know increased investment is warranted.” Senate Republicans will lay out their session plans today. 

Amid a January surge in new applications for rental help in Minnesota, housing officials declared Friday, Jan. 28  will be the last day to complete an application for the RentHelpMN program to head off eviction for past-due rent. Applications have to be submitted by 9 p.m. that day. Incomplete forms won’t be accepted. The deadline from Minnesota Housing is part of a wind down to the RentHelpMN program, which was supported by $450 million in federal money. That pot has been drawn down fast, officials said, because of financial distress from the pandemic, inflation and other hardships. “That puts us in the position where we hope not to be oversubscribed and so that’s how we come to this decision to announce the deadline today,” said Minnesota Housing Commissioner Jennifer Ho, who added that Minnesota’s program is unlikely to get more federal money. Ho’s announcement of the deadline drew sharp criticism from a Republican lawmaker. “From a shaky rollout to this abrupt closure, Commissioner Ho has mismanaged RentHelpMN every step of the way,” said Sen. Rich Draheim, R-Madison Lake, in a statement. “A month ago, we could see the program running out of money and the need to have a plan in place that gave adequate notice to Minnesotans. And now, Commissioner Ho has manufactured a crisis that could have been avoided.” 

Two Minnesota cities rejected citywide mask requirements this week. Kirsti Marohn and Dan Gunderson report the city councils in Moorhead and St. Cloud both voted down proposals to temporarily require masking up in indoor public places. Several other Minnesota cities have adopted mask mandates, including Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, Hopkins, Golden Valley, Rochester and Minnetonka. The St. Cloud City Council voted 4-2 to approve a three-week mandate. But the emergency ordinance required a supermajority vote, so it failed to pass. The Moorhead City Council also rejected a mask mandate on a 5-3 vote, instead passing a resolution strongly encouraging mask-wearing. Health care provider CentraCare recently urged St. Cloud-area officials to pass a six-week mask mandate, due to a surge of COVID-19 cases that are overwhelming its system. The region’s test positivity rate is over 30 percent.  The mayors of St. Cloud and other area cities declined, opting instead to issue a letter urging area residents to wear masks.

Robbinsdale City Council member Tyler Kline is charged with driving drunk the wrong way on a highway shortly after midnight Monday, causing a crash and fleeing from the police.The Star Tribune reported Kline is the legislative assistant for State Sen. Ann Rest, DFL-New Hope. He also worked as a part-time bartender at TGI Fridays, according to a campaign video during his 2020 run for City Council when he earned 60 percent of votes.

And to the east of us, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports:Wisconsin school officials would be barred from teaching students and staff lessons on systemic racism under legislation Republicans in the state Senate sent to Gov. Tony Evers on Tuesday.  At the heart of the bill is the nationwide controversy over critical race theory — though the legislation avoids mentioning the concept. Evers is expected to veto the bill. The legislation was introduced in 2021 by Republican lawmakers as part of a movement among conservatives fearful of children learning ways racism has permeated institutions, potentially leaving white students feeling guilty. A number of educators in Wisconsin have opposed the bill, concerned that teachers will be pressured to sanitize history lessons and other subjects that involve the intersection of race and culture.