Gov. Tim Walz, speaking to reporters, mentions four priorities for the surplus:

-Expanding child care
-Relief to Minnesotans for inflation, in the form of rebates
-Road and bridge funding
-Public school funding

"We can do all of these things," he says. "It isn't either-or." Walz says he supports excluding more Social Security income from state tax in 2023.

But he's not committing to a full elimination, which was part of the spring 2022 deal that never passed.

Minnesota's budget surplus is now projected at $17.6 billion between now and June 2025, per @MMBCommunicates.

The projections will help #mnleg decide short-term spending plans and a two-year budget. @MMBCommunicates Higher-than-expected tax collections and #mnleg's failure to strike deals in 2022 have contributed to another record surplus, which Democrats now have control over.

Initial story ahead of news conferences that start at 11:45 a.m.:

fox9.com/news/minnesota…

.@MNLegAud releases audit of $200 million in state money given by @mnhealth to health care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Overview below. Report here: auditor.leg.state.mn.us/fad/pdf/fad220… @mnhealth .@mnhealth assigned 35 staffers to review grant applications and recommend awards, but failed to comply with state requirements and get conflict of interest disclosures from the people, auditors found.

This left the state open to potential fraud and abuse, auditors said.

Details of #mnleg's deal on taxes:

-Cuts individual income tax rate from 5.35% to 5.10%

-Makes all Social Security income exempt from state taxes

-Makes renter's tax credit refundable

house.leg.state.mn.us/comm/docs/1u-H… There are several other smaller provisions, but those three together account for $3.4 billion of the $4 billion bill.

“There is enough time,” House Speaker @melissahortman says about concerns that some of the largest bills, like health and human services, won’t get done by Sunday.

“Everybody has to get realistic,” Hortman says, and no one will get 75-80% of what they want. #mnleg I asked which issue areas are in the worst shape.

Hortman says K-12, public safety, health and human services are “tied.”

That’s…a lot. #mnleg

NEWS: St. Paul Police say DFL Rep. John Thompson showed up after officers pulled over his daughter Sunday afternoon, screamed and yelled at police, identified himself as a state lawmaker and handed out his business card during a "chaotic" scene.

(Thread) Officers say they stopped Thompson's adult daughter for erratic driving and expired registration. Cops smelled marijuana. As more officers arrived, so did Thompson.

To diffuse tensions, police say they decided to charge Thompson’s daughter out of custody and let them both go.

Light #mnleg attendance for Gov. Tim Walz’s State of the State speech tonight given the Sunday evening timing.

I counted fewer than half of the 67 senators entering the House chamber. Former Gov. Mark Dayton and his wife are in attendance. Though he used a cane, Dayton is moving much better than during his final days as governor.

NEWS: Minneapolis and St. Paul impose a vaccine-or-negative-test requirement to dine at restaurants in both cities.

The negative test would have to be within 72 hours.

The temporary policy takes effect on Jan. 19. For ticketed events, the policy takes effect Jan. 26.

The negative test result has to be from a PCR test, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter says during a news conference.

Watch:

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is earmarking $40 million in federal COVID relief for hospital worker overtime pay as omicron surges.

Nurses under the program will work 60-hour weeks for the next two months.

mn.gov/mmb-stat/docum… Another $5 million in federal money will expand temporary staff at decompression sites that take discharged hospital patients.

mn.gov/mmb-stat/docum…

Tony Lazzaro’s detention hearing starts at 2 p.m. I’m inside the federal courtroom in St. Paul, where Lazzaro will appear in person.

He’s asking a federal judge to release him on ankle and video monitoring.

fox9.com/news/tony-lazz… Lazzaro enters in an orange jail uniform.

He pleads not guilty on all charges when asked by Judge Hildy Bowbeer.

BREAKING: @GovTimWalz has imposed a curfew throughout Hennepin, Ramsey and Anoka counties tonight from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. @GovTimWalz Walz says he has not spoken to Daunte Wright's family but calls have been made.

.@GovTimWalz has arrived in Minneapolis for a 2 p.m. news conference, where he'll make his first public comments on the #DaunteWright police killing.

Watch live here: @GovTimWalz .@GovTimWalz: "It goes without saying that it's devastating and heartbreaking we're here once again to address the death of a young Black man."

BREAKING: Brooklyn Center's police chief says the officer who shot Daunte Wright mistakenly drew her handgun instead of a Taser. On body camera video, the officer is heard shouting "taser, taser!" but was holding her handgun instead of a Taser.

She then fired a single shot.

.@GovTimWalz says the Minneapolis assisted living home he’s visiting, Jones-Harrison, got its second vaccine doses on Friday. Walz and Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm: the Biden administration told governors this morning that vaccine allocations will increase to states by an additional 5% next week, on top of previously announced increases.

.@GovTimWalz gets his temperature checked at a Minneapolis assisted living home.

He is about to address the mass shooting in Buffalo.

Then he’ll do a scheduled event on COVID vaccines. Walz: “At this time, it seems like it was a single individual” involved in shooting/bomb detonation at Allina clinic in Buffalo.

That person has been arrested.

At 1 p.m., Minnesota hospital systems will testify in the #mnleg Senate Health committee about #COVID19 vaccines.

Friday, hospitals said Minnesota’s rollout was at an “untenable crossroads," only to retreat within 24 hours.

A thread: Friday, @MNhospitals urged health officials to end a lottery system by which health systems get doses. They said the current system is eroding trust and said Minnesota mass vaccination sites are “out of reach” for many. (Letter below.)

The backtracking started quickly.

Minnesota health officials are holding their first #COVID19 briefing of the year.

Health commissioner Jan Malcolm says the situation has "improved" after restrictions went in place.

"If we let our guard down, COVID-19 finds a way to surge back in terrifying ways," she says. The major pharmacy chains that are vaccinating people in Minnesota's long-term care facilities expect to finish that work in 3-4 weeks, infectious disease director Kris Ehresmann says.

Welcome to 2021.

Today, Minnesota health officials have their first news conference of the year.

Minnesota’s vaccine rollout is faltering. As of Sunday, less than 20% of doses received in the state had been put into people’s arms.

Most states are having similar issues.

(1/x) This percentage doesn’t include doses given directly to federal sites, like the VA and Defense department sites.

In front of reporters, Gov. Tim Walz says the 10-person/3 household cap applies to Thanksgiving gatherings but "we’re not going into someone’s home and arresting them on Thanksgiving." I asked if this was so important, why wait until after the election?

Walz: "Had we been at this spike in August, we would’ve done it in August... The virus dictates our timing. The virus dictates the moves we make."

Gov. Tim Walz on surge in coronavirus cases in Minnesota: "I wish I could tell you this was unexpected, but it is not." Walz, pointing to a chart during his live statewide speech showing Minnesota's case growth, says this week's increase "would go absolutely off the television screen."

Vice President Mike Pence and Ivanka Trump arrive for a “Cops for Trump” event inside a Minneapolis-St. Paul airport vote ballroom.

Pence’s arrival is 75 minutes later than scheduled. A few hundred supporters have been waiting in this room for 2 hours. Pence: "There’s no excuse for what happened to George Floyd and justice will be served."

(Very quiet clapping)

Pence then says there's "no excuse" for rioting and vows that rioters will be held accountable.

(Louder clapping)