EXCERPT: “New Gov. Tim Walz won’t release his first budget until Feb. 19 but some elements of his agenda for rural Minnesota are already starting to emerge. Walz is the state’s first governor from greater Minnesota since Rudy Perpich, an Iron Ranger who left office in 1991. The Democratic former congressman and former high school teacher from Mankato has provided some glimpses recently about his plans for the parts of Minnesota that lie outside the Twin Cities metropolitan area, an expanse that often complains of getting shortchanged. Walz promises his budget will be ‘transformational’ . . . Walz told the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities last week that education, health care and ‘community prosperity’ will be the three pillars of his budget. That followed his comments to the Star Tribune that he wants the state to pick up a greater share of the costs of K-12 education.” FULLSTORY: http://bit.ly/2WJSSu8
