Minnesota News Roundup: Forecast for the budget announced this week

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ST. PAUL - Minnesota lawmakers find out mid-week whether they'll have another state budget deficit to plug this legislative session.

Last November's forecast showed better part of a billion-dollar surplus and Republican leaders are hoping it holds up. But Governor Dayton's Budget Commissioner James Schowalter said last week it's "very unlikely" there will be a budget surplus -- that it will be zero or negative because the state has so many debts to repay. The new economic forecast comes out Wednesday just before noon.

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The Minnesota Senate is scheduled to debate and vote on a controversial bill today (11am start) that would require school districts consider not only seniority, but also teacher performance, when making layoff decisions. The issue puts Republicans squarely against the Education Minnesota teachers union and a number of Democrats -- although some DFLers support the GOP proposal. Opponents argue lawmakers should first let a special task force on teacher evaluation complete its work.

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A snowmobiler from Iowa died after a snowmobile crash in far northern Minnesota. The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office reports 45-year old Timothy Schultz of Cedar Rapids sustained severe head trauma after his sled smacked into a tree on a trail near the city of Orr. Responders say Schultz died at the scene.

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Police say a woman's death in a hot tub is not suspicious. Fifty-two-year old Kari Dayton from Nisswa was visiting relatives in the Twin Cities suburb of Plymouth on Saturday. She was found dead in an outdoor hot tub and the medical examiners says Dayton drowned.

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