Now that the state's financial condition has improved slightly, Gov. Pawlenty wants to spend a little more on education. The governor released his updated budget recommendations Thursday. They're based on the latest revenue forecast. MPR's Tom Scheck has some basics:

It's clear that Gov. Pawlenty has heard the cries from the public for more education funding. Several thousand people held a rally outside of the Capitol last month saying their schools need more money. Pawlenty hopes his supplemental budget will appease those concerns. He plans to increase the amount of money schools get for each student, boost special education funding and provide more money to programs for gifted students.

"There is no question that our public schools in Minnesota need additional funding but we also want to make sure that we make progress on increasing accountability for improved academic results as well and we believe the package that we're putting forward today accomplishes those objectives," he said.

The governor's proposal would also boost funding for schools that choose to change their pay structure for teachers. He wants to see schools go from paying teachers based on seniority to rewarding them for performance.

Pawlenty's budget also increases funding for DNA analysis in crime labs, expands tax breaks for rural startup businesses and provides money to hire a state employee to coordinate faith based initiatives with state programs. He also recommends the state keep $75 million in reserve to pay for proposed budget cuts on the federal level.

Pawlenty's recommendation for the basic education formula is now a 2.5 percent increase for each year of the biennium. That's below the projected inflation rate and below the 5 percent some lawmakers have proposed. Unlike those lawmakers, Pawlenty has to balance the entire budget. They haven't said where the money should come from to pay for their proposed increase.

If you were waiting for those smoking bans to take effect at the end of the month in Bloomington, Minneapolis and Hennepin County, don't breathe easy yet. Bar owners are taking the ban to court. MPR's Jeff Horwich has this item:

Six local establishments, including a VFW, an Eagles Club, and a bar called Stub and Herb's, plan to file a case in Hennepin County District Court alleging the local bans are unconstitutional. Attorney Ryan Pacyga says the bans conflict with a 1975 law allowing bars to set their own smoking areas.

"It's our opinion that preempted by the Minnesota Clean Indoor Air Act or that they conflict with the Minnesota Clean Indoor Air Act to the point that they are so irreconcilable that they would be found unconstitutional," he said.

The group is seeking an immediate injunction on the bans until the case can be tried. Local officials who supported the bans have said they are critical to protecting the health of patrons and employees.

The bar owners say only the state, not local governments, has the power to impose smoking bans in bars. Of course the bar owners are also fighting a statewide ban at the Capitol.

A bill backed by the state's largest anti-abortion bill cleared its first House committee Thursday and appears to be on its way to becoming law. But MPR's Laura McCallum reports the debate turned contentious:

The bill would allow nonprofit agencies to use the state money to help women with medical care, housing, child care and other services. Agencies that encourage women to carry their pregnancies to term would be eligible for the state grants. Organizations that provide abortions or mention abortion when counseling pregnant women would not.

Tina Smith of Planned Parenthood, the state's largest provider of family planning services, opposes the bill. She says taxpayer money shouldn't go to groups that don't tell pregnant women about all of their legal options.

"And when any of us seeks medical care, we expect all of the facts, not just some of them. This is the standard of care that is available every day in health care clinics and doctors' offices across Minnesota, including in Minnesota's 22 family planning clinics," according to Smith.

MPR's Steven John had an interesting conversation With Sen. Dick Day, R-Owatonna, about a plan to join a cooperative with five other states to but lower price prescription drugs from Canada, Ireland and England. It's worth a listen if you didn't hear it the first time.

All MPR today, and I didn't even mention Tom Scheck's MinnesotaCare story. Tom gets a big head if I link to more than one of his stories per day, and we don't want that to happen. His head is big enough already.