House DFL finds its own ox to gore

Democrats in the Minnesota House are targeting two of Gov. Pawlenty's prized programs in their budget solutions. The House Tax Chair is recommending to eliminate all corporate subsidies in the state tax code. That includes JOBZ, Pawlenty's top economic development initiative for rural Minnesota.

Meanwhile the chair of the House K12 Finance committee wants to prevent the expansion of Pawlenty's Q-Comp program, a merit-pay system for teachers. The money would then go out to schools more generally.

The Legislature is looking for ways to erase the state's $935 million deficit. Gov. Pawlenty has proposed spending cuts, the use of the state's budget reserve and money from a health care fund to balance the budget.