Republican Senator and Finance Committee Chairman David Hann accuses the Democratic governor of going around a state law that would allow him to halt the spending of millions of dollars in federal grants for the state's health-care programs. Hann says he wants more information about how the state would spent the money. Forum Communications reports Dayton's budget office marked the funds "urgent," which means the money wouldn't require legislators' approval.

Governor Mark Dayton’s administration is launching a new competitive bidding process for state health insurance providers. It’s part of a series of changes Dayton says is a comprehensive reform process to make state government more efficient. Dayton says the bidding overhaul will save a half-billion dollars--but that money is already mostly accounted for in the two-year budget.

MPR News reports the governor says he won't issue an order that would automatically enroll child care providers into a union, but would rather they chose for themselves. Republicans are against the move, saying Dayton doesn't have the authority to make such a call.

Supporters on both sides of the union issue packed a hearing in St. Paul to argue allowing home child care workers to organize. Opponents of the idea say it will change the profession for the worse and make it harder for employers. Supporters say a union will help workers get a wage that matches their skills.

The challenge comes after the attorney general's office laid out three options for the governor after a judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking a union election. Politics in Minnesota says none of the options would get the election back on track any time soon.

Gov. Dayton on Friday vetoed four tort reform bills that came out of the Republican-controlled Legislature. Dayton charged that they were actually produced by the ultra-conservative national group known as ALEC. Republicans, who say the bills will improve the state's business climate, shot back at the governor, with Sen. David Senjem saying "It's time to put the spears down."

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum says health care is the fundamental issue of the campaign. He criticized the high cost of "Romneycare" -- the plan Romney rolled out as governor of Massachusetts.