Turns out taxes aren't the only thing Gov. Pawlenty shifts: The Strib's Mark Brunswick says state agencies pick up the cost of some of the guv's staff. That makes T-Paw's office budget look lean, but agencies have absorbed at least a $1 million hit for people who don't work there. Overall, agencies eat 19 percent of the guv's staff costs, by far the most of any recent governor. Ventura didn't use this practice. A spokesman says billing costs to the "client" is responsible.

The PiPress' Bill Salisbury says legislative DFLers will actually come out with a budget proposal! On the Senate side, it sounds like health care eligibility will be preserved, at the cost of an unspecified tax hike; House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher pledges to cut first, then talk about revenues. One trick could be cutting certain tax deductions rather than raising rates. House Minority Leader Marty Seifert predicts Dems will eat many of the shifts and borrowing they now decry.

Cool story from the Southwest Journal's Michele Bruch: a year-long Minneapolis police pilot program has increased misdemeanor domestic violence convictions 22 percent. Cops spent 20 more minutes at the scene taking pics of injuries and damaged property, interviewing victims and doing a safety assessment, giving alleged perps Miranda rights and doing squad-car interrogation. The evidence-gathering helps if victims later recant their stories. The police hope more convictions equal less recidivism.

A Fox9 poll of Minnesotans finds a whopping 76 percent opposed to taxpayer money for a Vikings stadium; 18 percent say OK. Are they worried the Vikes will leave? A healthy 65 percent say not much or not at all.

Should the state eat $33 million in Xcel Energy Center loans so a smaller rink can be built next door? While saying lawmakers should move with "extreme caution," the Strib editorial page doesn't close the door on yet another sports building. Noting the financial benefits are oversold, the editorialists state: "The state should make sure it's getting an equal or better value, even if the deal produces a worthy addition like the Pond."

Election contest minute: MPR's Mark Zdechlik tries to total the cost of the proceedings. Cash-strapped state courts have set aside $100K for the three-judge panel's hotel, travel and meal costs; replacement judges are $350 per day and the court reporter is $180 a day. This doesn't count local election officials' expenses. Norm Coleman could have to pay those costs if he loses, but Franken might have to pay if Norm triumphs.

The PiPress' Leslie Brooks Suzukamo has a good primer on gigantic transmission line proposals for Minnesota. A Michigan company wants to build thru-lines to serve the East; U.S. Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid wants to limit states' ability to muck it up. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is a fence-sitter for the moment. Local complaints: the lines are more about coal than encouraging wind power. Also, smaller, decentralized renewable-energy grids are a better way. Boosters say c'mon, the nation needs this, too.

Should one county's medical examiner be allowed to testify for the defense in another counties' cases? A Dakota County prosecutor threatened his county's freelance m.e. for doing just that; the Strib's Katie Humphrey provides a deeper look at the phenomenon. Turns out Hennepin and Anoka counties let their full-time m.e.'s do it on their own time; a northern-county pathologist says he's prohibited. The pathologists' association says it should be cool; a sheriff's association says no way.

The Strib's Laurie Blake details increasing efforts to shut off skyscrapers' lights during bird migration season. The IDS, Wells Fargo Tower and 27 other buildings are involved. HealthPartners is getting its cleaning done early so wee-hour lights can be shut off during the March 15-May 31 migration season. Species most at risk: White-throated sparrow, the Nashville warbler, the Tennessee warbler, the oven bird, the dark-eyed junko and the common yellow throat.

Although it's pretty late in the season (we hope), here's a story suggestion for someone: the foreclosure crisis = unshoveled sidewalks. Indefatigable blogger Johnny Northside shows the view from his part of Minneapolis.

Nort spews: The Wild won another one on the road, beating lower-seed playoff rival Anaheim 3-2. Stephane Veilleux scored twice; Minnesota is 10th in the West, but a single point out of seventh. Sore Loser here. Down spring training way, Francisco Liriano, Joe Nathan and four others combined for a one-hit shutout of Baltimore; Carlos Gomez, batting third, hit a two-run dinger that accounted for all the scoring.