Even though Minnesota faces a $1.1 billion budget deficit, there are still some much-coveted pots of money up for grabs in 2013, thanks to the Legacy amendment’s provisions for spending on outdoors and cultural projects.

On Sunday, incoming House Majority Leader Erin Murphy congratulated the new assistant leaders over Twitter, naming Reps. Carly Melin (Hibbing), John Ward (Baxter), Leon Lillie (North St. Paul), Kim Norton (Rochester), John Persell (Bemidji), Diane Loefller (Minneapolis) and freshman Jacob Isaacson (Shoreview).

On paper the open seat in House District 43A should favor the DFL nominee. Partisan indexes suggest the district tilts in their favor by anywhere from 2 to 14 percentage points.

House District 43A is an odd creation. It meanders from the border of St. Paul to the northeast and contains at least part of five cities, including Maplewood, White Bear Lake and Mahtomedi.

Freshman Republican Sen. Ted Lillie’s office has all the markings of a seasoned lawmaker’s lair. Display cases along his wall hold dozens of political pins, which he has collected for years. A cluster of photos of Republican standard-bearers like Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush line his back wall, and a dilapidated collector’s edition of a volume of presidential biographies rests on a nearby shelf.

Brad Rixmann likes to say he was dragged into politics “kicking and screaming.” Just five years ago, Rixmann, the founder and CEO of Pawn America had been at the Capitol only a few times as a child.

Rep. Rick Hansen, a persistent critic of decisions made by the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council, has been removed from the 12-member body.