The Senate DFL has formalized its committee structure and appointed the chairs who will direct the flow of legislation through the byways of the legislative process in 2013. While the caucus has a bench of veteran senators who were chairs when they last held the majority in the 2010 legislative session, the retirements and deaths of other long-serving members in the last two years means that a new generation is joining the ranks of committee chairs.

The Senate DFL rounded out its leadership staff Thursday, announcing some of the final staffers to join new Minority Leader Tom Bakk in running the caucus next session.

The Senate DFL's requests for committee assignments are floating around the Capitol. Among the requests is Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, to be lead minority member on the Senate Taxes Committee.

New House and Senate DFL leaders, whose caucuses lost their majorities in Tuesday's election, vow to "negotiate very hard" with Republicans. In contrast to anti-tax Republicans, they said new revenue needs to be considered in next year's budget debate.

Iron Range Sen. Tom Bakk was elected minority leader this afternoon at a closed-door DFL caucus meeting. The caucus meeting was the first since the Senate DFL lost its 38-year-long majority in Tuesday's election.

The Humphrey Institute political blog has an analysis that predicts the GOP falling short of taking the 13 seats needed to win back the Minnesota Senate. However, the Senate GOP should wipe out the DFL's veto-proof majority in tomorrow's elections.

The Senate DFL Caucus has raised $1.95 million as of Oct. 18. That trumps the Senate Republicans' $466,600 raised this year.

Sen. Don Betzold would like to regain the chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee. Betzold, who currently is chairman of the State Government Budget Division, was Judiciary chairman from 2003 to 2006.

This chart shows six major party units' fundraising and spending action in the current year and for the same period in the last major election year.

DFL legislators in the House and Senate today passed a supplemental budget bill by comfortable margins. The votes weren't cast along straight party lines, however.