Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Commissioner Paul Aasen is resigning to become the city of Minneapolis’s coordinator.

Gov. Mark Dayton signed legislation on Monday that seeks to reduce red tape for businesses applying for permits. It's the second straight session in which Dayton and Republican legislative leaders have reached agreement on proposals to improve the state's regulatory climate.

Four state agency heads have weighed in against the environment budget bills that are currently in conference committee.

With less than a month to go before the Legislature is constitutionally required to adjourn, the GOP-controlled House and Senate find themselves fundamentally at odds with DFL Gov. Mark Dayton on the role of new tax revenues in fixing the state's $5 billion deficit. Dayton is pushing for about $2.5 billion in tax increases to help close the budget deficit, while Republicans are continuing to espouse an all-cuts budget.

Only one of Gov. Mark Dayton's commissioners has been approved by the Senate so far. But as session draws closer to the adjournment date, sources say to watch for committee hearings to take up commissioner appointments, and some more controversial picks could be taken up on the floor. Why? The Republicans may use some appointments as leverage in the looming budget showdown.

State Health Department official John Linc Stine is moving to become deputy commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency serving under new commissioner Paul Aasen.

In the 1990s he served as the state's emergency management director under Republican Gov. Arne Carlson. Aasen then joined the administration of Independence Party Gov. Jesse Ventura as assistant commissioner of the Department of Public Safety. He subsequently served as director of government relations for Ventura during a time of unprecedented tri-partisan control at the Capitol, with Republicans running the House and Democrats controlling the Senate.

Gov. Mark Dayton has signed an executive order that sets expedited goals for state environmental agencies to approve permits. His order is similar to legislation authored by Republicans in the Legislature.

Gov. Mark Dayton's cabinet is almost complete. On the week in which he was officially sworn into office, Dayton continued to add to the roster of top agency officials who will help him govern alongside the GOP-controlled Legislature in confronting the state's $6.2 billion budget deficit.

Gov.-elect Mark Dayton's transition staff named three additional state agency appointments Friday morning.