The Senate Finance Committee hewed to the recommendations of the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources, which earlier winnowed the original 192 proposals down to 71 projects.

The recommendations call for the acquisition of almost 2,000 acres of native prairie and would pay for restoration and enhancement projects on another 7,000 acres of such lands.

The bills, sponsored by Sen. Ann Rest and Rep. Ryan Winkler, increase state limits on the contributions that candidates can receive and the amount of money they can spend.

The Senate's veteran K-12 education fiscal analyst Eric Nauman is stepping into the role of lead fiscal analyst.