3 things to watch this week at the Minnesota Legislature

Packed agendas greet lawmakers this week as they face an increasing number of self-imposed deadlines. Here are three key bills you should know about right now.

1) Fireworks over fireworks

April 4th was setting up to feel like July 4th in the Minnesota House, but a showdown vote on legalizing more kinds of personal-use fireworks was postponed for at least a few days while sponsors work out a technical issue. House members could still vote as soon as Thursday on a plan adding aerial fireworks and those with more oomph to limited list of fireworks that can be sold and used in Minnesota.

It's been about a dozen years since lawmakers lifted a ban on fireworks sales, but the tight restrictions have done little to keep people from bringing them in from other states. In 2012, when Republicans controlled the House and Senate, they passed a similar bill to this year's plan. Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed it, citing opposition from firefighters, hospitals, municipal governments and others. An override failed. There's been no indication Dayton has changed his position.

2) Mille Lacs economic lift

When the Department of Natural Resources halted the walleye fishing season early on the premier lake last year, resorts and other tourism-dependent businesses were worried. Recently, the DNR said the walleye population in Mille Lacs isn't strong enough to sustain a full-fledged season this year and the agency declared catch-and-release would be the rule.

To help ease area concerns, Dayton and lawmakers are considering spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to promote family trips to Mille Lacs. One of those bills is up in a budget committee. There are also proposals to spend millions on a fish hatchery for the lake and talk of having the state partner on a fishing hall of fame that would serve as a tourism magnet.

3) Preschool push

Dayton might have scaled back his plan to have the state pay for quality preschool for all four-year-olds, but he isn't letting go of the idea entirely.

This year he's after $25 million to help school districts start building out voluntary pre-kindergarten programs, perhaps setting the stage for a renewed push in the budget session a year from now. House Republicans favor targeted scholarships. An education panel in the Democratic-led Senate will review a bill on Wednesday more in line with Dayton's vision.