Bonding, tax bills face tough going ahead of a hoped-for late April adjournment
Since the start of the legislative session, Republican leaders have promised an early adjournment. But with legislators vacating the Capitol this week for spring break, significant work remains to be...
View ArticleRep. Dean Urdahl faces wrath of stadium supporters (despite voting in favor...
In Wednesday's Star Tribune, sports columnist Jim Souhan pilloried Rep. Dean Urdahl for purportedly helping to kill the Vikings stadium bill.
View ArticleGlobal deal or no, some bills are moving late in session
With momentum building to finish off the 2012 legislative session, the House and Senate spent hours on the floor last week debating bills.
View ArticleLIFO, Legacy measures clear House
Legislation that would prohibit school districts from making layoff decisions based solely on seniority cleared the House on a 70-61 vote on Thursday evening.
View ArticleMeanwhile, outside the spotlight
While legislative leaders haggled in private regarding the 2012 session’s marquee legislation, rank-and-file legislators spent long hours on the floors of the House and Senate processing members’ pet...
View ArticleSo long, adios, auf wiedersehen
After adjourning in the wee hours of Thursday morning, the Minnesota House of Representatives plunged ahead with the bittersweet biennial ritual of retirement speeches from departing members.
View ArticleLocal GOPers consider Urdahl endorsement after Vikings vote
The local party hasn't decided whether to discuss the endorsement question, and the Meeker County GOP is set to meet to consider whether it will advise Senate District 18 officials to take up the...
View ArticleDespite challenge, Urdahl endorsement safe after Vikings vote
A move to reconsider and possibly rescind GOP Rep. Dean Urdahl's endorsement is unlikely to move forward after a local GOP board met Monday night.
View ArticleHouse passes $15.7B education finance bill
K-12 education finance bills that account for roughly 40 percent of the state’s general fund spending are moving through the House and Senate floors this week.
View ArticleHouse passes K-12 funding bill
The bill will increase the basic funding formula to schools by $234 million, or 3 percent, which Marquart said would break down to more than $300 in new spending per student.
View ArticleUrdahl aims to make civics test a graduation requirement
The questions are the same ones the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services uses to test applicants for citizenship.
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