ALEC focuses on damage control, a few model bills at Washington meeting
Admit it — in the month since the election you’ve missed hearing about the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), if only in the same stranger-than-fiction way as news stories about Denny Hecker...
View ArticleState Capitol parking goes high tech with pay stations
State Capitol parking has gone high tech, with the elimination of parking meters in favor of parking stations like the ones in downtown St. Paul and Minneapolis.The stations handle parking payments in...
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The amnesia of Christmas
Kristine Holmgren — Drama Queen CC/Flickr/Chris R McFarlandNo one suffered in our house during Christmas.When I was a little girl, no one suffered in our house during Christmas.My mom was a member of...
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Minnesota budget forecast sets the stage for the state’s next big political...
Wednesday’s release of Minnesota’s economic forecast will be only the first step in what will be a major political debate over the coming months.For a decade, the state has been led by those who...
View ArticleTwo non-citizens charged with voter fraud in Austin, Minn.
Two brothers in Austin, Minn., who have permanent resident status in the U.S. but aren't citizens, have been charged with voter fraud.The felony charge is: ineligible voter who knowingly voted.William...
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Minnesotan Nicholas David performs 'September' on NBC's 'The Voice'
Minnesotan Nicholas David, a.k.a. Nick "The Feelin" Mrozinski, is competing on Team Cee Lo in the current season of NBC's singing talent competition "The Voice." As of Monday night he was among the...
View ArticleReflux patients shouldn't be screened routinely for esophageal cancer, new...
People with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) should not undergo esophageal cancer screening unless their symptoms have failed to respond to treatment with acid-suppressing drugs and are severe,...
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Wolves color commentator ‘Jim Pete’ may be NBA’s best for die-hard fans
First of two articlesWhen Jim Petersen started doing color commentary on Minnesota Timberwolves broadcasts, he seemed like a pleasant presence who was pretty knowledgeable about game. Today, in his...
View ArticleGov. Dayton adds meetings with Speaker Boehner and Majority Leader Reid to...
Gov. Mark Dayton has added more high-powered meetings to his schedule in Washington today.He was at the White House for a National Governors Association Executive Committee meeting with President...
View ArticleDayton, governors call for bipartisan approach to fiscal cliff
WASHINGTON — Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton joined a bipartisan group of governors for fiscal cliff meetings in Washington on Tuesday.The governors, members of the National Governors Association Executive...
View ArticleMinneapolis’ Election Day filled with hitches and glitches
The 2012 election should have gone off without a hitch in Minneapolis.For starters, the city clerk and his staff studied turnouts from the last two elections following redistricting, and they looked at...
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Authorities release suspect in killing of Cold Spring officer
He’s been what? Larry Oakes and Curt Brown of the Strib are saying: “Stearns County prosecutors have released Ryan Michael Larson without charges in the shooting of Cold Spring police officer Tom...
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Walz looks to force vote on tax cut bill
Rep. Tim WalzWASHINGTON — Democratic Rep. Tim Walz is looking to employ a rarely used (and rarely successful) procedural maneuver to force a vote on a bill looking to provide middle-class tax relief...
View ArticleWillmar schools fire four technology staffers
The details are still sketchy, but four technology staffers have been terminated from Willmar School District while a fifth is on paid administrative leave. They have been charged with alleged...
View ArticleGOP leader Dave Thompson breaks on Republican strategies, but keeps the faith
On the eve of a state budget forecast that could provide the platform for major DFL changes on spending and social issues, new Assistant Senate Minority Leader Dave Thompson rejected two key pieces of...
View ArticleSt. Croix's mega-bridge will mostly benefit corporations, not citizens
Post election, if you want something new to question Rep. Michele Bachmann about, question her involvement in Minnesota’s St. Croix River bridge project. Until Bachmann stepped in, the various...
View Article'Indefinite deferral' for coal trains across southern Minnesota
A long battle has ended, apparently anyway, for Mankato and Rochester. Mark Fishenich of the Mankato Free Press says: “A controversial plan to run as many as 13,000 additional trains through Mankato...
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How are we doing? As a metro area, not that great
Former New York Mayor Ed Koch (whose name rhymes with "notch," in case you wondered) would famously gad about town asking his constituents, "How am I doing?" He was re-elected twice and served 12...
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Minnesota's millennials are ready to talk about governing
Lisa PiskorHere’s one election result we could have predicted: Minnesotans voted in droves – even if it meant standing in line for hours to do it. We outpace the nation on this and many fronts. From...
View ArticleElectronic pull-tab proceeds falling short
Apparently we may need electronic pull-tabs at gas pumps, too.Tim Nelson of MPR says: “Proceeds from expanded gambling are not filling up the state's account to help pay for a new Vikings stadium as...
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