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Capitol Report

Capitol Report focuses on government and politics, looking at the Minnesota Legislature, Minnesota state government, Minneapolis and St. Paul city government, election and campaign related events and issues, with a focus on informing citizen readers about opportunities to influence or attend political events. 

 

Down to the wire - and beyond: Special session called at midnight

UPDATED 11:10 a.m. Budget passed, House and Senate adjourned.

UPDATED 6:40 a.m., Monday, May 17 - The legislature went into special session at 12:01 a.m., with an agreement allegedly reached on a budget deal, and promises of a vote by sunrise. No vote yet, though the sun is up. Session Daily reports that the compromise includes:

• passage of legislation authorizing Pawlenty or the next governor to have the state opt in to an early expansion of Medicaid enrollment;
• $10 million in extra funding for General Assistance Medical Care;
• allowing a potential $408 million in enhanced Medicaid match funds to be used to bolster the state’s cash flow, if Congress appropriates the money; and
• no surcharges on health care providers.

Yesterday's session included farewells from retiring senators, including a surprise announcement from Senator Mee Moua. Details on the weekend marathon below, from The Uptake and Session Daily. The Uptake continues with live coverage from the House and Senate.

MORE »

What's Pawlenty vetoing today?

By Lawrence Schumacher, TC Daily Planet

In the last week, Gov. Tim Pawlenty has killed seven bills with the swipe of his veto pen, with the promise of more to come as the session ticks down toward its close Monday.MORE »

Will Pawlenty preserve discrimination beyond the grave?

By Lawrence Schumacher, TC Daily Planet

Survivors of deceased domestic partners would soon have the power to inherit their partners' remains, if Gov. Tim Pawlenty signs a bill headed his way in the closing days of the legislative session.MORE »

Waiting for the inevitable Pawlenty veto

By Lawrence Schumacher, TC Daily Planet

UPDATE: We didn't have long to wait. The veto has arrived. Go here to read it.

Groundhog Day. The definition of insanity.MORE »

Why the MN Legislature will fail to find a budget solution

By Lawrence Schumacher, TC Daily Planet

Want a list of reasons why our elected leaders won't solve the state's budget deficit by May 17 like they were supposed to? Let's count the ways in which they will fail:MORE »

Supremes tell Pawlenty to settle down, Legislature to step up

By Lawrence Schumacher, TC Daily Planet

In a 4-3 ruling delivered Wednesday, the Minnesota Supreme Court  essentially rejected $2.7 billion in unilateral spending cuts Gov. Tim Pawlenty made last year after he vetoed a tax bill that would have raised that amount at the end of the session.

Chief Justice Eric Magnuson, a Pawlenty appointee who's retiring this June, along with Justices Alan Page, Paul Anderson and Helen Meyer, decided Pawlenty did not follow the law when it came to unalloting more than $5.3 million in approved spending for Minnesota's Special Diet Program.MORE »

Children, disabled, poor in DFL Legislature's crosshairs again

By Lawrence Schumacher, TC Daily Planet

Mental health services for children and adults, assistance for poor families, vulnerable adults, and home-based elderly adults would suffer the most from $154 million in cuts to a health and human services budget bill making its way through the Minnesota House of Representatives.MORE »

Let the stadium bidding wars commence

By Lawrence Schumacher, TC Daily Planet

A Vikings stadium bill that allows Minnesota cities to bid against each other to offer tax breaks and other incentives could be introduced at the Legislature as soon as Monday.  MORE »

Bailing out Minneapolis' pension fund

By Lawrence Schumacher, TC Daily Planet

State taxpayers would have to share the cost of saving a Minneapolis public employee retirement fund that could go broke within a decade if it is not merged with a statewide pension fund.

The Minneapolis Employees' Retirement Fund has 4,600 employees drawing pensions and only 200 still working, a situation that is rapidly drawing down its remaining funds.MORE »

Judicial reform bill didn't have the votes, House DFLer says

By Lawrence Schumacher, TC Daily Planet

The author of a proposal to reform the way judicial elections in Minnesota are held pulled his bill rather than having it fail a key House of Representatives committee vote, a key Minneapolis DFLer told the Daily Planet.MORE »

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