Government

DFL budget targets for health and human services could spell disaster for Greater Minnesota

By Sally Jo Sorensen, Bluestem Prairie

We're a bit behind the curve in commenting on this story, but the consequences of budget cuts proposed by DFL leadership in the Minnesota House and Senate don't look good for the poor and vulnerable in rural areas.

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Bluestem Prairie

Frac sand news: Hansen and Schmit bills advance; SEMN permitting; WI project threatens Riverway

By Sally Jo Sorensen, Bluestem Prairie

While bills related to regulating the frac sand industry make their way through the Minnesota state legislature, sand mining continues to generate headlines in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

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Bluestem Prairie

State budget to take center stage in April

By Sarah Lemagie, Session Daily

Budget bills will be the Legislature’s top priority in April, with issues such as same-sex marriage likely to take the back seat for at least a few weeks, House majority leaders said Friday as lawmakers headed home for a weeklong break.

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A new investment method could be used to invest state retirement funds

By Liz Stoever, Session Daily

The State Board of Investment could start investing state retirement and other funds in swap contracts, an investment tool recently regulated by the federal government.

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Use of 'stone-age' technology hampers securing private data

By Lee Ann Schutz Wahi, Session Daily

Keith Carlson, left, with Rep. Mary Liz Holberg (Photo by Andrew VonBank)

Rep. Peggy Scott is one of 7,000 individuals whose information was inappropriately accessed last year by a Department of Natural Resources employee. The Andover Republican is ready to sign onto any class action suit that may be filed because of the incident. Exhibiting frustration over the breach, her comments came during testimony on a bill that would put in place safeguards to protect private data collected by government entities.

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Fourth tier taxpayers by legislative district

By Jeff Van Wychen, Minnesota 2020

Tuesday, Minnesota 2020 presented information showing the percentage of taxpayers in each Minnesota county that would be affected by Governor Dayton’s proposal to create a new fourth income tax bracket. The percentage of full-year resident taxpayers affected by the proposed fourth tier ranges from 0.2 percent in Pine County to 3.4 percent in Carver County. Statewide, only two percent of Minnesota taxpayers with taxable income in excess of $250,000 (married-joint filers) would be affected by Dayton’s proposed fourth tier.

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Minnesota 2020

Governor signs health insurance exchange into law

By Susan Hegarty, Session Daily

Minnesota’s version of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is now state law and has an official name — MNsure: ‘Where you choose health coverage.’

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OPINION | Cities compromise on Local Government Aid, reach historic agreement

By Jeff Van Wychen, Minnesota 2020

A reformed Local Government Aid (LGA) program could become law during the 2013 legislative session, thanks to the leadership of Governor Dayton—who included a significant funding increase for LGA in his proposed budget—and Rep. Ben Lien of Moorhead and Rep. Jim Davnie of Minneapolis—who assisted a broad coalition of city groups in coming together on a reform plan that will benefit cities and taxpayers across Minnesota.

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