Lawmakers Winnow List For University Governing Board

Lawmakers narrowed down Tuesday the field of candidates for the University of Minnesota's governing board but couldn't agree in two of the five contests. Members of the House and Senate higher education committees planned to recommend five candidates for the 12-member Board of Regents — which sets tuition and policy at the state's flagship college — to the joint Legislature, which will likely make final choices later this month. They did that for three out five open seats, choosing two newcomers and an incumbent.

• Feb 10, 2015

Dayton Asks For $10M To Replace Aging Aircraft

Gov. Mark Dayton said he wants to replace two aging aircraft that serve as Minnesota's official state planes. The Democratic governor is asking the legislature for $10 million dollars to replace them, because he says the current planes are becoming dangerous.

• Feb 10, 2015

Dayton Agrees To Meet On Cabinet Raises But Won't Testify

Gov. Mark Dayton says he's willing to discuss raises he awarded state agency commissioners in a meeting with lawmakers that is open to the media, but he won't testify before a House panel. Dayton declined an invitation to address the House State Government Finance Committee in an upcoming hearing about big raises for members of his cabinet.

• Feb 10, 2015

Wisconsin Gov. Walker First To Open Iowa Office

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has opened an office in Iowa, the first of the potential 2016 presidential candidates to take such a step. Walker spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski confirmed Tuesday that Walker's tax-exempt fundraising group, Our American Revival, has leased the space in a suburb of Des Moines.

• Feb 10, 2015

Republican Lawmakers Respond To Governor's Pay Hikes

Minnesota Republican leaders today ramped up their criticism of Gov. Mark Dayton's hefty pay hikes for his Cabinet. The Democratic governor issued a letter to the legislature, calling the pay hikes "necessary" and "legal."

• Feb 9, 2015

McCollum To Skip Netanyahu Speech To Congress

U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum says she'll skip Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to a joint session of Congress next month.

• Feb 9, 2015

S.D. Panel Votes To Void Transgender Students In Sports Policy

A state House committee has approved a proposal that would void a High School Activities Association policy on transgender student participation in sports. The House State Affairs Committee on Monday voted 10 to 2 to support the measure.

• Feb 9, 2015

Gov. Dayton Addresses Legislature Over Commissioner Raises

Gov. Mark Dayton issued an open letter to the Minnesota Legislature on Monday addressing his decision to give his cabinet members pay raises. Dayton said that it is "imperative to separate disagreements about the wisdom or necessity of my decisions — and they were my decisions — from questions about their legality."

• Feb 9, 2015

Scott Walker In London This Week For Trade Mission

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is headed to London for a trade mission that comes on the heels of a similar trip last week by another potential Republican presidential candidate, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

• Feb 9, 2015

Walker's Cuts To SeniorCare Could Leave Some Struggling

Wisconsin's older residents say Gov. Scott Walker's proposal to cut funding for the SeniorCare drug program could leave them struggling to make ends meet.

• Feb 8, 2015

Constitutional Test For Minnesota Sex Offender Program

Minnesota's civil commitment program for sex offenders has been under fire for years by people who say it's unconstitutional because it amounts to a life sentence. A federal judge has pressured state lawmakers to change the program to address concerns, but they have not.

• Feb 8, 2015

MNsure Extends Call Center Hours Ahead Of Deadline

MNsure officials say the contact center's office hours have been extended for the last week of open enrollment.

• Feb 8, 2015

Ken Martin Re-Elected Chairman Of Minnesota DFL Party

Ken Martin has been re-elected to a third two-year term as chairman of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. The vote was unanimous at the party central committee meeting in Monticello on Saturday.

• Feb 7, 2015

Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page In His Own Words

Minnesota Supreme Court Associate Justice Alan Page will hit the mandatory retirement age of 70 in August. The former Minnesota Viking sat down with The Associated Press to talk about his plans for an active retirement and to look back at his career. Here are some of his thoughts.

• Feb 7, 2015

Republican Legislature Responds To Governor's Pay Raises

Majority Republicans in the Minnesota House say they will introduce legislation to take away the Governor's authority to raise the pay of his cabinet.

• Feb 6, 2015

Show More