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In a preview of the floor debate ahead, a Minnesota House committee has advanced a plan to have the state finance $1.1 billion in construction projects amid misgivings over priorities. The plan combines cash financing and borrowing.
The Senate has voted to take up a bill that supporters of the Keystone XL oil pipeline want to use as a vehicle to authorize immediate construction of the proposed pipeline from Canada to the United States.
U.S. Sen. Al Franken hits the airwaves with the first TV ad of his re-election campaign. Franken's 30-second spot begins running statewide Tuesday. It promotes Franken's efforts to help train workers for skilled jobs.
The Minnesota Lottery's ability to sell paperless tickets over the Internet and at gas pumps is up for another legislative vote. The House was due Tuesday to consider a measure barring the lottery from continuing virtual games that have been the source of controversy.
The Minnesota Senate's proposal for publicly backed construction projects totals more than $1.1 billion in combined borrowing and cash-financed projects. The proposal released Monday calls for borrowing of $846 million and about $200 million in cash from the state's surplus.
Minnesota is on the verge of restricting gun possession rights for people convicted of domestic abuse and those subject to restraining orders. The Senate voted 60-4 on Monday to require people convicted of child or domestic abuse to give up their firearms permanently. A person subject to an order of protection could regain right of possession when an order expires unless a judge extends the order.
A bill to legalize medical marijuana is headed to the Senate floor after passage by the Finance Committee. The committee passed the bill 14-7 on Monday after adding a few wrinkles to the legislation.
Supporters of defining electronic cigarettes in the same light as traditional tobacco products won a key round Monday in the Minnesota Legislature. By an 11-8 vote, lawmakers pushing for tough regulations on the fast-spreading devices defeated an effort to pare back their bill.
Bills legalizing medical marijuana could be voted on in both the Minnesota House and Senate this week, but the House and Senate versions are significantly different. That has led to disagreements among supporters that some say threaten passage of any type of bill.
The funeral for former Congressman Jim Oberstar has been announced. In an obituary posted Sunday, family announced Oberstar's private burial will be held at Our Lady of Mercy in Potomac, Maryland at 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 8.
Former U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar, who represented northeastern Minnesota for 36 years, died unexpectedly early Saturday morning. He was 79. A statement released by his family said Oberstar died in his sleep. A cause of death was not provided. His former chief of staff, Bill Richard, said Oberstar died at his home in Potomac, Maryland.
A rift among Minnesota supporters of allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes could make it harder to push legalization through the legislature this year. Committees in both the House and Senate were debating competing legislation Friday. A Senate panel stripped the option of smoking marijuana as medication from its bill on Thursday. But the House version is even more limited in how the drug may be accessed.
The Minnesota Senate has passed a bill allowing the state to retain blood samples from newborn babies indefinitely. Senators voted 36 to 20 to send the proposal to Gov. Mark Dayton.
Restrictions on cellphone tracking by law enforcers have won the unanimous support of the Minnesota House. By a 120-0 vote, House lawmakers passed a bill Friday that would require court orders before government agencies can access location information on devices.
President Obama will be in Minneapolis next month to raise money for House Democrats. This will be one of more than 20 fundraisers Obama has committed to hold for Democrats ahead of the November elections.
