Minnesota Independent

In close vote, anti-gay marriage amendment moves to House floor

By Andy Birkey | 05.18.11 | 10:00 am

On Wednesday morning, the House Committee on Rules and Administration approved an amendment that would codify a ban on gay marriage within the Minnesota Constitution by a vote of 13 to 12. One Republican, Rep. Tim Kelly of Red Wing, joined the DFL in voting against the measure. The bill heads to a House floor vote. The committee took no public testimony before the vote.

Minnesota Capitol. Photo: Paul Weimer, Flickr

As DFLers blast women’s pay repeal, GOP introduces Senate version

By Andy Birkey | 02.09.11 | 8:31 am

Members of the DFL House caucus chastised Republicans Tuesday for introducing legislation in the House that would eliminate the 1984 Pay Equity Act. At a press conference, Democrats said the law is still necessary to ensure women are paid the same as men in local government units. But just as they were rallying against the bill, Republican Sen. Mike Jungbauer introduced a bill — the third GOP bill on the issue — to repeal the law in the Senate.

AM.MN: Take me out to the U.S. Senate race…

By Chris Steller | 12.15.09 | 8:30 am

Minnesota may have hosted the decade’s best regular-season baseball game, but according to The Fix the state can also lay claim to two of the decade’s best U.S. Senate races, including one that went beyond the regular season.…

Pawlenty’s health care cuts come amid hellish week for hospitals

By Chris Steller | 05.19.09 | 1:32 pm

Ominous news about job losses and financial woes at Minnesota hospitals over the last week coincide with Gov. Pawlenty’s line-item veto of $381 million in General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) grants and his vow to make more cuts by unallotment. But as bad as the doomsday scenarios are, they shouldn’t include St. Paul’s Regions Hospital closing — a prospect that a DFL press release warned of over the weekend.

Reversal of fortune: Three state House candidates avenge 2006 defeats

By Paul Demko | 11.07.08 | 3:23 pm

This year there were at least nine state House contests that were rematches from 2006. In three instances, challengers successfully avenged their previous defeats.

The battle for the state House: rematches from ’06

By Paul Demko | 10.22.08 | 6:50 pm

After a tough 2006 electoral battle in which Democrat Ken Tschumper prevailed over incumbent Gregory Davids, the opponents will face off again this year. It is perhaps the most intriguing rematch of the electoral season, but it’s far from the only one. There are at least seven other competitive state House contests that pit foes against each other for a second — or even third — time.