Minnesota Independent

Anoka-Hennepin changes Snow Days coronation over lesbian students’ election

By Andy Birkey | 01.28.11 | 8:49 am

After the student body at Champlin Park High School voted two lesbians as royalty for the Snow Days coronation, the school district changed a longstanding protocol for the event, telling student they couldn’t walk into the celebration in pairs, because for two girls to do so might offend some students. Unlike past years, this year all royalty must walk in separately. The school is part of the Anoka-Hennepin School District, which has become ground zero in Minnesota in the battle over anti-LGBT bullying.

MN Forward draws more limited corporate support, picks up RGA backing

By Patrick Caldwell | 10.26.10 | 12:38 pm

MN Forward — the independent expenditure organization that received heavy criticism for using donations from Target to run campaign ads supporting Republican Tom Emmer — has raked in $1.9 million so far this year. New campaign finance reports released Tuesday morning reveal that the group continues to receive the majority of its funds from local corporations, though high-profile public companies largely shied away from contributing to the group after the Target backlash.

Dayton’s lead grows but race remains close

By Patrick Caldwell | 10.15.10 | 11:37 am

With 18 days left until the election, Democrat Mark Dayton appears to hold a slight edge, according to the latest poll on the Minnesota gubernatorial race. In a new KSTP/SurveryUSA poll, Dayton leads Republican Tom Emmer 42-37 percent, with Independence Party candidate Tom Horner trailing far behind the two major-party candidates with only 14 percent support.

KSTP, MPR: Emmer missed-votes ad ‘essentially accurate’

By Paul Schmelzer | 08.19.10 | 3:57 pm

Two fact-checks done by local news outlets find that the Alliance for a Better Minnesota’s newest ad, which claims “Tom Emmer missed one out of every five votes in the state legislature,” is accurate — with caveats.

GOP: Beware of DFL donuts, fair-goers!

By Paul Schmelzer | 08.27.09 | 12:22 pm

This plan could backfire: By putting the spotlight on a State Fair vendor — Grandstand Donuts — that’s really an unadvertised fundraiser for DFL candidates, the Minnesota Republican Party could actually boost sales of Democratic donuts.

Media Monitor: Defunct community paper sued; health care forum goes online

By Paul Schmelzer | 08.12.09 | 11:40 am

Community papers can’t catch a break: As the Minneapolis paper formerly known at The Bridge shuts down — even, apparently, online — a paper that stopped publishing two years finds itself on the receiving end of a lawsuit. Also, to sidestep mayhem at health care forums, local social media experts are trying a more civil exchange online.

KSTP poll: Solid majority of Minnesotans support same-sex unions

By Andy Birkey | 05.14.09 | 4:53 pm

A SurveyUSA/KSTP poll released this week shows a high level of support in Minnesota for the recognition of same-sex couples. Sixty-four percent of respondents said the state should offer same-sex marriage or civil unions. Only 34 percent said same-sex…

KSTP poll: state legislature held in low regard

By Paul Demko | 05.13.09 | 9:38 am

The ongoing budget battle at the Capitol is not endearing state legislators to the public, according to a new SurveyUSA poll. Just 26 percent of Minnesota residents expressed approval of…

Media Monitor: The Fix’s best blogs list, and a KSTP host runs for GOP chair

By Paul Schmelzer | 04.08.09 | 4:23 pm

A week after losing his KSTP AM show, Dave Thompson is throwing his hat in the ring to become state GOP chair. Chris Cillizza’s best-state-based blogs list came out at the Washington Post today, and Minnesota has more featured blogs than any other state. And a traffic milestone for MinnPost. All this, plus some naughty humor from Roger Ebert, inside.

Poll: Many Minnesotans support tax increase with cuts for budget fix

By Andy Birkey | 01.13.09 | 8:24 am

A KSTP/SurveyUSA poll conducted last week found that a plurality of Minnesotans want a combination of budget cuts and an increase in taxes to fix the historic $4.8 billion deficit now facing legislators and the governor. What’s…