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Republican Sen. Koering’s dinner with porn star scrutinized

By Andy Birkey | 06.16.10 | 6:00 am

Already locked in a tough primary battle, Minnesota’s only openly gay elected Republican courted controversy this week when he met with a gay porn actor for dinner Sunday evening. The dinner date was revealed on Twitter when porn actor…

Plategate update: Legislators criticize Pawlenty’s office funding scheme

By Andy Birkey | 03.19.10 | 11:51 am

pawlenty podiumRepresentatives from Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s administration defended the governor’s decision to pay his faith-based office coordinator out of a license plate fund for veterans during a legislative hearing on the issue on Thursday. But legislators criticized Pawlenty’s…

Catholic leaders want Pawlenty to sign HHS bill

By Andy Birkey | 05.14.09 | 11:22 am

nienstedtThe Health and Human Services omnibus bill passed the Minnesota Legislature Monday with deep cuts totaling $500 million and now awaits action from Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who is expected to veto…

Minnesota’s gay Republican will not vote for marriage equality bill

By Andy Birkey | 02.17.09 | 10:18 am

State Sen. Paul Koering, R-Fort Ripley, said Friday that he will not vote for the Marriage and Family Protection Act, a bill that would make Minnesota’s marriage laws gender-neutral, allowing same-sex couples many of the rights currently denied by Minnesota statute. Koering, who is gay and a Republican, said he would vote against it because the state faces bigger problems.

Medical marijuana a public safety threat? The data says otherwise

By Andy Birkey | 02.17.09 | 10:15 am

While legislators debate making marijuana legal for individuals suffering from debilitating illness, law enforcement has testified that medical marijuana would post a risk to public safety. But as the Humphrey Institute’s Smart Politics reports, Minnesota law enforcement has scaled…

Legislators pitch amendments on guns, health care, labor and — amendments

By Andy Birkey | 02.13.09 | 6:55 pm

When state legislators want to make major changes to law, sometimes they put the law to the voters to decide. This year, they’re asking Minnesotans where we stand on issues like guns, health care and labor unions. There’s even a bill to ask the voters whether the state Constitution should be amended to change the way Minnesota amends the Constitution.

Marriage equality bill picks up steam at Legislature

By Andy Birkey | 02.11.09 | 8:37 am

The Marriage and Family Protection Act is getting traction at the Minnesota Capitol. Numerous legislators have added their support — so much so that a duplicate bill has been drafted in the Senate to allow for more sponsors. The legislation would create gender-neutral laws in Minnesota, allowing same-sex couples access to the same benefits legally married couples enjoy.

Medical marijuana picks up GOP support in MN House

By Andy Birkey | 02.04.09 | 8:51 am

Marijuana is back in the news this week after Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps is threatened with criminal charges for toking at a party and three Minnesota House Republicans sign on to a bill relax criminal penalties for users of medicinal marijuana.

What did they say? Gang-bang packages and foo foo dust

By Andy Birkey | 02.02.09 | 2:42 pm

Politicians make some over-the-top remarks from time to time, and last week a few quotes at the state capitol left observers wondering, “What did they say?”

Ballot reforms unlikely to help voters who think outside the oval

By Chris Steller | 01.08.09 | 4:47 pm

Minnesotans whose political preferences can’t be expressed within the outlines of a tiny oval aren’t likely to get relief this year from ballot reforms proposed at the state Legislature. That’s the message state Sen. Ann Rest and state Rep. Laura Brod had for the breed of voters whose enigmatically marked ballots were on display during the recent Senate recount.