Minnesota House

In the final minutes of the legislative session last night, the Minnesota Legislature took up a tax bill. By a House vote of 82 to 47, the bill prevailed — as did fast-paced parliamentary pugilistics and full-throated partisanship.

innesota’s medical marijuana bill cleared its last committee in the Minnesota House of Representatives, paving the way for a House vote. It passed the House Finance Committee by a bipartisan vote of 17–6 after no debate. Several major changes were made to the bill to appease law enforcement.

Legislation that would pave the way for domestic partner benefits for state employees passed a key committee last week. Currently, gay and lesbian state employees are barred from providing state employee benefits for their families, a discrepancy that advocates say puts state government and state colleges and universities at a competitive disadvantage. The bill, HF 1219, passed the House Health Care and Human Services Policy and Oversight Committee by a voice vote.

At the state Capitol Monday, the revolution arrived earlier than expected. It wasn’t rioting over the economy but some very civil unrest by members of the mainstream media, upset over proposed restrictions at the Minnesota House of Representatives that would affect not only new media but all media.

Health insurance representatives, Republicans and a few DFLers hammered on the proposal for state-run health coverage, despite physicians and small business owners signaling the urgency of the issue.

A noble debate on the virtues of freedom of the press and open government it was not. A hearing on a proposed rule change to allow online media workers press access to the state House of Representatives, which was scheduled at the last minute, ended just as abruptly today — before it started, in fact.

One of the most stark contrasts in any state legislative race this year lies in the House District 37B face-off between ultra-conservative Republican Judy Lindsay and moderate DFLer Phil Sterner. The southeastern metro district trends moderate and has overwhelmingly supported retiring moderate Republican Dennis Ozment. But two years ago Amy Klobuchar carried the district, and districts to the north and west have elected DFLers to the House and Senate. So in a big picture sense, the district appears to be on the expanding edge of recent DFL advances (or Republican losses).

by Leigh Pomeroy

Minnesota House Speaker Steve Sviggum is friendly and energetic. He has more than once been confused for 1st District Congressman Gil Gutknecht, and though Sviggum’s hair is shorter and slightly graying, their facial features and personality similarities might lead an observer to think that they are brothers or at least cousins. And politically [...]