Minnesota Independent

Bong water is back at the Minnesota Capitol

By Andy Birkey | 02.15.11 | 8:24 am

Nothing brings together Republicans and DFLers at the Minnesota Capitol like bong water. A new bipartisan bill would exclude a specific amount of water from a bong, or water pipe, from the weight of drugs calculated when someone is charged with possession. Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty vetoed a similar bill last year after legislators overwhelmingly passed the measure in response to a high profile Minnesota Supreme Court case.

Supreme Court denies Emmer, GOP petition

By Andy Birkey | 11.23.10 | 7:30 am

Ninety minutes after hearing oral arguments, the Minnesota Supreme Court rejected a petition by the Republican Party of Minnesota and Tom Emmer for Governor to force counties to undergo a reconciliation in search of “phantom votes.” The Emmer team argued that election officials improperly counted votes on election night, but the opposition argued that officials have followed the letter of the law.

Witnesses for Emmer complaint are for most part Republican activists

By Andy Birkey | 11.18.10 | 2:47 pm

In a petition filed by the Republican Party of Minnesota and Tom Emmer’s gubernatorial campaign with the Minnesota Supreme Court, election judges from around the state submitted affidavits stating that reconciliation between registered voters and ballots was not done correctly in their precincts. The GOP said improper record keeping on election night resulted in thousands of “phantom votes” while the Dayton campaign called the complaint a delay tactic. The vast majority of the witnesses in the complaint are Republican activists or are connected to the tea party movement.

Emmer files petition with Supreme Court, Dayton camp calls it delay tactic

By Andy Birkey | 11.18.10 | 10:00 am

The Republican Party of Minnesota and Tom Emmer’s gubernatorial campaign filed a petition Wednesday with the Minnesota Supreme Court alleging that more people voted in the 2010 election than registered. The GOP claims it has information from election judges who “did not witness” other election judges counting precinct sign in sheets and that “tens of thousands”of “phantom votes” exist. The recount team of Mark Dayton said that votes have been reconciled twice in post-election reporting, and that the GOP is engaged in an eleventh-hour “hail mary” to postpone the recount process.

The Minnesota Judicial Center. Photo: Wikipedia

Embracing partisanship, judge candidates weigh in on abortion, God in courts

By Andy Birkey | 10.29.10 | 10:40 am

Three statewide candidates are bucking longstanding tradition in the lead-up to Tuesday’s election: Judicial candidates Dan Griffith (pictured), Tim Tingelstad and Greg Wersal are openly weighing in on issues that could come before them if elected, and all three have endorsements by major political parties. Coming from tea party backgrounds, they have aligned themselves with the Republican Party, the Minnesota Family Council and, in one case, the Constitution Party of Minnesota, and fitting the conservative bent of those groups, the trio has opined about contentious social issues from abortion and homosexuality to the role of Christianity in schools and courtrooms. While these activities are legal, critics say that they could undermine the impartiality and nonpartisan nature of the judiciary.

Pawlenty responds to Supreme Court ruling on constitutionality of unallotment

By Andy Birkey | 05.05.10 | 11:27 am

The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s unallotment of a special diet program for low income Minnesotans was beyond the scope of the law. The executive…

Franken faces cameras in Washington

By Paul Demko | 07.06.09 | 12:34 pm

Al Franken is ready to get to work in Washington. That was the message of the senator-elect at his first public appearance on Capitol Hill since the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled last week that he won the U.S. Senate contest. “I am going to work day and night to make sure that our kids have a great future and that America’s best days lay ahead,” Franken said in a brief, mid-day appearance with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

More reactions to Franken’s Senate victory

By Paul Demko | 06.30.09 | 4:47 pm

Al Franken will become Minnesota’s junior senator — and everyone wants to weigh in on the development. Here’s a round-up of the latest statements about the end of the bruising U.S.…

Coleman concedes U.S. Senate contest

By Paul Demko | 06.30.09 | 3:30 pm

Norm Coleman has conceded. The former senator called Al Franken this afternoon to congratulate him on his victory nearly eight months after election day. The concession came shortly after the Minnesota Supreme Court issued a ruling naming Franken the winner in the protracted contest.

Senator Al: State Supreme Court rules Franken won Senate race

By Paul Demko | 06.30.09 | 2:50 pm

Minnesota’s interminable U.S. Senate race may finally be over. More than seven months after election day, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled today that Democrat Al Franken prevailed by 312 votes over Republican Norm Coleman. Franken will almost certainly now become Minnesota’s junior senator. The court, however, did not explicitly order Gov. Tim Pawlenty to sign an election certificate.