The Minnesota Independent

Phyllis Kahn - Latest Stories

Coleman/Franken-type saga wouldn’t rob state of rep under temp-certificate plan

By Chris Steller | 07.01.09 | 11:55 am

recount-phyllisShe wants to make it so a drawn-out election dispute like the one between Al Franken and Norm Coleman never robs Minnesota of congressional representation again. So state Rep. Phyllis Kahn is vowing to revive a bill…

Marriage equality stalls at the Capitol despite ‘fair-minded majority’

By Andy Birkey | 03.31.09 | 1:12 pm

An unprecedented number of bills has been introduced this legislative session that would grant same-sex couples legal status similar to that of married couples. But they have all have died quiet deaths, as leaders say they don’t have the votes to pass then, even out of DFL-dominated committees.

Industrial hemp still alive in Legislature

By Andy Birkey | 03.26.09 | 5:53 pm

State Rep. Phyllis Kahn, DFL-Minneapolis, passed out chocolate truffles topped with industrial hemp seeds at the House Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Committee on Wednesday. The nutritious seeds are legal to buy in Minnesota as food, but once they sprout, they are considered marijuana and subject to harsh legal penalties. A bill Kahn sponsored that would allow for the agricultural production of hemp passed the committee on Wednesday.

Domestic partner benefits advance in House

By Andy Birkey | 03.24.09 | 11:35 am

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.

Unless Franken gets temporary certificate, Senate seat could stay empty 5 months

By Chris Steller | 02.04.09 | 5:31 pm

Without a new state law requiring a provisional election certificate in cases like Al Franken’s, Minnesota could be without its second U.S. senator for four to five months. That’s the opinion of Hamline University School of Law professor David Schultz, who advised state Rep. Phyllis Kahn on her bill that would seat Franken temporarily until former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman’s current election contest trial is resolved.

Bill to seat Franken could put Pawlenty in a pickle, Kahn says

By Chris Steller | 02.04.09 | 3:50 pm

Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s pen might imperil him if he uses it to veto a bill to give Al Franken a provisional election certificate to the U.S. Senate. Pawlenty would risk appearing to put partisanship ahead of the state’s best interests if Minnesota’s U.S. Senate election contest trial drags on, says the bill’s author, state Rep. Phyllis Kahn. And the toll on T-Paw could be even higher if Franken eventually emerged the winner.

By RNC standards, is SUV ramming Planned Parenthood terrorism?

By Chris Steller | 01.23.09 | 10:56 am

When an SUV rammed the Planned Parenthood office on Ford Parkway in St. Paul yesterday on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, was the driver furthering terrorism in violation of Minnesota’s Patriot Act – a charge Ramsey…

Election Day morning, University of Minnesota campus: mobbed but orderly

By Chris Steller | 11.04.08 | 9:48 am

Polling places were mobbed around the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis early this morning. In a residential neighborhood near campus, a line of 300 people at Marcy Open School stretched out the door and around the corner. Poll workers had…

Primary results: Franken, Barkley easily advance

By Paul Demko | 09.09.08 | 10:04 pm

Al Franken will comfortably advance from today’s primary election to take on Norm Coleman in the U. S. Senate race. With more than 80 percent of the results in, Franken is carrying 67 percent of the vote in the seven-candidate field. His most credible challenger, attorney Priscilla Lord Faris, is currently garnering support from 29 percent of voters.

Eight questions about Tuesday’s primary election

By Paul Demko | 09.08.08 | 1:32 pm


There’s a primary election today in Minnesota. You can be forgiven for not having noticed. With the temporary Republican takeover of the Twin Cities and a U.S. Senate race that’s been billed as a two-candidate duel for months,…