Minnesota Independent

Legislators want medical marijuana farming in Minnesota

By Andy Birkey | 02.24.11 | 3:04 pm

A bill introduced in the Minnesota Legislature on Thursday would make it legal for farmers to grow medical marijuana and sell it to dispensaries in states where marijuana can be legally used for medicinal purposes. The Medical Marijuana Production and Export Act would direct the state government to develop a strict licensing plan for the potential grower and cites a positive economic benefit for the state’s agricultural sector.

Union supporters put Kelliher over top at DFL convention

By Jon Collins | 04.26.10 | 12:31 pm

Coming into the DFL State Convention, it was hyped that a progressive group called reNEW Minnesota would throw its weight behind one DFL gubernatorial candidate to push them over the top. But the group couldn’t choose between their three supported candidates and opted not to vote together. Instead an old-school political force showed its strength, as labor supporters facing the choice between labor-friendly Margaret Anderson Kelliher and R.T. Rybak, who has taken heat for his relations with Minneapolis unions, flocked to Kelliher to win her the DFL endorsement.

Rasmussen polls gubernatorial race

By Andy Birkey | 03.12.10 | 8:00 am

Rasmussen Reports released some of the first polling numbers on Minnesota’s gubernatorial race on Thursday, finding that for the most part Minnesotans are undecided about who they like for governor. And with a diluted field for the DFL, no…

Minnesotans can’t smoke medical marijuana, but could they grow it?

By Andy Birkey | 02.18.10 | 9:00 am

A bipartisan bill introduced in the Minnesota House on Monday could give the state’s agricultural sector a boost in the form of a new cash crop: medical marijuana. Gov. Tim Pawlenty last year vetoed an effort to legalize medical cannibis,…

Rybak, Seifert headed for wins in caucus straw poll

By Andy Birkey | 02.03.10 | 3:30 pm

A straw poll results from Tuesday night’s political caucuses continue to trickle in, gubernatorial candidates RT Rybak and Margaret Anderson Kelliher are taking the top spot in the DFL, while Marty Seifert is garnering a large number of votes on the Republican side. Early results for the Independence Party show Tom Horner taking the lead, but voting for that straw poll will continue online until Feb. 28.

AM.MN: Guv hopefuls carless, sickened by sprawl, scared to bike

By Chris Steller | 01.26.10 | 8:15 am

Leslie Davis is the only candidate for governor who doesn’t own a car. It’s too dangerous for John Marty to bike 12 miles to work. Urban sprawl sickens and saddens Tom Rukavina. That’s what

Gubernatorial candidates polled on health care positions

By Andy Birkey | 01.12.10 | 5:03 pm

The Minnesota Universal Health Care Coalition released a questionnaire on Monday polling candidates for governor on their stance on single-payer health care (pdf). All DFLers and one Republican responded. The majority support a single-payer health plan in Minnesota.

Rukavina crows over 1,133 donors

By Chris Steller | 01.05.10 | 9:43 am

DFL State Rep. Tom Rukavina has taken in more than $135,000 from 1,133 donors, his gubernatorial campaign said Tuesday. Rukavina measured his accomplishment against DFL House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher’s announced 1,200 donors.

AM.MN: T-Paw says ‘monstrosity,’ New Hampshire says ‘personable’

By Chris Steller | 12.17.09 | 8:31 am

In New Hampshire Wednesday, Tim Pawlenty said things like “monstrosity being jammed down our throats” (to describe health care reform), “Ponzi scheme on the Potomac” (to describe federal spending), and “red-hot smoking” (to describe his wife, Mary). People in…

Copper-mine meetings extracted opinion without polluting public discourse

By Chris Steller | 12.15.09 | 2:06 pm

A massive proposal to mine for copper and other metals in Northern Minnesota underwent exactly the amount of public debate at two meetings last week that government agencies had planned for: none, according to Lake Superior Mining News.…