Quantcast

Stebbins, Paulites loom large at GOP convention

Four years ago, as Marianne Stebbins recalls it, she couldn’t get Republican Party officials to return her phone calls. The state coordinator for Ron Paul’s presidential campaign wanted to know whether the Texas congressman would be granted a speaking slot at the party’s convention in Rochester.

THEBRIEFINGROOM

Legislators, lobbyists host Capitol Hill fundraiser for Rick Nolan

Rick Nolan will be getting a little help stocking his campaign war chest Wednesday evening in the nation's capital. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Fraken and the rest of Minnesota's DFL legislative delegation are scheduled to attend the fundraiser.

Ortman fails in bid for SD47 GOP endorsement, will face primary

Activists ultimately opted to forego a sixth ballot and to leave the convention without an endorsement. That motion carried on a slim 77-75 vote.

It’s that time again: the PIM 2012 legislative races scorecard

Now that Session 2012 is concluded and legislators have fled the Capitol, it's campaign season once again. And to help you track the races in all 201 of Minnesota's redrawn legislative districts, we present PIM's biennial chart of legislative races, 2012 edition.

Common Cause MN files complaints against ALEC

The pair of complaints come from allegations that ALEC is involved in lobbying activities but presents itself for tax and campaign finance purposes as a charitable organization.



Gaming politics drive tight RNC race

The race for Republican National Committeewoman at the state Republican Party convention this weekend is not exactly the most-watched political contest of the year.

Stebbins, Paulites loom large at GOP convention

Four years ago, as Marianne Stebbins recalls it, she couldn’t get Republican Party officials to return her phone calls. The state coordinator for Ron Paul’s presidential campaign wanted to know whether the Texas congressman would be granted a speaking slot at the party’s convention in Rochester.

OLA: Create incentives for local governments to merge

During the budget deficits that have marked the last decade at the state Capitol, lawmakers have frequently mulled ways to make local government more efficient and, perhaps more to the point, less expensive.

Steven Schier: Session post-mortem: Minnesota’s uncertain political future

In the final weeks of the 2012 legislation session, GOP leaders tried to work out a “big deal” with Gov. Mark Dayton. The deal involved bundling an agreement to build a stadium with GOP legislation providing tax relief and a bonding bill.

David Schultz: The lesson of the Vikings stadium: Democracy failed

The duties of elected officials are never easy. But in the case of the Minnesota Legislature, the deliberations and final votes on the Vikings stadium reveal a travesty of accountability, open government and questionable politics.

Dane Smith: Public investment, not austerity, is road to recovery

Expectations were extremely low for the 2012 Minnesota Legislature. Yet here and there in the cloud’s lining are more than a few silver strands, representing investment in human and physical capital, and advancement of public good.

California’s Brown confronts budget intractability

California Gov. Jerry Brown took office last year on a promise to deploy political skills honed over three decades to break the most populous U.S. state out of its annual fiscal crisis.

Tax-cut promises may trap New Jersey’s Christie

Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican who has spent the past four months promising New Jersey income-tax cuts, now confronts the challenge of selling his plan’s feasibility against a backdrop of continuing revenue shortfalls.

Capitol 10: Annual governor events

Gov. Mark Dayton participated in the annual Governor’s Fishing Opener over the weekend, and this fall will mark Minnesota’s second Governor’s Pheasant Opener. We asked the Capitol Insiders what other events should be considered annual events for the governor. Here were their top choices.

Jill Sletten advocates for LGA, other causes

It’s hard for small cities to contend at the Capitol with heavyweights like Minneapolis and St. Paul, but they have a voice in Jill Sletten.


THEPOLITICSPORTAL

CAPITOL LIFE

  • Jill Sletten advocates for LGA, other causes

    It’s hard for small cities to contend at the Capitol with heavyweights like Minneapolis and St. Paul, but they have a voice in Jill Sletten.

  • DNR to boaters: No more Mr. Nice Guy

    After years of issuing routine warnings to boaters who violate invasive aquatic species laws, the state Department of Natural Resources says it is getting tough.

  • Ethnicity in the shadow of the Capitol

    After a two-year planning effort, a five-block stretch in that neighborhood, from Galtier Street on the east to Mackubin Street on the west, has a new moniker: Little Mekong. The name derives from Southeast Asia’s famed Mekong River, with flowing water replaced by asphalt and a light rail line now under construction.

COMMENTARY

ELECTIONS

  • Hotly contested endorsing conventions on the horizon

    Dates have been set for several intra-party clashes for House and Senate endorsements. Some of the competitions are due to redistricting and some Republican incumbents are facing challenges from the right-wing of the party.

BUDGET / TAXES

EDUCATION

  • Dayton vetoes bill to repeal LIFO

    As promised, Gov. Mark Dayton has vetoed a key GOP education bill to repeal the state’s so-called “last in, first out” law, which protects teachers with the most seniority when school districts are hit with layoffs.

ENERGY / ENVIRONMENT

HEALTH CARE

  • DFLers, GOP pitch dueling health insurance plans

    The two bills enter a fray that has included tussling over executive authority between Republicans and the Dayton administration and a DFL-backed bill that gained the backing of three key House GOP chairmen.

Follow PoliticsMN: