MN GOP & DFL Leaders On Legislative Week
Above Minnesota Republicans on the week’s events at the legislature. Below DFL leaders respond.
Above Minnesota Republicans on the week’s events at the legislature. Below DFL leaders respond.
The first bill to be considered in the Minnesota House and Senate will be focused on jobs. Minnesota Republican Senate Leaders say SF 1 will reduce corporate income and property taxes, however Senator Geoff Michel says he can not commit to how many jobs that might create.
The Minnesota House and Senate begin their 2011 session.
First day highlights:
New members are sworn in:
Representative Kurt Zellers is elected Speaker of the House and addresses the chamber:
Highlights of the Senate’s first day:
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What’s on the Republican agenda for the Minnesota legislative session? The question takes on additional importance this year because the GOP holds majorities in both the House and the Senate. Republican House and Senate leaders offer a preview of the session.
Speaking:
Senator Amy Koch, Majority Leader (R-Buffalo)
Senator Geoff Michel, Deputy Majority Leader (R-Edina)
Representative Kurt Zellers, Speaker of the House Designate (R- Maple Grove)
Representative Matt Dean, Majority Leader (R-Dellwood)
Following the GOP news conference, House DFL Caucus Leader Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis, and State Sen. Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis respond.
Comment on the GOP Legislative Agenda news conference in our live blog.
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Governor-Elect Mark Dayton has promised to sign-up Minnesota for the Federal Early Medical Assistance program as soon as he is sworn into office. Eventually that will mean lower costs for the state, but initially that may have an negative impact on the state’s budget. Today the Legislative Commission on Planning and Fiscal Policy – Subcommittee on a Balanced Budget considers what that and the latest economic forecast numbers mean for the state’s projected multi-billion dollar deficit. Meeting starts at 10 AM.
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Minnesota’s new Senate Majority Leader-Elect Amy Koch and Speaker of the House Designate Kurt Zellers outline their legislative committee structure for the upcoming 2011 session.
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Senator Amy Koch isn’t the youngest Minnesota Senate Majority leader (that would be former Senator Roger Moe) but she is the first woman and the first Republican to ever hold that job.
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Two former candidates for Governor are the DFL’s new Minority leaders in the Minnesota House and Senate. Representative Paul Thissen was elected House Minority Leader last night in a closed caucus meeting. Thissen said there were other candidates for the job, but would not say who else ran. During the 2010 session it was Representative Tony Sertich who served as the DFL’s Majority Leader.
Senator Minority Leader-elect Tom Bakk was also a candidate for Governor. He dropped out of the race before the DFL convention.
Education Minnesota President Tom Dooher talks about Willmar, Minnesota where there is only one social text book for every six students. He says schools such as Willmar are forced to put “survival levies” before the voters because of the inequitable funding of Minnesota schools. Dooher notes the Minnesota constitution mandates that uniform education be available to Minnesota students. Right now, he says that’s not the case.
Dooher says there are 70 school levies on the ballot this Tuesday. That is very high compared to most years, but does not top the record of 90 set several years ago.
Education Minnesota is the union representing most of the states public school teachers.
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Related Links
MN Special Session Live Blog- comment on what’s happening!