IBEW Opposes MN Prevailing Wage Provisions

A bill that gets rid of the 8-hour workday for public projects and instead bases overtime on a 40-hour work week is facing union opposition. Under the bill employers would not have to pay overtime for a 12-hour day if the employee only works 40-hours in a week. Union members say the bill also lowers the “prevailing wage” by changing the way it is calculated. That change could effect non-union jobs as well.

Minnesota’s prevailing wage law (Minnesota Statutes 177.41 through 177.44) it requires employees working on state-funded construction projects or other projects covered by law be paid wage rates comparable to wages paid for similar work in the area where the project is located. House File 1476 would change that. According to IBEW workers, HF would weaken it and drive up construction costs.

“It’s just a way for them to make more profits and take it out of our pockets,” says IBEW member Steven Anderson.

DFL Chairman Ken Martin Speaks on Suspension of Ethics Hearing

DFL Chair Ken Martin released a statement to reporters regarding the Senator Michelle Fishbach’s unilateral decision to suspend the Senate Ethics Committee hearing on former Deputy Majority Leader Geoff Michel.

“Bizarre” is how Martin describes Republican actions to avoid finishing an ethics hearing on a complaint against Senator Michel. Martin wonders why the GOP doesn’t get it over with because he plans to talk about it until it is resolved.

On Friday, the Senate ethics committee deadlocked on whether to dismiss or investigate charges that Senator Michel lied to the press about an affair Senator Amy Koch was having with staffer Michael Brodkorb.

Formerly Homeless Man Takes Occupy Pledge to Fight Eviction

“I haven’t been homeless in over 14 years, and now we’re looking at being homeless again,” said Frank Clark, a union laborer who, together with his wife Christina, face eviction from their Coon Rapids home.

Clark lived on the streets of Los Angeles for nine years before sobering up, returning to Minnesota in the late 1990s and joined Local 563. He has worked on Minneapolis skyscrapers, bridges, roads and waste treatment plants, and poured concrete for the new 35-W bridge. “It’s the best thing that ever happened to me — that brotherhood. From coming off the streets and having nothing, to working day labor to getting a good union job, it’s been a blessing.”

Christina said the Clarks paid their mortgage on time, but when the market crashed and construction jobs dried up, their money dwindled. The house, which they originally purchased for $230,000, was reacquired in a fire sale by Bank of America for $139,000. The Clarks claim that the bank is demanding the original mortgage price for them to remain in their home. Christina — who worked in the food kitchen at the Occupy Wall Street encampment on City Hall square in Minneapolis this winter — and Frank recently took the Occupy Homes pledge to resist foreclosure and stay in their home.

“It’s not gonna do any good to have another empty house in the neighborhood and everyone else’s taxes going up,” said Christina. “We don’t want a free house. That’s not what we want. We would like them to come to the table with an earnest offer of what they sold the house themselves for.” … Continue Reading

Governor Dayton: I Have a Dream that Minnesotans Will Reject Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment

Speaking at today’s “Outfront Minnesota” rally and lobby day at the state capitol, Governor Mark Dayton said he had a dream that Minnesota became the first state in the nation to reject an anti-same sex marriage constitutional amendment. (Watch his speech in the above video) OutFront Minnesota, which fights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transexual rights opposes the “marriage amendment” that is on Minnesota’s fall election ballot. The group’s annual rally was held today at noon on the capitol’s south lawn. Other speakers included State Sen. Scott Dibble, Rev. Grant Stevensen, Pastor Kelly Chatman, OutFront Minnesota Executive Director Monica Meyer, with a performance by the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus. Watch the entire rally below.

Click to read the Minnesota legislature twitter feed and watch the video at the same time.

Beer At TCF Stadium Gets MN Senate OK

After six years of wrangling over liquor sales at the University of Minnesota’s TCF stadium, Senate lawmakers have come up with a compromise that allows liquor sales in the premium suites and in the general stadium as well.

The House omnibus liquor bill already includes the U of M beer sales provision. That bill will head to the floor for final approval sometime in the next few days.

MN House Offers Bipartisan Tribute To Rep. Haws

Minnesota House members of both parties spoke fondly of former Representative Larry Haws (DFL- St. Cloud) who died Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 72.

Haws served five years in the Minnesota House and was a Stearns County commissioner.

Speaking in the video are Representatives Larry Hosch (DFL – St. Joseph), King Banaian (R-St. Cloud) and Steve Gottwalt (R-St. Cloud)

Vasectomies, Viagra And “War On Women”

Saying she is sick of the “war on women”, Representative Phyllis Kahn (DFL-Minneapolis) proposes that reproductive health bills treat men and women equally. She proposes that men have counseling before a vasectomy because it might prevent a “live birth” and have a stress test to make sure viagra won’t cause them to have a heart attack.

Having made her point. Representative Kahn withdrew her proposal causing some in the House to make a disappointed “aww” sound.

Anti-ALEC Proposal Voted Down In MN Senate

The Minnesota State Senate refused to consider a proposal that would require more disclosure from and about groups such as the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which offers “model legislation” that is often turned into bills by conservatives.

A procedural motion that prevented a vote on the proposal went along party lines with Republicans effectively voting against the anti-ALEC bill and Democrats effectively voting for it.

No Short Sale Help From MN House

People moving for a new job often find they can’t because they owe more on their home than it is worth. A proposal to force banks to act on “short sales” within 30 days was voted down by Republicans in the House.

Representative Joe Hoppe (R-Chaska) said the proposal had not been vetted yet in committee.

House Minority Leader Paul Thissen (DFL-Minneapolis) said Republicans refused to discuss the proposal in committee saying foreclosure problems were already being dealt with.

New Stadium Deal Promises Jobs for North Minneapolis Residents

Minneapolis Mayor RT Ryback delivered Governor Dayton a stadium deal that claimed to have the support of seven of the thirteen City Council members. Rather than divulging who said yes and no, city leaders rushed to point out the job creating benefits this new deal would provide. That’s particularly important to 5th Ward City Council member Don Samuels. His constituents have an unfair portion of the unemployment rate. According to him, they will be recruiting actively from Summit Academy Opportunity Industrialization Center, who are ready and waiting for good paying construction jobs.

Samuels says, “I don’t have to sell my constituents on this bill. They are already for it.”

It remains to be seen whether or not the bill will see the light of day in the MN Legislature; the support of city council was crucial. Now that the city has signed on, will potential workers in North Minneapolis reap the benefits? Residents have been promised many job creating opportunities through West Broadway Revitalization Project and a promise to build a new YMCA facility. Many community leaders feel those efforts have sputtered. Hopefully, for Samuels and North Minneapolis residents, this new stadium will be the job creator it says it will be.