Objections To MN Gun Bill Fail

Senator Barb Goodwin raises objections to H.F. 1467 Defense of Dwelling and Person Act.

She says it should have another hearing since a New York Times article showed that Minnesota has problems with felons easily getting back their firearms once they are released from prison.

Senator Terri Bonoff concurs saying she’s heard from law enforcement officers concerned about the proposed changes in gun restrictions.

Despite the objections, the bill was sent to the full senate for a vote.

Unsure, MN GOP Senator Votes To Limit Your Right To Sue

Senator Julianne Ortman’s bill to shorten Minnesota’s statute of limitations passes despite her saying some of the issues in it could go back to the Judiciary committee.

Vouchers For College? MN Education Head Says Maybe

Vouchers for college? Minnesota’s Higher Education Director Larry Pogemiller says he’s open to the idea.

The former Senator made the comments during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Higher Education Committee after Senator John Carlson, a Republican, raised the question. Pogemiller, who is a Democrat, says he is open to thinking way outside the box.

For 30 years, Senator Pogemiller was the one asking the questions of appointees. Today, Former Senator Pogemiller said it was a little strange to sit “on the other side” of the table during his Senate confirmation hearing.

Pogemiller resigned his Senate seat when Governor Mark Dayton asked him to take the Higher Education position. Senate Republicans recently rejected Dayton’s choice for Public Utilities Commissioner Ellen Anderson, who also was a Senator who resigned her seat to take the job.

The committee voted unanimously to recommend Pogemiller be confirmed as Higher Education Director.

Full video of Pogemiller confirmation hearing: … Continue Reading

MN Senate Majority Leader Can’t Say Why Brodkorb Fired

Senate Majority Leader David Senjem is asked why Republican Senate staffer Michael Brodkorb was “let go” about the same time former Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch resigned her leadership position for having an “inappropriate relation” with a Republican Senate staffer. Senator Senjem says he could say why Brodkorb was fired and without a lawyer present he really couldn’t say more.

It’s the hiring of that lawyer that has DFL leaders a bit upset because Republicans have yet to tell them the details about Brodkorb’s potential suit against the Senate…which presumably would include all Senators including DFL Senators.

Assistant Senate Minority Leader Terri Bonoff says the whole lawsuit “casts a cloud” over the Senate when they should be focusing on jobs.

Replay-MN Legislative Leaders Face The Press

Above: Senate Majority Leader David Senjem answers questions from the press about constitutional amendments, a possible lawsuit from former Republican Senate employee Michael Brodkorb, the Republican Senate’s rejection of Governor Dayton’s Public Utilities Commissioner, and his read on Tuesday’s precinct caucuses.

Below: The press asks many of the same questions of House Minority Leader Paul Thissen and Senate Deputy Minority Leader Terri Bonoff

Brodkorb Lawsuit Comes Up On MN Senate Floor

Minnesota’s Senate may be sued by a former employee and DFL Senators would like the Republicans to not keep all of the details about it to themselves.

Republican operative and deputy party chair Michael Brodkorb was fired from his job at the State Senate in December. His firing came just after his boss, Senator Majority Leader Amy Koch, resigned her leadership position after other Republican Senators learned she was having an “inappropriate relationship” with a Senate staffer.

Since then, Brodkorb has hired an attorney and the Senate has also hired an attorney, but the Republicans leaders haven’t told the Democrats any other details. That led to this exchange on the Senate floor today between DFL Senator Richard Cohen and Senate Majority Leader David Senjem.

Voter Photo ID Constitutional Amendment Heard In MN Senate Committee

Minnesota Republicans are seeking to go around Governor Mark Dayton’s veto pen with a constitutional amendment to require citizens to present a photo ID when voting in Minnesota elections. Last year, Governor Dayton vetoed a bill that would do the same because it had passed on a partisan vote. The Governor quoted former Governor Tim Pawlenty when vetoing the legislation saying that election reform should have bipartisan support, which this bill did not.

On Wednesday, the constitutional amendment was heard in the Senate Local Government and Elections committee. A large large number of people testified, most of them against the amendment.

First 10 minutes of the hearing can be found here … Continue Reading

Limiting Tax Break = Attacking “Job Providers” Says Sen Michel

A proposed tax break to Minnesota business property owners will go to businesses that don’t create jobs says Senator Ken Kelash (DFL-MInneapolis). That statement, while true, brought a scolding from Senator Geoff Michel (R-Edina).

Senator Michel: I want to be careful on this one Senator Kelash. The job providers that are coming into this room, in front of this committee, we’re thankful. Thankful to them.

Senator Kelash: Mr. Chair I’m not trying to attack them.

Senator Michel: Senator Kelash let me finish then if you need to, if you need to either correct or revise your question, we are thankful for what you’re doing in Minnesota. Without a thriving private sector economy, there’s not much reason for this state capitol to even exist. And so, what we’re trying to do today, with kind of a first things first mentality is to answer that question ‘what can we do for Minnesota job creators.’ Minnesota job creators. So I don’t for a moment suddenly leap to the conclusion that somebody is just going to pocket this tax cut.

Senator Kelash: Mr. Chair.

Senator Michel: Senator Kelash I wanted to get, I wanted to make that clear

Senator Kelash: This is spending taxpayers, tax dollars and it’s not focused on job creators specifically. It’s focused on a much broader, whether people create a tax. The Governor’s proposal to offer business incentives to hire people at $3,000, that’s specifically going to it. So what I’m trying to do is get the efficiency of this cut in relationship to job growth and the inefficiency of it for those folks who choose not to grow. I’m not trying to attack them, I’m just trying say there’s an inefficiency in this.

MN GOP “Fires” Dayton Apointee

On a strictly party line vote, Republicans vote to not confirm DFL Governor Mark Dayton’s pick to run the Public Utilities Commission.

Former State Senator Ellen Anderson has been serving as PUC Commissioner for nearly a year. It appears it wasn’t Anderson’s record as Commissioner that Republicans objected to (most of the votes on the PUC during her tenure have been unanimous), but her past work as a Senator where she advocated against “dirty energy”.

In response to the Senate Republican’s rejection of Public Utilities Commission Chair Ellen Anderson today, Governor Mark Dayton issued the following statement:

“A very good person, a very dedicated public servant, and an excellent Chair of the Public Utilities Commission was wrongly maligned and cruelly rejected today by Republican Senators, who showed once again that they are unfit to govern this state.

GOP “too extreme to lead” says Governor Dayton … Continue Reading

Sen Ortman To Media: MN Doesn’t Need To Read About Senate Cuts

If you want to get a reporter interested in a story, just tell him or her that they shouldn’t print it.

Senate Deputy Majority Leader Julianne Ortman probably didn’t consider that adage when she told room of reporters “I’m not sure Minnesotans really need to hear and read all about this”.

She was commenting about cuts the majority party is making to the minority party’s legislative staff budget. Senator Ortman says the disagreement over the budget is “inside ball”.

Minority party saying Majority party using “misleading numbers” … Continue Reading