Sen Goodwin asks: Why Did GOP Cut Daycare If They Respect It So Much?

Republican Minnesota Senate leaders call a hearing to preempt any attempt to unionize daycare providers in Minnesota so they can bargain with the state for better subsidies.

During the hearing several Republican Senators state how important daycare providers are. Democratic Senator Barb Goodwin counters that if Republicans really held daycare providers in such high esteem, then they wouldn’t have cut their budget nearly 2% last year after 10 years of no increases.

She says that daycare providers are an occupation that makes such little money compared to how hard the work is that they do. She it is “untruthful” to say we respect them that much if we cut their subsidies.

See the full video of the hearing. … Continue Reading

Ethics Committee Tells MN Senator To Apologize For Tweet

Minnesota’s Senate Ethics committee hears a complaint against first-term Senator Gretchen Hoffman (R-Vergas) over a tweet she sent out during a debate over the metal health budget. Hoffman had tweeted that Senator Barb Goodwin (DFL-Fridley) was calling mentally ill people “imbiciles”.

Here’s the twitter:

#Sen Goodwin just called people with mental illness- idiots and imbeciles- while debating HHS bill #offensive #mndfl #mnsrc #mnleg

That was false. Goodwin, as seen in this video, was talking about how the mentally ill had been referred to in the past.

The Minnesota Senate sub-committee on ethical behavior votes that Senator Hoffman must issue a written apology for the tweet because she was in violation of the following rule.

56.2 A member shall not publish or distribute written material if the member knows or has reason to know that the material includes any statement that is false or clearly misleading, concerning a public policy issue or concerning the mem

Video of the hearing starts with video playback of what Senator Goodwin said during the debate and then continues with the ethics hearing.

Senator Linda Scheid Enters Hospice Care

State Sen. Linda Scheid, DFL-Brooklyn Park, shared news today that she has ceased treatment for cancer and is in hospice care at home, where she is spending time with family and friends.

In 2005, Sen. Scheid was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and she has undergone chemotherapy treatments on and off since then. In early May of this year, her treatments became ineffective and in consultation with her doctors and family, she decided to stop her chemotherapy treatments.

Sen. Scheid was first elected to the Senate in 1996, following previous terms in the House and has loved her years in the Legislature. She cares deeply for the people of Minnesota, and has dedicated much of her legislative career to the young people of Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center.

Constituents are invited to share their thoughts and well wishes on Sen. Scheid’s Caring Bridge site: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/lindascheid and her Facebook page

Further questions or comments may be directed to Sen. Scheid’s Capitol office at 651-296-8869, or e-mail at www.senate.mn/senatorscheid.

DFL Sens. Bakk, Marty: Ball is in the GOP’s Court

If a government shutdown is to be averted, DFL Senators Tom Bakk and John Marty say, the Republicans in the Senate and House will have to step up to the plate and compromise with Gov. Mark Dayton.

Sen. Michel: “Gov Dayton is in a Position to Close the Deal”

At an impromptu news conference outside Governor Mark Dayton’s office this afternoon, Republican Senator Geoff Michel said that the Democratic governor “is in a position to close the deal.” Michel refused to answer questions about a possible special session or government shutdown.

Funding Picture For Voter Photo ID Fuzzy- and passed at 3 AM.

By Marisa Wojcik & Michael McIntee

Minnesotans better hope the photos on their voter IDs will be clearer than the funding picture for the bill that will require them. Minnesota Voter Identification bill, SF 509, was passed on the Senate Floor around 3:30 AM Thursday. The bill could disenfranchise many elderly,and young Minnesota voters. The source of the bill’s funding is still a matter of confusion as well. For that and many other reasons, the bill will likely be vetoed by Governor Mark Dayton. A bill that would put the issue on the ballot is also working its way through the legislature.

Tweeting False Info Invites MN Senate Ethics Investigation

Minnesota State Senator Barb Goodwin asks for an apology and an ethics investigation after Senator Gretchen Hoffman had tweeted that Goodwin was calling mentally ill people “imbiciles”. Goodwin is also demanding an ethics investigation into Republican staffer Michael Brodkorb who repeated the falsity in another tweet.

Minnesota Senate rules say:

56.2 A member shall not publish or distribute written material if the member knows or has reason to know that the material includes any statement that is false or clearly misleading, concerning a public policy issue or concerning the member’s or another member’s voting record or position on a public policy issue.

Senator Hoffman is a first termer from Vergas Minnesota and serves with Senator Goodwin on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Her tweet said:
#Sen Goodwin just called people with mental illness- idiots and imbeciles- while debating HHS bill #offensive #mndfl #mnsrc #mnleg
Hoffman has not twittered out a correction or an apology for the false statement. However, Minnesota Public Radio reports a spokeswomen for Hoffman has issued a statement saying Hoffman will not comment until she talks with Goodwin.

Republican Executive Assistant Michael Brodkorb repeated the false statement:
RT @Gretchenmh: #Sen Goodwin just called people with mental illness- idiots and imbeciles- while debating HHS bill #offensive #mndfl #mnsrc

Republican Senator Kirk Stensrud also repeated the same false statement in his twitter account. However, Stensrud later deleted the tweet, but has not issued any statement or apology for repeating the false information.

Brodkorb and Stensrud issued their tweets even after Fridley’s Patch.com site used twitter to point out the inaccuracy of Hoffman’s statement, and used the same hashtags so that anyone who was following the debate on Twitter would be made aware Hoffman’s statement was not true.

If Goodwin decides to file an ethics complaint, she will need to do so while the legislature is in session. The session is scheduled to end next Monday. The Senate Ethics Sub-Committee then has thirty days to either make a finding of no probable cause, defer proceedings, or to launch an investigation. If any Hoffman, Stensrud or Brodkorb were to be found guilty of an ethics violation, there is no criminal penalty. Senate rules say any punishment is “internal”.

What did Goodwin originally say? Watch for yourself. … Continue Reading

MN GOP Senate Slashes Consumer Protections

The ability of the little guy to challenge corporations on a level playing field in court is being threatened in Minnesota. In a rare Saturday session, Republicans in the Minnesota Senate voted to severely limit consumers ability to sue corporations that may have caused harm through fraud or negligence. According to opponents, the Republican backed bill sets up “impossible hurdles” for consumers to join together in class action lawsuits against corporations.

Press release from Senator Ron Latz (DFL-St. Louis Park) … Continue Reading

Slavery And Gay Marriage

Senator John Harrington (DFL-St. Paul) is a religion major and a victim of laws that prevented interracial marriage. He says a proposed anti-gay marriage amendment to Minnesota’s constitution appears to be based on religious reasoning from the book of Leviticus, which makes mentions of homosexuals. Senator Harrington says basing legislation on Leviticus worrys him since that book of the bible also says slavery is OK. Senator Harrington happens to be black.

Gay Senator: MN Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment Is Hurtful

Senator Scott Dibble, who is gay, talks about how hurtful a proposed Minnesota constitutional amendment is to him and his husband.