Articles

Capitol, flooding, vets, disaster end session of Minnesota Legislature

The Minnesota Legislature decided to renovate the state Capitol building, help communities fight floods, give veterans a new facility and provide disaster assistance Monday night as it ended its 2013 session.

Capitol repair, disaster assistance end Minnesota legislative session

The Minnesota Legislature decided to renovate the state Capitol building, help communities fight floods, give veterans a new facility and provide disaster assistance Monday night as it ended its 2013 session.

• End of session discussions

House OKs $2 billion tax bill, Senate backs Capitol repair

UPDATED: The keystone of Minnesota Democrats’ budget plans, $2 billion in tax increases, won House approval early today and the Senate pulled a surprise in the early morning hours by approving money to fund state Capitol building renovations.

• Minnesota legislature provisions include paint, bees, farmers
• Legislature puts $485 million more into public schools

Legislature puts $485 million more into public schools

Minnesota Democrats say new money they are putting into education will boost the economy by giving the state a better-educated work force.

Minnesota legislature provisions include paint, bees, farmers

Paint will cost more and be recycled. Bees will be protected. Financially troubled farmers will be able to access state aid. Those are a few of the impacts from a diverse environment, natural resources and agriculture funding bill headed for Gov. Mark Dayton’s expected approval.

Loud union dispute joins Minnesota legislative budget debate

Several hundred people exercised their lungs and freedom of speech in the Minnesota Capitol on Saturday, awaiting a hot House debate about whether child care providers and personal care attendants should join unions.

• Heather Falk

Minnesota House defeats bonding bill — for now

The Minnesota House defeated a public works funding bill this afternoon, but even with a Monday adjournment deadline looming it still could come back up.

Minnesota smokers would help pay for Vikings stadium

Minnesota legislative tax negotiators tentatively approved a plan today to use cigarette tax increase funds and close corporate tax loopholes to provide backup Vikings stadium construction funds.

• Myron Frans

Legislative notebook: Minnesota Senate debates personal care attendant, child-care unions

The Minnesota Senate on Tuesday was expected to approve legislation allowing child care workers and personal care attendants to join unions.

‘Love is the law’: Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton signs same-sex marriage bill

As a crowd of thousands roared from the lawn of the state Capitol, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton signed the bill Tuesday that makes gay marriage legal here come Aug. 1.

• Duluth events celebrate passage of same-sex marriage bill
• Gov. Mark Dayton

Columns

Capitol chatter: Jaws drop as Koch announces resignation

Amy Koch’s resignation as Minnesota Senate majority leader came like a lightning bolt out of the blue.

• Don Davis
• Amy Koch

Capitol Chatter: Two bright spots in otherwise nasty political time

This year will go down as one of the most contentious in Minnesota government history, so exceptions to that attitude are notable.