The Dean Johnson story just won't go away. Even if supporters of a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage and civil unions hadn't tried unsuccessfully to force a vote on the measure on the Senate floor Monday, the story would have been front page news. It's not often the Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court calls reporters to deny a statement by the Senate majority leader. But as MPR's Tom Scheck reports, that's what happened:

Chief Justice Russell Anderson said he was "incredulous" when he heard about Johnson's statements that justices had made assurances to him. Anderson says he asked each member of the Minnesota Supreme Court, including former chief justice Kathleen Blatz, to see if anyone ever talked about Minnesota's Defense of Marriage Act. The law defines marriage as between a man and a woman. Anderson says all justices said "no." And he made it clear it's not appropriate for an elected official even to ask a judge about an issue.

"I have been a trial judge and appellate court judge for 23 years and I have never been approached by a legislator or a county commissioner or a township officer or a mayor asking me for a commitment or even a conversation about a matter that is before the court or might become before the court. We just don't do that in Minnesota," Anderson said.

Republicans are making noises about filing an ethics complaint against Johnson. Senate DFLers say they stand by their leader. People on both sides of the constitutional amendment will rally this week at the Capitol. It's still not clear to me exactly how the stories about Johnson impact the larger issue. I hope we'll learn more in the next few days as we look into the issue a little more deeply.

Sen. Johnson may be comforted by the thought that things could be worse. Just look at former DFL Rep. Loren Jennings. He was sentenced to four years in prison by a federal judge Monday. Here's the story from the Star Tribune:

Prosecutors said Jennings used his political clout to financially help Northern Pole, Inc., which he and his partners had lent hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Northern Pole collected $650,000 in state-mandated conservation money from two energy companies, of which $298,398 went to pay off loans from Jennings and his partners.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Dixon III said the sentence sends the message that public officials who abuse their office "will be held to the same standards as everyone else."

Jennings says he will appeal.

The House has passed one prong of Gov. Tim Pawlenty's initiative on immigration. It says that cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul have to do away with ordinances that prohibit police from asking immigrants about their legal status. Here are a couple quotes from the floor debate, first from the bill's sponsor Rep. Jim Knobloch, R-St. Cloud:

"We need to give the police the ability to enforce the law and use this tool when it's needed so they can help us in the fight against terrorism."

Knoblock is also running for Congress in the 6th District. Taking the opposing view was Rep. Frank Hornstein, DFL-Minneapolis:

"This makes our communities less secure. How can our communities be secure when citizens are afraid to call police? And that's the chilling effect of this legislation in immigrant communities. We rely on informants and we rely on people watching criminal activity."

The bill passed easily 94-37 in the GOP-controlled House. It'll have a tougher time in the DFL-dominated Senate.

So who is running for Congress in the 5th District? Officially so far: Rep. Keith Ellison, Minneapolis City Council members Paul Ostrow and Gary Schiff, Hennipen Co. commissioner Gail Dorfman and Minneapolis Park Board president Jon Olson. College professor Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer had entered the race before Rep. Martin Sabo's announcement Saturday that he is retiring. Gary Eichten had Sabo on Midday Monday.