Capitol View

Capitol View: November 19, 2009 Archive

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The Daily Digest

Posted at 7:02 AM on November 19, 2009 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Daily Digest


A tour bus crash in Austin, MN killed two and injured many more.

Tax reciprocity talks with Wisconsin may restart.

Republicans are criticizing the Obama Administration for stimulus money going to "phantom districts." AP has an interesting fact-check that says the criticism is overstated.

In Moorhead, school funding woes concern the entire city.

The Vikings break off relations with the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission after a proposal was made to waive a $4 million a year fee in exchange for a lease extension. A hearing is scheduled for today.

Xcel Energy leases jets at the expense of ratepayers.

The Education Department reduces the fine to a Muslim charter school. The school plans to appeal.

HCMC says it will have to cut between 150 and 200 jobs and services.

Congress

The Senate health plan costs $849 billion.

DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar and DFL Sen. Al Franken praise the Senate bill.

Klobuchar also cheers that the bill cuts the size of the medical device tax initially proposed.

The bill sets up a historic debate.

President Obama says he expects the alleged 9/11 mastermind to be executed.

Obama also tackled North Korea's nuclear plans during his trip to Seoul.

Another Obama nominee faces tax troubles.

A new poll says voters like Obama but not his policies.

Klobuchar wants to track water quality in the Upper Mississippi basin.

Franken hails changes to the food safety bill.

Franken also takes on Attorney General Eric Holder over rape kit backlogs.

Democrats like DFL Rep. Tim Walz want a review of the Fed's handling of the AIG bailout.

GOP Rep. John Kline wants to keep the current backstop for the private student loan marketplace in place.

Republican women in Congress, including GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann, are criticizing a mammogram study.

Health and Human Services Commissioner Kathleen Sebelius says women should get a mammogram at forty.

2010 Race for Governor

Former GOP Sen. Norm Coleman, who is not a candidate for governor but has left the door open to a run, spoke before students in Harvard. You can listen to the speech here.

The Minnesota Daily says the economy is affecting the governor's race.

Pawlenty for Prez Watch

Gov. Pawlenty is in Austin, TX for RGA meetings.

Thousands cheer former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin at her first book tour stop.

2010 Race for Congress

Republican Allen Quist officially announces his run for Congress this morning. Quist will be making stops in Mankato, Austin and Rochester on Thursday to announce his campaign. Here's Quist's full news release.

Franken is raising money for DFLer Tarryl Clark's campaign for Congress.

Finally

I'm not a big fan of linking to "Only in your Sunday paper" stories since the news is stale by the time it's on the interweb. The Star Tribune's work on falls in nursing homes is my exception for the month/year/decade to my rule. Anyone who ever had a loved one in a nursing facility could relate to this. It's worth the read.

Finally Finally

Since it's Thanksgiving, there will not be a Digest next week. I'll still be working and the blog will be active. It just won't be updated at six in the morning. I need the break.

49ers back Kelliher

Posted at 8:40 AM on November 19, 2009 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor

The Operating Engineers Local 49 are backing DFLer Margaret Anderson Kelliher for governor. The union, which screened earlier this week, is backing Kelliher because they say she has a proven track record of "creating jobs, expanding health care and protecting middle-class Minnesotans."

The union also praised Kelliher for passing a transportation funding package and then getting the votes to override Gov. Pawlenty's veto.

"We need to get the economy working again in Minnesota. Margaret is a proven leader who has been fighting for the issues and values of our state's working men and women for years," Local 49 business manager Glen Johnson said in a news release. "The transportation bill override was the largest job-creating bill in decades, and Margaret made it happen."

The Local 49, known as the 49ers, have 13,000 members, representing Operating Engineers in Minnesota, North and South Dakota. 12,000 of those members are in Minnesota.

This is the second union endorsement for Kelliher. The Minnesota Association of Professional Employees endorsed her earlier this month.

The two unions that everyone is still wondering about (because they have the biggest political muscles of the unions that haven't yet endorsed) are the teacher's union, Education Minnesota, and SEIU.

Property taxes to increase an average of 3.5 percent

Posted at 10:45 AM on November 19, 2009 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)

The Minnesota Department of Revenue released a report that said property tax levies will increase an average of 3.5 percent. Last year, property taxes increased an average of 5.6 percent

"Minnesota's property tax cap, combined with the impact of the global recession, has kept levy increases relatively modest," said Minnesota Revenue Commissioner Ward Einess in a news release. "It's clear that the property tax cap has imposed some fiscal discipline on local government spending, even after many jurisdictions experienced reductions in local government aid this year."

The Revenue Department said local taxes would increase $272 million in 2010 if the proposed levies are approved.

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Pawlenty at RGA

Posted at 5:52 PM on November 19, 2009 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Tim Pawlenty

Governor Pawlenty has been in Austin, TX for most of the week attending the Republican Governor's Association meetings. Pawlenty, who is vice-chair of the RGA, attended a news conference this afternoon with Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour and RGA Executive Director Nick Ayers.

The newser focused on why Republicans think they have a good shot at winning governor's races next year. They said the RGA has more cash on hand at this point than they spent on governor's races in 2006 (AP story).

Pawlenty, who has been out of the state all week (except for a Monday fundraiser), hasn't had a Minnesota public event on his schedule since Veterans Day (11/11). He will not be on his weekly radio show on Friday morning.

If you miss his voice, you can listen to the RGA newser here: Listen

Thanks to KUT's Ben Philpott for the audio

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