Capitol View: February 5, 2010 Archive

Bill to change primary date is on the move

Posted at 11:40 AM on February 5, 2010 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor, MN Legislature

A committee in the Minnesota Senate approved a bill this morning that would make this year's primary election date a month earlier than usual. The bill would change primary election day to August 14th instead of September 14th. They're working to change the law because federal law requires more time between the primary and general election. That would allow military and overseas voters have enough time to vote absentee.

Members of the Senate and House say they hope the bill receives floor votes by the end of the month.

Here's how the bill would change this year's election:

McCollum to hold townhall on Saturday

Posted at 1:26 PM on February 5, 2010 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: U.S. House

DFL Rep. Betty McCollum will hold a town hall meeting on Saturday to discuss issues "being debated in Congress." Here are the details:

Congresswoman McCollum to Join Senator Rummel and Representative Gardner at Local Town Hall Meeting

St. Paul, MN - Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) will join State Senator Sandy Rummel and State Representative Paul Gardner for community town hall meeting in Shoreview this Saturday, February 5. Congresswoman McCollum will provide an update on the issues being debated in Congress.

Event: Community Town Hall Meeting in District 53A
Speakers: Congresswoman McCollum, State Senator Sandy Rummel, State Representative Paul Gardner
Date: Saturday, February 6, 2009 at 9:00 am
Location: Shoreview Community Center, Room 202/203, 4580 Victoria Street N, Shoreview

For your viewing pleasure...

Posted at 6:07 PM on February 5, 2010 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor

R.T. Rybak hit the public policy show trifecta.

Here's a look at who will be on this weekend's public policy shows...

TPT's Almanac:
This week on Almanac... the two top vote getters in the DFL Straw Vote Poll --R. T. Rybak and Margaret Anderson Kelliher-- join Cathy and Eric... Mary Lahammer reviews the legislature's busy first two days... and we meet up with reporter/turned author Julie Kramer.

KSTP's At Issue:
Democrat R.T. Rybak to talk about his campaign for governor. Sarah Janecek and Ember Reichgott Junge analyzing the precinct caucus results.

WCCO's Sunday Morning:
They didn't get back to me. DFL candidate for governor R.T. Rybak, GOP candidate for governor Marty Seifert and St. Paul Police Chief John Harringson.

Capitol Report:
Job creation is one focus of the 2010 Legislative Session. Senate Asst. Majority Leader Tarryl Clark and Minority Leader Dave Senjem talk about bonding, balancing the budget, and other key issues lawmakers face. Chair of the House Capital Investment Committee, Alice Hausman, details the bill, and the plan for early passage. Finally, Julie Bartkey sits down with newly elected Senator Mike Parry to get his perspective on what he brings to the legislature.

ABC's "This Week" - Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

CBS' "Face the Nation" - NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

NBC's "Meet the Press" - John Brennan, President Barack Obama's top counterterrorism adviser; former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson; former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan; Ed Gillespie, former Bush White House counselor; Dee Dee Myers, former press secretary for President Bill Clinton.

CNN's "State of the Union" - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

"Fox News Sunday" - Former Gov. Sarah Palin, R-Alaska; Mark Skoda, a talk radio host who helped organize the National Tea Party Convention in Nashville, Tenn.

Rybak and Kelliher are treating it like a two person race

Posted at 9:37 PM on February 5, 2010 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor

The two top vote getters in Tuesday's DFL straw poll are working to distinguish themselves from one another.

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and Minnesota House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher took slight and not so slight shots at each other when they were asked on TPT's Almanac why are they electable.

Rybak said the State Capitol is torn apart and needs new leadership:

"People want results but right now they feel the Capitol, filled with good people, but is not getting things done for the state. We're in an economic calamity, the state budget is in chaos and they want to get results.

People are going to go into the voting booth not only voting on their jobs but also on their future. I think the good news is it's a race for an executive position and I'm the one chief executive in this race. I managed the largest city in the state through a massive crisis. We put people to work and that's what I think we have to do in the state."

Meanwhile, Kelliher highlighted her accomplishments in the 2008 legislative session which she called "one of the most effective in twenty years" (transportation bill, mental health reform, renewable energy standard and changes to the health care system):

"I have a record of proven effective leadership, bringing people around the table in a tough situation.

With all due respect to the mayor, he works in a town where everyone pretty much agrees with each other. And the fact of the matter is he is also in a weak mayor system, which is not his fault but the reality is he's in charge of a couple of things.

In our case, I'm both an executive and a legislator as the elected Speaker of the House."

Both argued that they could win votes in rural Minnesota and explained the campaign finance issues in the past six months.

Video isn't up yet but I'll link to it once it is... You can find the video here.

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