Capitol View: October 4, 2011 Archive
The Daily Digest
Posted at 7:08 AM on October 4, 2011
by Catharine Richert
(2 Comments)
Filed under: Daily Digest
Welcome to Tuesday's Daily Digest, where we get a preview of the redistricting battle, we have another candidate in the 8th Congressional district, and we learn that Rep. Michele Bachmann is losing her pollster and a top adviser.
Around Minnesota
A court-appointed panel will hold a hearing on the best way to redraw the state's political boundaries. MPR reports that the political parties are relying on third party groups to raise unlimited amounts of cash for redistricting. The fundraising does not have to be disclosed.
Daniel Fanning, who worked for Sen. Al Franken, is looking to defeat Rep. Chip Cravaack in the 8th.
A survey predicts layoffs are coming to Minnesota's factories.
Two state senators lay out their views on efforts to unionize child care workers.
The Ramsey County Attorney's Office will do further investigation into a case involving medical examiner's false testimony.
A $1.9 million federal grant will boost mining and steel businesses in Northeastern Minnesota.
In Washington
Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid says his chamber will vote on President Barack Obama's jobs bill later this month (even though they don't have the votes at the moment).
House leaders say voting on the entire package is a no-go.
Reps. John Kline and Collin Peterson have introduced a bill to control the cormorant population.
Reps. Erik Paulsen and Jim Gerlach say a new medical device tax could cost 40,000 jobs.
Rep. Keith Ellison talks about his trip to the Middle East.
A schism over climate change is forming within the Republican party.
Administration officials have worried about Solyndra, the now defunct solar equipment manufacturer that got government loans, for a while.
The White House is asking Congress to approve three long-awaited free trade deals.
On the Campaign Trail
Bachmann is losing two top staffers.
Doug Sachtleben, her congressional press secretary who transferred to the campaign several months ago, is back in Washington as is her scheduler, Kimberley Rubin.
Despite the shake-up, Bachmann's announced a New Hampshire bus tour starting Sunday, Oct. 9.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry spent tens of millions in taxpayer money to bring mortgage companies to the state. Within four years, the banks were out of business, Associated Press reports.
Homeschoolers are becoming an important voting bloc in Iowa.
More than half of Americans think a Republican will win the White House in 2012.
Obama says he's the underdog going into the 2012 campaign.
While the GOP candidates focus on early primary and caucus states, Obama's launching a 50 state strategy.
Key graf: "Having avenues of support in non-traditional Democratic patches could be the only way to victory."
Perry's gone silent on the hunting camp story.
Residents near the camp say they still support Perry.
South Carolina will bump its primary date to January 21, once again pushing the entire schedule forward.
A new Washington Post-ABC survey has Herman Cain rising in the polls.
Where Football and Politics Collide
USAToday reports that ESPN dropped Hank Williams Jr. from its Monday Night Football telecast after Williams likened Obama to Hitler.
Vikings wide receiver Bernard Berrian called Rep. John Kriesel, R-Cottage Grove, to apologize for comments he made on Twitter.
Moving On Up
Chris Van Guilder has been promoted to Deputy Communications Director for the Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus.
Day leaves racino group to launch firm
Posted at 10:06 AM on October 4, 2011
by Tim Pugmire
Filed under: MN Legislature, State Government
Former Republican state Senator Dick Day of Owatonna announced today that he is stepping down from his position with the group Racino Now, which has lobbied unsuccessfully for legislation to allow slot machine-gambling at the Canterbury Park and Running Aces horse racing tracks.
In a news release, Day said he is forming a lobbying group called Day and Associates, which will be based in Eagan.
"I have been approached by many people asking for my assistance with their issues over at the Capitol," Day said. "While I enjoyed working with Racino Now and accomplished the goal of raising public awareness for the issue, I feel that it's time to take on new issues and new challenges in St. Paul. I wish Racino Now well in passing their issue next session."
Day served six terms in the Minnesota Senate. He resigned his seat in January 2010 to become president of Racino Now.
Day said that his new firm will include his long time aide, Chris Johnson.
Dayton jobs summit taking shape
Posted at 2:29 PM on October 4, 2011
by Tim Pugmire
Filed under: MN Legislature, Mark Dayton
Gov. Mark Dayton will host a daylong jobs summit, Oct. 25, at the Crowne Plaza Riverfront Hotel in St. Paul.
Dayton is expected to outline his priorities, strategies and initiatives for business development and job growth statewide. He'll talk specifically about his recent statewide jobs tour, which included 12 regional meetings.
Other speakers include University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler and author Michael Mandelbaum.
Dayton's senior advisor for job creation, Kathy Tunheim, today sent out the following invitation:
Greetings,As many of you may know, I have had the privilege of working closely with Governor Mark Dayton as his Senior Advisor for Job Creation. I have seen firsthand the commitment he has to putting Minnesotans back to work.
Over the past several weeks, Governor Dayton has toured the state listening to Minnesotans who are concerned about our state's economy. The people of Minnesota are passionate about getting the economy moving again and our Governor has been listening.
The Governor wants to continue that conversation at the first annual Governor's Jobs Summit on October 25th and I would love for you to be a part of it. We will be joined by many of the folks who have made our conversations around the state so valuable, in addition to many leading experts and thinkers. Michael Mandelbaum, co-author of the new book That Used To Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back, will be delivering the keynote address. We will also have the privilege of hearing from new University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler and of course, Governor Mark Dayton.
As the Governor's statewide economic development tour winds down in the coming weeks, the ideas and participants from those events will be used to finalize the breakout sessions for this event. I can tell you that ideas on how to increase access to capital, elevate Minnesota in the global economy and strengthen our workforce will be front and center in these conversations.
Your ideas to get our economy going and put Minnesotans back to work will be critical in this discussion. I hope you will consider joining me at the Governor's Jobs Summit on October 25th, to share your ideas for getting our state back to work.
For more information about the Governor's Job Summit, click here.
Kathy Tunheim
Congress votes to keep the government's lights on - for now
Posted at 3:38 PM on October 4, 2011
by Brett Neely
(1 Comments)
Filed under: U.S. House
WASHINGTON - Congress averted another potential government shutdown after the House passed a continuing resolution that keeps the federal government funded through Nov. 18.
The measure passed on a bipartisan basis with 352 votes in favor and 66 opposed. Of Minnesota's eight-person House delegation, only DFL Rep. Keith Ellison voted against the measure. Continuing her long absence from the House floor, GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann did not vote and continued to campaign for the White House in Iowa today.
Today's vote was the latest in a series of budget skirmishes, albeit the least contentious one so far, between Congressional Republicans and Democrats that have lasted all year.
Congress narrowly avoided a government shutdown last spring after a protracted struggle over spending levels for the 2011 fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30. And this summer, the federal government came within days of defaulting on its debt after House Republicans staged a confrontation with the Obama Administration and Senate Democrats over raising the government's borrowing limit.
The short-term funding measure passed today cuts government spending by 1.5 percent over the next six weeks to keep funding levels in line with an agreement brokered in August as part of the bipartisan debt ceiling deal.
Ellison's office did not issue a statement about his vote, but the Minneapolis congressman has also voted against previous stopgap funding measures this Congress because he has opposed the spending cuts in those bills that the Republican House majority has insisted on.
UPDATE: In a statement, Ellison said he voted against the bill because "it puts thousands more Americans out of work at time when unemployment is above 9 percent. Republicans continue to push an agenda that puts more Americans out of work." Ellison and other members of the House Democrats' progressive caucus plan to hold a rally in front of the Capitol on Wednesday to demand Congress focus on creating jobs.
While today's measure passed by a wide margin, it too was marked by conflict and disagreement over whether it was appropriate to break with long-standing congressional precedent and make offsetting budget cuts to pay for emergency disaster aid.
Congress now turns its attention to completing work on appropriations for the remainder of this fiscal year. Those efforts are also likely to be fraught with conflict between the parties with the House Republican caucus adding a series of policy riders to the spending bills, such as forbidding chapters of Planned Parenthood that receive federal funds to offer abortions, that Democrats are sure to object to.
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