Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Legislation to allow gay marriage in the state cleared its final hurdle Monday, May 13. With Gov. Mark Dayton expected to sign the bill as soon as tomorrow, Minnesota will become the 12th state in the country to allow same-sex couples to marry.
The Minnesota Senate approved H.F. 1054 Monday, May 13, clearing the way for Minnesota same-sex couples to marry in the state. The 37 to 30 vote, which was seen as the last hurdle for the legislation, makes Minnesota the 12th in the United States to recognize same-sex marriages in state law. Gov. Mark Dayton's office announced a signing ceremony set for 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 14. Democrats, known locally as the DFL party, hold a 39-28 advantage in the Minnesota Senate. Debate began shortly after noon Monday, with the Republican Party introducing a pair of amendments to the bill, both of which were voted down by state Democrats, who control the Senate. It quickly moved to speeches invoking personal feelings and relationships surrounding the…
Monday, May 6, 2013
After Gov. Mark Dayton called a recent town hall audience rude, Patch wants to know what you think is acceptable behavior.
A week ago, an audience at Shakopee High School responded with laughter, head nods and interruptions when Gov. Mark Dayton said that the state's legislators are underpaid. In a Tuesday press conference, Dayton said the behavior was juvenile and reminded him of his ninth grade general science classes in New York City. Such responses are hardly unknown. As debate heated up on health care reform a few years ago, protests often greeted Democratic members of Congress trying to sell the legislation to constituents in Town Halls. More recently, Nick Espinosa and Sam Richards dumped glitter on presidential candidate Mitt Romney at the beginning of a speech in Eagan in February 2012. Such outbursts aren’t confined to the United States either. In …
Sunday, May 5, 2013
This week's compilation includes a Red Cross Hero, 'unemployment is a very boring existence,' MCA issues, profitable liquor store, superintendent search and light rail.
Editor’s Note: Every week we bring you a sampling of stories from Patch sites in the west metro: Eden Prairie, Edina, Fridley, Golden Valley, Hopkins, Lake Minnetonka, Maple Grove, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Richfield, Shakopee, Southwest Minneapolis, St. Louis Park and St. Michael. Brooklyn Park Man Pulled From Maple Grove Pond Dies The 20-year-old man was pulled from the pond near the 12300 block of Elm Creek Boulevard. Freshwater Society Officially Declares Ice Out on Lake Minnetonka The call came at 1:30 a.m. Thursday morning; Hennepin County Sheriff’s Water Patrol uses a different standard. Dayton Heckled in Shakopee, Calls Audience 'Rude' and 'Juvenile' Gov. Mark Dayton told a Shakopee audience that "I’ve been all over the state and I’ve …
Friday, March 8, 2013
Find out what the governor said he will change next week that will benefit area businesses.
On Friday morning, Gov. Mark Dayton told TwinWest Chamber of Commerce members that he will take a business-to-business sales tax plan out of his revised budget next week, according to media reports. MPR reported the governor "has heard a lot of concerns about his proposal to add sales tax to the services business sell each other." Last month, a tax policy expert told minnpost.com that extending sales tax to these services—such as accounting, advertising and legal—was not a good idea. “It is very rare when all economists agree,” said John Spry, a professor of business economics at the University of St. Thomas and an expert on state tax policy. “But I am still trying to find an economist who studies this area who thinks taxing business-to-…
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Gov. Mark Dayton, in his first appearance since having back surgery late last year, will outline his proposed budget for the next two years.
Laying out financial plans for the next two years, and with a Democratic controlled Legislature out in front of him, Gov. Mark Dayton will address both the public and public servants at the Minnesota State Capitol this morning. You can watch streaming video, live, courtesy of the UpTake right here as Dayton will lay out a series of tax hikes, line-item increases and an expected payment shift for Minnesota schools in his address. It's the first public appearance for Dayton since he had back surgery in Rochester, MN last month. Media outlets such as Minnesota Public Radio are saying the budget could have a big impact on Dayton's political future. The first-term governor has not hinted whether or not he will run again for the state's top seat…
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Patch will pause to remember the victims at Sandy Hook Elementary.
Patch websites in Minnesota will go dark for a moment Friday morning to honor the memory of those killed one week ago at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. The brief Patch blackout is set for 8:30 a.m. CST on Friday, Dec. 21, 2012. Gov. Mark Dayton has called for a moment of silence in Minnesota one hour later, at 9:30 a.m. CST. In his statement (click on PDF thumbnail), Dayton also asked places of worship and government buildings that have bells to ring them 26 times "in honor of each life that was taken far too soon at Sandy Hook Elementary School." Twenty children and six adults died in the mass shooting. Newtown Patch's news hub has extensive coverage of the events of Dec. 14 and since, including the names of those who died…
Thursday, September 20, 2012
The District 46A legislator appeared on the Minnesota Senate’s Capitol Report to talk about the governor’s decision to award the project $2 million.
Rep. Ryan Winkler (DFL-District 46A) was among the harshest critics of the Department of Employment and Economic Development’s decision to score the Southwest Light Rail Transit project poorly in a competition for $47.5 million. “DEED rankings are absurd--shows no knowledge of economics or total disregard of it,” he tweeted after the scores were announced. The Metropolitan Council’s request for $14 million for the project tied for the lowest score among the 37 projects that made it past initial screening. Despite that score, Gov. Mark Dayton awarded the project $2 million to keep the plan moving forward. Winkler applauded light rail and detailed his thoughts on the process in an interview with the Minnesota Senate’s Capitol Report posted …
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Governor: 'We have the same gulf between us that we have always had.'
Day Five of the Minnesota state government shutdown produced little progress toward resolution. Gov. Mark Dayton and GOP lawmakers met for the first time since the parties called for “a breather” last week. At odds are a $1.4 billion difference between the budgets proposed for biennium 2011-13 and, more specifically, how to close it. Republican leaders on Tuesday again asked Dayton to call a special legislative session to pass a lights-on bill that would provide temporary funding and allow the state government to resume operations for an additional 10 days. “The shutdown was unnecessary,” Senate Majority leader Amy Koch (R-Buffalo) told reporters assembled outside the governor’s office. “We want the parks open and construction going.” …
Friday, July 1, 2011
Winkler, Latz say Gov. Mark Dayton's compromised and now it's the Republicans' turn.
Sen. Ron Latz (DFL-District 44) hopes the state shutdown is short. Republican lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton failed to agree on an operating budget for the next biennium before the midnight Thursday deadline. Dayton proposed to raise taxes on those with annual incomes of $1 million and more as one way to help resolve the state budget impasse. "The Republicans have decided they'd rather shut down to protect the wealthiest 2 percent of Minnesotans," Latz said. He added that he is "saddened, (and) certainly frustrated" by the shutdown. Rep. Ryan Winkler (DFL-District 44B) said he knows Minnesotans are angry with what's happening—or not happening—in St. Paul. "The responsibility falls on (all legislators). It always does," he said…
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Golden Valley rep casts GOP budget warnings as based on 'myth.'
Representative Ryan Winkler (DFL), of Golden Valley, rejects the contention of Republicans that the "tax plan" by Gov. Mark Dayton would harm businesses send jobs overseas. He pointed out Wednesday, at the State Capitol, that the current Republican plan is far more harmful to business. "It is a complete fabrication that Minnesota's business would be harmed by the Dayton tax plan," said Winkler. "In fact, (the Republican-proposed) budget would hurt those businesses way more because almost every business pays property taxes. The fact is that under the 'no new tax' mantra and 'live within your means' myth, business property taxes go up. Your bill hurts that business." Republican cuts to state and local funding, Winkler argued, would also …
Mike Hindin
9:37 pm on Saturday, May 18, 2013
Try anything with John Wane in it. I don't care about Hollywood past or present. more ›