Almanac: At the Capitol

Citzens call on the legislature for health care reform, a bill reforming the way schools share services is introduced, and an effort is begun to strengthen the state's seat belt law.

View the Capitol Update for January 8, 2009.

St. Paul Police Chief John Harrington and Mayor Chris Coleman held their last briefing on the RNC at TPT today. The tally for the week included 3700 officers, 818 arrests, 30 people arrested who said they were media. Coleman said "our goal was a safe and successful convention, we clearly have done that." Chief Harrington summarized "nothing burned, no one was injured." Media who had proper identification and credentials were "expedited" through processing, but officials say they knew the rules of engagement. Harrington added in the last three days they uncovered an arson plot that included Molotov cocktails intended to fire bomb the X, police and St. Paul.

St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman says despite events in the Gulf Coast cutting back the RNC, we "should not be deterred, our community is coming out shining." And as protestors threatened to steal the story, Coleman added "we are prepared in City of St. Paul." In the briefing at our tpt studios, Chief John Harrington said it's "game day, finally" and "we will not tolerate lawlessness in the City of St. Paul." Harrington said he would hope protestors would understand the day is focused on people dealing with the hurricane and "not ramp up and try to steal the story." Coleman added that the number of protestors won't swell because the Iraqi Veterans for Peace or others can't bring in more people quickly.