Lawmakers began passing final bills on the environment and transportation, while hospitals and the House speaker called on the governor to protect kids' health care.
Mary summarizes the week at the Capitol.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - 2:47 pm
Here we go, it's going to be a long week on the floor and today we're feeling it. The House floor session is expected to last 12 hours, with 3-4 hour debates on budget bills. Agriculture and Veterans Chair Al Juhnke has taken an interesting approach to ease things along. He has accepted a majority of the minority Republican amendments, Juhnke keeps saying "let's take it to conference" meaning take the language to conference committee where it can be stripped out.
Still Republicans weren't delighted even with their amendments getting on. Minority Leader Seifert said “I did not hear one Democrat on the campaign trail last fall say they would come to the Capitol to raise taxes and slash funding for veterans programs, but that’s exactly what happened." Juhnke says that's just not true because military and veterans get more money while ag gets slashed. After more than 3 hours of debate the Ag & Vets bill passed 83-49 (meaning even some DFLers voted no).
The higher education bill was up next and tomorrow K-12 education should come up, that's after the first midnight session on Wednesday. We'll debate k-12 with the spirited Chair Mindy Greiling and playful Republican lead Pat Garofalo on Almanac: At the Capitol.
More from a 60s era promotional film about Minnesota.
Governor Pawlenty announced this morning that he will lead a trade mission to Israel in early December. Tony Lorusso, head of the Minnesota Trade Office, stops by to fill us in on the details.
Mary Lahammer had fun watching all the Senate ads this week; that's one of the segments in this week's Campaign Notebook media digest.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008 - 11:25 am
U.S. Senate candidates U.S. Senate candidates Al Franken, Norm Coleman, Dean Barkley and Steve Williams debated outside of Redwood Falls. Energy was the top topic. Discluded candidates Priscilla Lord Faris, Jack Uldrich and Ole Savior are here standing by in protest.
Franken hit Coleman repeatedly saying the senator voted certain ways because "President Bush told him to." Coleman highlighted his experience in front of this rural audience, noting his 6 years on the agriculture committee.
Immigration, jobs and more farming issues came up. True to form, the Independents got the most laughs with their creative answers like Barkley begging for more than 8 days in Washington and Williams on immigration saying "the only people who need to be deported are the ruling parties in Washington."
Afterwards reporters asked Coleman why the crowd seemed to favor him; he said he's had the benefit of working with these people for 6 years. Coleman said Franken should "hit me in another forum." Franken told reporters he did hit hard on Coleman's ties to Bush because he voted with the president nearly every time.
U.S. Senate candidates U.S. Senate candidates Al Franken, Norm Coleman, Dean Barkley and Steve Williams debated outside of Redwood Falls. Energy was the top topic. Discluded candidates Priscilla Lord Faris, Jack Uldrich and Ole Savior are here standing by in protest.
Jesse Ventura may enter the race but as of this past weekend the Independence Party already has an endorsed senate candidate. Stephen Williams joins us at the Almanac table.
