In the Know
Minnesota DFL
April 1, 2015

Events today

• Sen. Kloubchar will continue the two-day tour across western Minnesota. Klobuchar recently put forward bipartisan legislation with Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota that would help fuel innovation and increase America’s competitiveness in the global economy. The Innovate America Act would help cut red tape, increase exports, and add 100 new STEM schools….Klobuchar will conclude the two-day education innovation tour with stops in Fergus Falls, Alexandria, and Bertha.
• 11:30 a.m. – Lt. Gov. Tina Smith will visit the Greenhaven Early Childhood Center in Hibbing and Mesabi Range College in Virginia – highlighting Governor Mark Dayton’s $987 million proposed investment in education. This year, Governor Dayton has proposed $695 million in new investments for proven preK-12 education initiatives and $288 million for initiatives to make higher education more affordable.
• 1:45 p.m. – Lt. Gov. Smith will tour and meet with students in the Iron Range Engineering Program and talk with Northeast Higher Education District officials about college affordability and accessibility issues. Mesabi Range College, 1001 Chestnut St., Virginia.
• Lt. Gov. Smith will meet with members of United Steelworkers, Local 1938 and Local 2660.
• 10:30 p.m. – Sen. Al Franken appears on the Late Show with David Letterman.

2015 session

Lawmakers talk education and budget over their ‘spring break’, KIMT

House Speaker Daudt visits Woolen Mills as state budget fight looms large (w/video), Bemidji Pioneer

Rachel E. Stassen-Berger: Time to shine light on lawmaking-in-the-darkness at Minnesota Capitol, Pioneer Press

Agriculture

Minnesota farm lobbyists flex new political muscle, MPR 

Arkansas

Despite criticism, Arkansas passes religious freedom bill, MPR

Walmart joins opponents of Ark. religion bill, USA Today

Bills on ‘religious freedom’ upset Capitols in Arkansas and Indiana, New York Times

Black Lives Matter

Meet the Mall of America 11, MinnPost

Budget (state)

Northland legislators oppose using surplus for tax cuts, Duluth News Tribune

Congress

A ‘very, very rocky start’: three months in, Minnesota’s representatives rate Congress, MinnPost

Congressional delegation

Franken

Sen. Franken talks mental illness crises and criminal justice with Northland experts, WDIO

Senator cycles through Duluth, Duluth News Tribune

DFL

Jennifer Granholm to speak at DFL’s Humphrey-Mondale Dinner, MinnPost

Persell, Saxhaug speak at Beltrami DFL convention, Bemidji Pioneer

Granholm to headline DFL fundraiser, Pioneer Press

 

Education (K-12)

Minnesota’s No Child Left Behind waiver renewed for four more years, Star Tribune

Environment

Barack Obama pledges greenhouse gas emissions cuts, Politico

Indiana

Indiana governor in crisis mode, The Hill

Indiana governor stands by ‘religious freedom’ law but promises fix, MPR

Indiana governor wants to clarify religious-objections law; Arkansas passes similar bill, Star Tribune

Why Indiana’s ‘religious freedom’ law wouldn’t hold in Minnesota, Fox 9

 

Jobs

U.S. Steel will idle a second Minnesota plant; 680 layoffs expected, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal

700 layoffs at MINNTAC: Total Range jobs hit recently, 1,153, Mesabi Daily News

Job vacancies in Minnesota rise to highest level since 2001, Star Tribune

Job vacancies in Minnesota rose to 88,900 in the fourth quarter of 2014, a 47 percent increase from the same period a year earlier, according to figures released today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).

The agency said Minnesota had 1.1 unemployed people for every vacancy in the fourth quarter. A year earlier, there were 2.1 unemployed people for every vacancy.

The fourth quarter 2014 ratio of unemployed people to vacancies was the second lowest on record. Total vacancies in the quarter were the highest since the second quarter of 2001, when the state had more than 115,000 job vacancies.

GOP

Downey gets opponent for Republican Party chair post, Star Tribune

Jungbauer to run for chair of Republican Party, politics mn

Bachmann likens Obama to ‘deranged’ Germanwings co-pilot, Star Tribune

Downey gets challenger in MN GOP chair re-election bid, MinnPost

Labor

Today in history

 

Met Council

Big raise for Met Council leader despite salaries deal, MPR

APNewsBreak: Met Council leader sees major raise despite deal delaying cabinet raises, Star Tribune

Minnesota Attorney General

State AG: Companies misled with pricey print subscriptions, KSTP

Telecommunications

The big legislative fight over a fading technology, MinnPost

Transportation

GOP plan to fund improve roads without additional taxes is problematic, U of M Daily

What’s worse than exploding rail trains? Read on. MPR

A guide to Greater Minnesota transit, Pioneer Press

Mass transit is more than light rail – and still costly, Pioneer Press

GOP transportation bill would derail buses, too, Star Tribune

Dayton calls for statewide plan to synchronize traffic lights, WCCO

Lt. Governor discusses transportation proposal, KEYC

MnDOT gets $1 million for ‘innovative’ paving, Pioneer Press

GOP outside political group targets Democrats, Dayton’s gas tax plan in ads, Star Tribune

The Jobs Coalition is going up with some ads on the Dayton gas tax in 10 districts. Ads here. House districts 4B, 5B, 36B, 42A, 48A and 51A; Senate districts 17, 21, 51 and 57., Star Tribune

Voting

Secretary of State: Where are the young voters? St. Cloud Times

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