Minnesota State Legislature

New legislation would demand that Minnesota school administrators avoid putting children in classrooms led by teachers deemed unsatisfactory if they had one the previous year. The bill introduced Monday by three Democratic state senators and one Republican is the latest attempt to make teacher effectiveness a bigger part of school decisions.

Read More|Comment

Minnesota senators are returning to a familiar topic: whether to permit Sunday liquor store sales. The Senate Commerce Committee was expected Monday to discuss the measure, but wasn't planning to take a vote.

Read More|Comment

A bill permitting Minnesota cities to post cameras at intersections to catch red-light runners has been set aside just as a House committee appeared ready to defeat it. St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis and Police Chief Blair Anderson testified to the committee in favor of the cameras.

Read More|Comment

Minnesota state senators are diving into the debate over gun control measures at the Capitol. The Senate Judiciary Committee convenes Thursday and Friday to review a handful of bills related to gun rights.

Read More|Comment

A Republican state senator who supports legalizing gay marriage in Minnesota says he hopes to convince GOP colleagues to join him in abandoning the party's traditional stand on the issue.

Read More|Comment

Protect the environment. Support the troops. Show some college pride. Special Minnesota license plates that act as state-sanctioned billboards and fundraising tools for pet causes are causing angst among some lawmakers, who are worried about where to draw the line. Another handful of special plate requests are before the Legislature this year.

Read More|Comment

Some Minnesota lawmakers want to repeal a state law passed last year that requires all Minnesota teachers pass a reading, writing and math test to get a teaching license.

Read More|Comment

Minnesota has accepted a federal offer to put more low-income people on a state-fashioned Medicaid program with the costs falling to the federal government. Gov. Mark Dayton on Tuesday signed a bill authorizing the expansion that affects more than 35,000 people.

Read More|Comment

The Legislature has sent Gov. Mark Dayton a bill that will allow about 250,000 Minnesota taxpayers to claim new federal tax deductions on their state releases as well.

Read More|Comment

A plan adding more than 35,000 people to government-subsidized health insurance rolls in Minnesota is headed to Governor Mark Dayton's Desk. The state Senate voted 45 to 22 yesterday (Thursday) to approve the Medicaid expansion.

Read More|Comment