State Legislature

The Minnesota House has defeated an $800 million construction projects bill that failed to win a needed super-majority. The bill is a rare area where Republican held veto power. Because it involves long-term state debt, it required 81 votes to pass.

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The Minnesota Senate is ready to vote on a bill to bump up the state's minimum wage, although not as fast as House lawmaking counterparts want. The Senate plan due for action Wednesday would bring the wage floor up to $7.75 per hour by August 2015 and then make annual adjustments based on inflation.

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A Democratic state senator seen as a swing vote on gay marriage says he'll vote to make it legal in Minnesota. Sen. Kent Eken represents a northwestern Minnesota district that backed last fall's gay marriage ban by 53 percent.

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There could be a couple major changes to our election system in Minnesota. The House Elections Committee yesterday (Thursday) passed two bills out of committee.

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A bill that would raise Minnesota's minimum wage to more than $10 an hour by 2015 is moving through the Legislature. The House Labor, Workforce and Regulated Industries Committee on Thursday passed a bill to increase to the minimum wage in three steps until it hits $10.55.

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From a small tick up to a big bump, Minnesota lawmakers anxious to boost the state's minimum wage start making their case to colleagues this week. A Minnesota House panel opens its discussion of a probable hike to the floor wage Monday by reviewing presentations on the economic impact of the minimum wage.

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A wave of Rochester residents is descending on the Minnesota Capitol for an annual lobby day that takes on extra importance this year. Rochester officials are aiding the Mayo Clinic in its push for state help toward a multi-billion dollar expansion.

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The growing debate over gun control is taking center stage at Minnesota's Capitol this week as lawmakers take up a handful of proposals that would limit access to guns for some individuals.

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The group pushing a state Capitol vote to legalize gay marriage says a bill to do so currently lacks the votes to pass. The admission came in a fundraising pitch Thursday by Jake Loesch, the communications director for Minnesotans United.

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A Minnesota Senate committee has passed a bill to prohibit lawyers from dismissing potential jurors based solely on their sexual orientation or marital status. The Senate Judiciary Committee backed the bill Tuesday on a split voice vote.

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