MN State Senate
Which Lawmaker (and Political Party) Leaves the Biggest Twitter Footprint in Minnesota Politics?
Last month Smart Politics conducted a case study as to how one Minnesota lawmaker, Republican Representative Laura Brod, utilized the social networking site Twitter during the last legislative session. That study found the plurality of Rep. Brod’s tweets were about…
Read MoreMinnesota Legislature on Pace for Most Days in Session by Decade
One of the reasons cited by Governor Tim Pawlenty in his recent declaration that there will be no special session this year to resolve the state’s budget crisis, is that he does not believe residents of the Gopher State should…
Read MoreRepublicans in Competitive Districts Opposed Pogemiller Redistricting Bill; Safe GOPers Supported Reform
When DFL Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller saw his redistricting reform bill (SF 182) pass on a 39-28 roll call vote last Friday, he nearly needed one of the five votes cast by Republicans in favor of the bill. While…
Read MorePogemiller Delivers on Redistricting Reform; SF 182 Passes Senate Floor Vote
While the thunder of Governor Tim Pawlenty’s new unallotment strategy drew all the attention of Capitol watchers on Thursday and Friday, the Senate, under the leadership of DFL Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller (SD59-Minneapolis), passed a redistricting bill that will perhaps…
Read MoreA Historical Snapshot of Minnesota’s Legislative Special Sessions
Governor Tim Pawlenty delivered a shot across the DFL’s bow Thursday afternoon, or perhaps it was the dropping of an A-bomb, when he declared there would be no special sessions to resolve the state’s budget matters and that, if need…
Read MoreIs Minnesota the Most Democratic-Friendly State in the Midwest?
Smart Politics recently examined Governor Tim Pawlenty’s approval rating and highlighted its remarkable strength and stability in the face of the current economic crisis. But Pawlenty’s popularity is also noteworthy when viewed in the greater partisan environment of the Gopher…
Read MoreRedistricting Update: SF 182 Heads to Rules Committee
On Thursday morning the Minnesota Senate Finance Committee approved SF 182 on a voice vote, with one Senator dissenting. The legislation, authored by Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller (SD 59-Minneapolis) and Ann Rest (SD 45-New Hope), would establish new legislative and…
Read MorePawlenty Faces 4th Largest Democratic-Dominated Legislature Among GOP Governors Nationwide
With the release of the DFL’s budget earlier this month, the war of words (and policies) in the budget battle between the DFL leadership and Minnesota Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty has seemingly intensified. During her media availability last Friday, House…
Read MoreBeneath the Budget Battle, Redistricting Efforts Bubble Up
A Who’s Who of Minnesota politics from across the political spectrum continue to speak as one voice in an effort to bring change to the process by which the State draws its congressional and legislative districts. Back in January 2008,…
Read MoreMinnesota Legislature Ranks Near Bottom in Proportional Representation of African-Americans
Although Minnesota has the 4th highest percentage of women serving in state legislatures nationwide, the Gopher State only ranks 40th in the country in terms of proportional representation of African-Americans in St. Paul. Out of the 201 legislators in the…
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