Apr 26, 2011
Prior to the start of the legislative session, the Republican Senate Caucus met and have agreed to support a Constitutional Amendment defining marriage. There is a 2:30 pm press conference scheduled for which other members of the press have speculated incorrectly on...
Apr 25, 2011
It has not started as of yet, but we now understand better the process for removal of state employees appointed by past administrations. We have been the only source discussing the existence of these Republican holdovers and have not understood why they have yet to be...
Apr 14, 2011
We at Checks & Balances pride ourselves on the coverage we give to internal political party activity. This weekend Republican Central Committee members will gather at the Thunderbird Hotel to select the party leadership for 2011-12. Chairman Tony Sutton is...
Apr 14, 2011
Governor Mark Dayton (DFL-MN) told legislators he wanted the entire budget completed before he would take action, but with the Agriculture and Rural Development Omnibus Bill heading to his desk, with early indications he will sign it, this may not be the case. The Ag...
Apr 11, 2011
The members of the House of Representatives ended debate on a number of bills on Thursday morning around 3:30 am. The bill seeing one of most the contentious of the debates being SF760; the Health and Human Services Omnibus Bill. This issue which raised the hackles of...
Apr 11, 2011
This morning on the floor of the Senate, Majority Leader Amy Koch (R-19, Buffalo) named the initial Senate appointees to the respective budget bill conference committees. In the early lists, only four DFLers are sitting on the various spending bill conference...
Apr 5, 2011
Is it only irony or is it blatant hypocrisy to see Republicans take jobs in state government? Turning on TPT’s coverage of the Minnesota House and seeing David Strom, former head of the Minnesota Taxpayers League sitting as a staffer in a House Committee strikes...
Apr 5, 2011
Next week the Senate Commerce Committee will hear a bevy of bills intended to change our states’ No-Fault Insurance System. We know of six bills coming before the Commerce Committee which are intended to change the system and a few are backed by the Insurance...
Apr 5, 2011
In 2010, the Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association (MLBA) actively encouraged its members to support Republican candidates for legislative office. They along with other groups looked forward to new legislative majorities. The problem is their industry is completely...
Apr 5, 2011
We have it on good authority, the various administrative departments are preparing for a government shutdown on July 1st. Once the size and scope of the shutdown are known people will clearly understand its impact on their daily lives. In order to implement a...
