Jan 17, 2001
Checks & Balances was the first to discuss the shift of the balance of power in the State Senate on the issue of abortion. This shift is not surprising since the general public is not selecting their candidates for public office based solely on their stance on...
Jan 17, 2001
Also this week, the Iron Range took another significant hit with the closing of the LTV mining plant in Hoyt Lakes. This closure will result in a nearly one-third reduction of the state’s mining industry. The principal reason is the importation of cheap...
Jan 17, 2001
Last week, during the state of the state address Governor Jesse Ventura (IP-MN) laid out a fairly aggressive agenda. He called for a dramatic reform of the state funding formula for education, which results in a significant reduction in property taxes. He seeks a...
Jan 17, 2001
Checks & Balances has confirmed with a source in US Senator Paul Wellstone’s (D-MN) office that he will be seeking re-election in 2002. He is set to officially announce at 12:00 PM at the Louisiana Cafe in St. Paul. This will open up a host of attacks on him by...
Jan 4, 2001
Every day, it seems a new name is circulated as a candidate for the various Constitutional offices. We thought we would try to compile a list of the names we have heard so far and encouraged anyone who is interested in floating their name for a position (either DFL...
Jan 4, 2001
During our conversation with Rep Alice Hausman (DFL-66B, St Paul) we broached the topic of a possible Mayoral bid and flat out asked her if she was running for Mayor or not and she said, “Yes.” We further pried and found out her strategy would focus on the lessons...
Jan 4, 2001
The DFL is not going to get caught behind the Republicans in the redistricting battle. They have now assembled their own dynamic duo to take on the redistricting tasks. Anna Youngerman is donning another hat for the DFL as Redistricting Analyst and Paul Waelchli has...
Jan 4, 2001
Feminists for Life of America recognized as a “Remarkable Pro-Life Woman,” Rep Mary Ellen Otremba (DFL – 11B, Long Prairie) in its winter edition of the American Feminist. The philosophy of the organization is a consistent position supporting justice and nonviolence...
Jan 4, 2001
A series of flyers have been circulated around the State Office building recently and we understand Speaker Steve Sviggum’s name appeared on one as a sponsor of the events. The flyer we were able to obtain doesn’t carry the Speaker’s name but the information is...
Jan 4, 2001
At the start of the legislative session, the members all need to be sworn in, officers are elected and the rules of engagement are set. Much of this is perfunctory and frequently lumped together to expedite the process. Yesterday, House Majority Leader Tim...
