Legislature

By Mike Cook House Public Information Services One could safely presume extra caffeine was consumed Monday when people were still feeling the effect of Sunday morning. And many of us probably still have clocks yet to be reset to reflect Daylight Saving Time. Ironically, Roxanne Prichard did just that to a clock before exiting a…

By Tim Walker House Public Information Services Rep. Tina Liebling (DFL-Rochester) recounted a story in her district of a son who stole about $46,000 from his vulnerable mother’s bank account, yet prosecutors did not charge him under the financial exploitation of vulnerable adults act. Liebling explained to the House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee that the…

By Mike Cook House Public Information Services Google is behind a large-scale data center that could be part of a proposed 482-acre industrial project in Pine Island. Yet the nearly 4,000 residents in the small community near Rochester don’t know much about the details, many arguing city officials have lacked transparency regarding Project Skyway since…

By Mike Cook House Public Information Services When a voter casts a ballot for a levy or bond referendum, they also get a bit of education about how it could affect their pocketbook. By statute, if a county, city, town, school district, or other special taxing district asks voters to authorize “a property tax levy or…

By Rob Hubbard House Public Information Services Sure, your property taxes may have gone up last year. But did they go up enough to earn you a special refund? Minnesota tax law has something called “targeting,” which directs property tax relief to homeowners who have experienced a property tax increase of 12% or more, year…

By Tim Walker House Public Information Services More citizen engagement in government affairs is a good thing, right? Rep. Jimmy Gordon (R-Isanti) thinks so. He sponsors HF3295 that would authorize a public body to live broadcast meetings subject to the Open Meeting Law using social media. Current law allows state governmental units to hold official meetings by “interactive technology,” but…

By Mike Cook House Public Information Services When House members and staff return to the renovated and expanded State Office Building, one well-loved legislator will not be there but her name could be. Amid some watery eyes and with a tinge of mournfulness permeating the room, a bill to call the structure the “Melissa Hortman…

By Margaret Stevens House Public Information Services When a family relocates for a new job, the financial math can be complicated — especially when college-aged children are involved. At the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, in-state tuition runs $18,482, compared with $41,368 for out-of-state students, according to U.S. News & World Report. For some households,…