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Simonson tells supporters he plans Senate run
State Rep. Erik Simonson (DFL-Duluth) told supporters today in an e-mail that he plans to run for the State Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Roger Reinert. Reinert announced this morning he would not seek re-election. Simonson currently represents the 7B side of the district. This is the e-mail, which was forwarded to me: Friends, I…
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Duluth senator Reinert won’t run again
State Sen. Roger Reinert (DFL-Duluth) announced today he would not seek re-election in 2016. “2015 was amazing,” said Reinert in his statement. “I finished my first year of law school, was promoted to Lt. Commander in the Navy, and most importantly – got married. 2016 is the right time for the next chapter of life.” Reiner…
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Radinovich to lead Nolan’s campaign
Last week, U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan (D-MN8) announced that former State Rep. and IRRRB assistant commissioner Joe Radinovich would helm his re-election campaign in 2016. This move has been in the works for some time, but the announcement was held until Radinovich had made official his departure from an administrative position at the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation…
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Essar accepts Gov. Dayton’s repayment terms
On Dec. 31, Gov. Mark Dayton announced that Essar Steel Minnesota has accepted the repayment terms he laid out just before Christmas. This means that the company will repay almost $66 million over the next five years. “This project is tremendously important to the Iron Range, supporting more than 700 construction jobs and an expected…
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Iron Range miner to be State of the Union guest
Dan Hill, a laid off Steelworker from United Taconite in Eveleth, will be Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s guest at the State of the Union address on Jan. 12. Hill and his family live outside Hibbing. Hill has been an outspoken union miner during the current downturn in the Iron Range mining industry. According to people present, he…
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Gov. Dayton issues terms for Essar repayment
Today, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton’s administration released a letter sent to Madhu Vuppuluri, CEO of Essar Steel Minnesota, demanding the company accept repayment terms for about $66 million in state grants. Dayton gives the company until Dec. 30 to accept the terms of the repayment agreement in writing. Essar owes the grant money because it did not…
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U.S. places big tariffs on Chinese steel
The Times of Northwest Indiana reports that U.S. regulators have slapped huge tariffs on foreign steel in response to accusations that some countries are “dumping” their products on the American market. “Dumping” means that companies sell the steel for less than it costs them to make it. This is possible in countries that subsidize their steel industry…
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Essar pays back $6 million to IRRRB
The Mesabi Daily News reports that Essar Steel Minnesota has paid back $6 million owed to the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB). The loan was part of the initial public financing for the project back in 2007. Though the agency was essentially calling the loan, Essar officials were the ones to tell the…
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Iron Range recovery requires connection to bigger world
Another winter day turns white in the woods of Northern Minnesota. Snow to shovel yet. Over in the sleepy mining towns, some excitement. Last night, the city of Virginia opted not to ask the group holding clothing-optional parties at the Coates Hotel to just go away. Lots of debate. 4-3 vote. “We need to bring…
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RAMS hires Dicklich as state lobbyist
The Range Association of Municipalities and Schools (RAMS) hired former executive director Ron Dicklich as its state lobbyist this past week, according to Bill Hanna in the Mesabi Daily News. You might recall RAMS at the center of a controversy last spring when State. Sen. David Tomassoni was hired to succeed Dicklich as executive direct despite…
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ANALYSIS: Rob Ecklund wins 3A race
Rob Ecklund was elected State Representative for Minnesota House District 3A Tuesday by a wide margin. The Koochiching County Commissioner and Boise Cascade union paper worker earned 64 percent of the vote to Republican Roger Skraba’s 19 percent and independent Kelsey Johnson’s 16 percent. Ecklund carried 80 of 83 precincts, losing a pair of small…
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LIVE BLOG: MN House 3A Special Election today
Today voters head to the polls in Minnesota District 3A. This district is the state’s largest geographic House seat sprawling across Koochiching, northern and eastern St. Louis, most of Lake and all of Cook counties. This is a special election to replace the late Rep. David Dill (DFL-Crane Lake), who died last summer. Polls will…
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Devil in the details for Steelworkers special session
Gov. Mark Dayton and Senate DFLers are still seeking a special session to help Steelworkers whose unemployment will run out between now and March. They also seek economic measures to address racial disparities in the state. As we discussed last week, House Republicans declined to support such a session unless Dayton established support for two controversial projects, the…
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Navasota project tied to Minnesota Power plan
Earlier this week, I shared a developing story about a new natural gas peaking plant proposed for the city of Cohasset, home of Minnesota Power’s giant Clay Boswell coal-fired power plant. After a great deal of initial confusion, we established that the $300 million proposal by Navasota Energy of Texas for a 400 MW plant…
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Talking Iron Range woes on MPR
This morning at 11 I’ll be on Minnesota Public Radio News with Tom Weber talking about the economic slump that has hit the Iron Range mining industry. Other guests include Tony Barrett, an economics professor at St. Scholastica in Duluth, and Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk of Cook. I’ve written about the downturn in the iron ore…