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Billion dollar surplus could yield bipartisan fruit
On Thursday, the Minnesota Office of Management and Budget issued its revenue forecast for the next legislative biennium, showing a whopping $1 billion surplus. Fueled by the strong state economy and budget measures taken in the last biennium, this surplus will be the basis on which the next legislature will negotiate its new budget. This…
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To mine the moon
With news this week about risks to miners’ health and continuing controversy over new forms of mining in Northern Minnesota, one is left wondering where the mining action of the future will be found. Well, look no further. One British lunar researcher is suggesting that we might look to the sky for the next untapped mineral…
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Hibbing among medical cannabis dispensary sites
When Gov. Mark Dayton signed a medical marijuana bill into law after last year’s legislative session, it was not without controversy. Not only does a step toward more lenient cannabis laws ruffle some conservatives and law enforcement groups, but many legalization advocates found the bill far too restrictive to be useful. Nevertheless, many families are…
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It might be cold out, but Minnesota job growth stays hot
Minnesota continues its economic expansion. Yesterday, the MN Department of Employment and Economic Development announced another stellar month of job growth in October. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has dipped below 4 percent for the first time since the 2008 recession. Highlights from the press release: ST. PAUL – Minnesota employers added 9,500 jobs in…
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The global X-factor in Range mining projects
Reeling from lack of investor confidence, Duluth Metals allowed itself and its Ely, MN, mining development Twin Metals be acquired by the Chile-based Antofagasta Mining Company two weeks ago. An earlier gambit to get Antofagasta to buy part of the company had fallen apart, and in a shrewd bit of international wheeling and dealing, Antofagasta ended…
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Hibbing VA clinic at center of controversy
The national controversy surrounding wait times and service at Veterans Administration hospitals and clinics has been pinpointed at a VA location close to home. A group of former employees at the Hibbing VA clinic is alleging they were ordered to backdate the appointment times for veterans on paperwork submitted to the VA to make the…
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The good ol’ boy litmus test
Before reading this post, please respond to the following quiz: Do you think everything that has been done in [any given Iron Range town] by its local leaders is pretty gawl-darn amazing, that the city is a flawless ideal of 21st Century prosperity, and should be celebrated far and wide, regardless of critical thought? Do new or remodeled industrial…
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Cook County candidates must draw Scrabble tiles to settle tie
UPDATE: Frank Moe was declared the winner in the drawing today, the account of which is here. The two candidates for District 1 Cook County Commissioner in far Northeastern Minnesota ended up tied after ballots from Tuesday’s election were counted. Now they will participate in a drawing to determine which will take office, unless a…
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The Undefeated Rick Nolan: Analyzing Election 2014
On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan deployed the vaunted ground game of Minnesota’s quirky Democratic-Farmer-Labor party and a passionate closing message to eke out the toughest election of his career. Nolan’s years in Congress bookend an entire generation, serving first from 1975 to 1981 — then later returning in 2012. Though the political map surrounding his home in the Crosby area has…
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LIVE BLOG: Northern Minnesota Election Night 2014
PROJECTIONS BOLD denotes MinnesotaBrown/media projection of winner; * denotes incumbent U.S. Senate: Al Franken* (DFL) vs. Mike McFadden (GOP) Governor and Lt. Gov.: Mark Dayton and Tina Smith* (DFL) vs. Jeff Johnson and Bill Kuisle (GOP) U.S. House MN District 8: Rick Nolan* (DFL) vs. Stewart Mills (GOP) vs. Skip Sandman (Green) MN State House…
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ELECTION DAY: Last minute advice for the undecided voter
There was a colony of insects working out in a field one fall day. There was much work to be done, and tempers were starting to flare. “Watch where you’re waiving that maxillary palp,” said one beetle. “Well, we wouldn’t have this problem if your big ol’ rostrum wasn’t in the way,” said the other.…
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What to Watch: Election 2014 in Northern Minnesota
UPDATE: The Election Day Live Blog is now fully operational. Minnesota voters are about to do something in a booth this Tuesday, Nov. 4. Or maybe not. Besides deciding which candidates to vote for, many voters are deciding whether or not to vote. Taken together, the temperament and turnout of people like you and me…
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Celebrity sillies in Minnesota’s election countdown
So, this happened. One commercial break during Sunday’s football game mostly included Christmas shopping ads, while the next commercial break was wall-to-wall political ads. That’s right. Christmas season has overlapped with election season. Since Christmas isn’t officially “holy” until Dec. 25, I’m going to declare this most unholy. I get a lot of press releases…
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Wall Street Journal profiles MN-8 from Wall Street POV
After being featured on National Public Radio after Joe Biden’s visit, and other national media outlets, Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District campaign continues to turn heads. Kristina Peterson and Dante Chinni of the Wall Street Journal profiled the district in this Oct. 30 piece “Democrats Lose Their Grip on Voters with Keys to the House.” The…
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Conservatives attempt reverse psychology in MN-8
Minnesota’s hotly contested Eighth Congressional District race is no stranger to outside political spending. As the contest draws to a close, however, the conservative group American Action Network is trying to use reverse psychology to drive liberals from incumbent Rick Nolan to Green Party candidate Ray “Skip” Sandman. Many voters in the 8th received this…