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Radinovich, others show courage of conviction in marriage vote
Yesterday the Minnesota House of Representatives voted to extend marriage rights to all Minnesotans, including gay and lesbian couples, by a vote of 75-59. Four Republicans supported the measure and two Democratic-Farmer-Laborites opposed it, making this a bipartisan split. All northern Minnesota DFLers supported the bill, including several in districts that have recently opposed gay…
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WATCH: Historic MN House marriage vote slated for today
Today at noon the Minnesota House of Representatives will debate and vote on an historic measure extending the freedom to marry to all Minnesotans. Thanks to The Uptake, you can watch the proceedings here at MinnesotaBrown.com. Though it is only the first step in legalizing gay marriage in the legislature this year, the House is…
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The rise and fall and (?) of regions like ours
This Willie Davis article at The Daily Yonder is must-read if you follow my coverage of the rural industrial corridor of Minnesota’s Iron Range. Davis looks to Kentucky’s coal mining country and its efforts to find economic and cultural footing amid the decline of coal mining. It begins like this: Not long ago, there was…
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Great opportunity, major test for Iron Range schools
This is my Sunday column for the May 5, 2013 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Great opportunity, major test for Iron Range schoolsBy Aaron J. Brown At a glance, there’s nothing special about the Iron Range. Old houses built for workers. Streets stained red from the ore that brought the town to life, and…
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Obama to name Charlotte mayor to transportation, not Oberstar
President Obama is expected to announce Charlotte, N.C., mayor Anthony Foxx to be the next Secretary of Transportation, according to the Charlotte Observer. Obama was considering several names, among them former U.S. Rep and House Transportation Chair Jim Oberstar (D-MN), a longtime northern Minnesota political figure and national transportation expert. Oberstar was considered a long…
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Metsa submits Hwy 53 bill: "We have to take action"
State Rep. Jason Metsa (DFL-Virginia) and State Sen. David Tomassoni (DFL-Chisholm) are taking direct action in response to the controversy over the required rerouting of Highway 53 on the Iron Range to accommodate expanding iron mining. On Tuesday, Metsa announced he will be submitting an amendment to the transportation bill that specifically prohibits the least…
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Walking the footsteps of the working poor
Last week, freshman State Rep. Jason Metsa (DFL-Virginia) lived on minimum wage as part of a challenge sponsored by Working America, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO. The effort was designed to show the challenges facing the working poor as part of the debate over raising Minnesota’s minimum wage to what workers’ groups call a “living…
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Protests aplenty as Northern MN unravels
Everything’s coming up Moses. There’s a whole bunch of unwanted snow on the ground in northern Minnesota today. If you’re one of those cats who likes to talk about how great it is to ski this late in the season you best move along, son, because we don’t have much in common. In fact, let…
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Gov. Dayton to hold Iron Range town hall Tuesday night
Gov. Mark Dayton will hold a town hall meeting to discuss his budget proposal at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the commons at Mesabi Range Community and Technical College in Virginia, MN. This will probably be the best environment for people here in northern Minnesota to express their views or questions on the budget to the…
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Northern projects fare well in Gov. Dayton’s bonding bill
Gov. Mark Dayton revealed his suggestion for a $750 million bonding bill yesterday, including money for several northern Minnesota projects. A larger bonding bill is expected next year where many additional projects will be considered, along with those from this year that fail to make the cut. Local media lamented the lack of inclusion for…
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Nolan backs PolyMet project during recent tour
Last week, U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan (D-MN8) toured his northern Minnesota district, making a few headlines along the way. Ron Bruchu of Business North reports on Nolan’s remarks to a Duluth Chamber event. Notable among Nolan’s remarks was an endorsement of PolyMet’s plan to mine copper and other minerals in northeastern Minnesota. Nolan said he’s…
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Taft for our times
This is my Sunday column for the April 7, 2013 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. “Taft 2012: A Novel” by Jason Heller was clearly packaged to fuel the zeitgeist of last year’s election, spoofing targets from the media, to the tea party, modern politics and obesity in general. I read the book just recently,…
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On sulfur and service on the Iron Range
I found this MPR story by Dan Kraker to be a very helpful scientific explanation of the minerals involved in new nonferrous mining proposals in northern Minnesota. Refreshingly informative. “Sulfur is the great collector of metals in nature,” [UM-Duluth geologist Jim Miller] said. “If it wasn’t for sulfur, there would be no economic quantities of…
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Iron Range has 53 problems, mostly a highway
Rep. Rick Nolan (D-MN8) jumped into the debate over the new route for Highway 53, strongly opposing the western route proposal that resurfaced late last week. The Mesabi Daily News reports that Nolan called the proposal a “nonstarter.” The public meeting described in the story sounded like a good representation of the local opinion I’ve…
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Skypocracy rules in northern Minnesota city
A state ruling indicates that Cohesset city councilor Dennis Blankensop did not violate the open meeting law when he attended a Jan. 8 council meeting via the internet video service Skype. The Grand Rapids Herald-Review has the story. The Minnesota Newspaper Association continues to argue that a city councilor attending a meeting from another state…