Thursday, May 16, 2013
Gov. Mark Dayton’s signature Tuesday didn’t end the heated debate around same-sex marriage.
Whatever side of the debate you fall on, there’s no denying that this week’s passage of a bill legalizing same-sex marriage was a historical moment. Minnesota became just the 12th state to sanction gay marriage when Gov. Mark Dayton signed the bill Tuesday. Patch readers quickly wrote in to share their thoughts on the moment. Eagan Patch reader Kathi Malone echoed the view of legislators who voted yes in seeing same-sex marriage as a civil right: I am so happy that finally gay people will be able to have the civil right to marry. This is truly an American vote for freedom. I applaud Sen Clausen and all other legislators who voted for this historical bill. James N added: Thank you Senator Carlson and the entire MN legislature for extending …
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
A contingent of day care providers and families with children who use that care protested against Senate File 778. But the DFL-controlled Senate approved the measure with a narrow, 35-32 vote after 17 hours of debate.
UPDATE (9:15 a.m., Wednesday, May 15): It took 17 hours of debate and more than a little arm-twisting from bill author Sen. Sandy Pappas, but the bill allowing day care providers to unionize in Minnesota passed the State Senate early Wedneday by the narrowest of margins. The DFL, which has a nine-member majority in the Senate, had a few members vote "no" on the unionization bill, approving it with a 35-32 vote. Minnetonka Sen. Terri Bonoff of Minnetonka, Greg Clausen of Apple Valley, Bev Scalze of Little Canada and Melisa Franzen of Edina broke ranks with the DFL and voted against the measure. The bill will now move to the House floor, where it will most likely replace a similar bill, H.F. 905, before it could move to Gov. Mark Dayton's …
Sunday, May 5, 2013
The state dropped two spots in the League of American Bicyclists’ annual rankings.
(Editor's Note: The map above was created by the League of American Bicyclists.) Minnesota is still among the top states in “bike friendliness,” but its ranking fell a couple notches in 2013, according to the League of American Bicyclists. The state was ranked fourth this year, down from second in 2012. It ranked high in legislation and enforcement, policies and programs and education and encouragement. But it was middle of the pack in infrastructure and funding and lower tier in evaluation and planning. Minnesota was also missing three of the league’s “Top 10 Signs of Success: Use the map above to see how Minnesota compares to other states in the various categories. Do you think Minnesota needs to do more to support cycling? Share your …
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Two explosions occurred the afternoon of Monday, April 15, 2013 near the marathon finish line on Boylston Street in Boston, MA.
During the Boston Marathon April 15, two explosions occurred near the finish line—killing three and injuring more than 100 people, according to a report from Fenway-Kenmore Patch. Among the 23,000 runners at the annual race were approximately 500 Minnesota residents, according to StarTribune.com. Here is what some of the runners shared about the incident and their experience. Click on the headline to read the full story. Roseville Runner: Boston Marathon Bombings "Surreal" Eric Kronback said he thought the two explosions were cannons. Blocks Away from Boston Marathon Explosions: Lake Elmo Woman Recounts 'A War Zone' “All of a sudden I heard two huge blasts—and everything went silent," Chris Hess-Withbroe said from her Boston hotel room …
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Even with a new formula, the city would continue to do without the state aid payments.
Inver Grove Heights is one of the few cities that would not benefit from a new proposal that would inject tens of millions of dollars of local government aid into the system and change the way those millions are distributed. The bill by Moorhead Rep. Ben Lien (DFL-4A) would add $80 million to the $426 million that the state is scheduled to spend on local government aid (LGA) in 2014. It would also create a new formula that adjusts aid based on its “aid gap”—a product of how the formula determines “unmet need,” according to the House Research bill summary. For so-called “large cities” that have more than 10,000 people, including Inver Grove Heights, the formula considers three factors in determining need per capita: LGA is intended to help …
Monday, March 25, 2013
Six percent of Dakota County adults have the disease—and many aren’t aware they have it. Tuesday’s ‘Diabetes Alert Day’ is a good time to consider whether you’re at risk.
Tuesday's Diabetes Alert Day, and the Minnesota Department of Health is urging all Minnesotans to look into whether they’re at risk for diabetes. More than one in 20 Dakota County adults, a total of 17,298 people, have diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Diabetes Surveillance System. The percentage of adult Minnesotans with diabetes nearly doubled between 1994 and 2010, according to the state Department of Health. The agency estimates that 80,000 Minnesota adults may have diabetes without knowing it. “Given the alarming increase of diabetes, we are encouraging Minnesotans to use this day to think about whether they or someone they love might have diabetes or prediabetes and not even know about …
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Bills asking lawmakers to raise the minimum wage by more than $3 have made their way to the floor. How much should the Legislature raise minimum wage, if at all, in one of the lowest-paid states in the country.
Minnesota lawmakers, during this period of slow, economic recovery, are taking up the debate of the amount of the state's minimum wage. Currently, both tipped workers and minimum wage workers can be paid as low as $6.15/hour, legally, in Minnesota. Most employers, though, abide by the Federal minimum wage, which is set at $7.25. Still, 6 percent of the state's workforce makes that amount, which analysts have said won't lift a worker or a family above the poverty line. Rep. Ryan Winkler of Golden Valley has introduced a bill to change that, moving Minnesota from one of the lowest minimum wage states in the nation to one of the highest. His bill hikes the state's minimum wage to $10.55/hr for high earners, or businesses that make more than $…
Thursday, February 28, 2013
As some school districts struggle with budget reductions, elementary music programs might be the first areas cut.
It has become a common scenario across many Twin City school districts. No passage of an operating levy in November equals a spring of budget reductions. Some school boards have been considering cutting some of the music programs out of their district offerings. A recommendation in District 834 to cut fifth- and sixth-grade instrumental music programs to save $300,000 if a November levy doesn’t pass brought criticism from the Stillwater Area High School Orchestra Director. “The elementary cost center’s suggestion appears disingenuous and may lack the integrity that the Stillwater community expects from its schools and from its School Board,” Stillwater Area High School Orchestra Director Jerry Jones said. “This elimination looks as …
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Minnesota's Congressional delegation has weighed in on the series of cuts that could hit the country March 1. The rollbacks would hit everything from education to senior care, the White House states.
If a deal isn’t struck by Friday between President Obama and Congress, a sequester will begin that will auto-start a series of mandated federal budget cuts that would quickly be felt across the Midwest. Here’s a sample of what’s at risk: Hundreds of teaching jobs. Thousands of children dropped from early childhood education. Elimination of work-study jobs that support thousands of low-income college students getting a degree. The loss of childcare for thousands of disadvantaged kids. Furloughs for thousands of civilian Defense Department employees. Congressman John Kline, a Republican representing Minnesota's Second District (including Inver Grove Heights), released this statement via spokesperson to the Minneapolis Star Tribune earlier …
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
How dangerous are winter roads?
Sunday's snowstorm served as a reminder that winter in Minnesota frequently means car crashes. According to the Minnesota State Patrol, the foul weather caused 367 crashes, 48 crash-related injuries, 299 spun-out cars, and three jack-knifed tractor-trailers. In some ways, those numbers are yet more proof that winter-weather driving can prove difficult. For this week's Patch Pro, we've lined up someone who can answer all your questions about winter driving safety, and winter car repairs. Jeff Matt is the owner and founder of Fridley's Victory Auto Service & Glass, a local, award-winning auto repair business with five locations in the Twin Cities. Jeff is also an ASE Certified Master Technician with more than 20 years of automotive …
Orono
1:21 pm on Tuesday, May 21, 2013
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