Monday, January 28, 2013
Once-prominent Republican staffer Michael Brodkorb was seriously injured in a crash in Mendota Heights last week.
The condition of former Senate staffer Michael Brodkorb, who was seriously injured in a car accident last week is improving, according to a statement issued by his wife, Sarah. “Michael’s condition has improved. We thank everyone for their concern, warm thoughts and prayers," Sarah Brodkorb is quoted as saying in a KSTP report. She also asked the media respect the family's wishes for privacy as he continues to heal. Brodkorb, a 39-year-old Eagan resident, was driving on Interstate 35E in Mendota Heights when his car struck a concrete median wall. Minnesota State Patrol officials say he was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident. A state patrol officer also detected alcohol on his breath following the crash. Brodkorb rose to …
Thursday, May 10, 2012
The State Senate approved the FINAL Minnesota Vikings Stadium bill Thursday afternoon, putting the controversial legislation on the desk of Gov. Mark Dayton.
UPDATE (Thursday, May 10, 2 p.m.) The Minnesota Senate has approved the conference committee recommendations on House File 2956, a bill providing funding for a Minnesota Vikings stadium. Sen. Amy Koch (R-Buffalo), in her final act as a state legislator from District 19, voted "yes." "You don't want to be part of the group that's responsible for losing the team. That's just not negotiable in my book," Koch, the former Senate Majority Leader, said last fall. Koch was opposed to any general funding, and wanted a referendum on the bill. However, she softened her stance on the public vote when Minneapolis went to bat for the bill, and funding from that city was found via a tax extension, not the creation of new tax dollars. The final vote was …
The congresswoman issued a statement Wednesday, May 9, following President Obama's support of gay marriage.
Congresswoman Michele Bachmann on Wednesday called President Obama "out of touch" following his statement of support for gay marriage. Below is a statement released from the congresswoman's office: “The President’s announcement today shows how out of touch he is the values of American families. The President continues to practice the politics of division and diversion. He’s tried to divide the country over gender, education, class, and now he’s attempting to divide families all as a diversion to his failed economic policies that have affected all Americans. “Americans know better and support traditional marriage. In every state where marriage has been on the ballot, traditional marriage has prevailed. Even last night, in North Carolina…
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
The Vikings Stadium bill continues its trip through the Minnesota Senate this morning. A floor vote could happen as early as Friday.
Legislators are keeping a Vikings stadium proposal rolling despite setbacks just a week ago. The stadium proposal cleared two House committees this month but stumbled last week when the House Government Operations and Elections Committee rejected it, 9-6. Supporters, led by Shakopee's Cory Merrifield at SaveTheVikes.org, and backed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, rallied to keep the bill moving forward—which the the Senate Jobs and Economic Growth Committee did on Tuesday. Today, the Senate Finance Committee will take up the measure. The hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. You can watch live here, thanks to The UpTake. Republican Sen. Amy Koch, Buffalo, said she's in favor of keeping the Vikings and getting a new stadium together as long …
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
If the Senate approves it today, it will be on November's ballot.
The Minnesota Senate will decide today whether November's ballot should have a proposed constitutional amendment that would—if passed by Minnesota voters—make photo IDs a requirement on Election Day. The Senate will be taking up the bill right on the heels of the House's final approval, which came shortly after midnight Wednesday. The issue has divided the Legislature on party lines, with Republican supporters saying it would add integrity to Minnesota's election system, while Democratic opponents say the measure is unnecessary and could disenfranchise some voters. Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer, of Big Lake, wrote the House's version. Kiffmeyer is aiming for the District 30 Senate seat this November, which includes St. Michael and the surrounding …
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
The City of St. Michael laid out its legislative positions, including a plea to find a financial solution behind the proposed Voter ID Amendment.
The City of St. Michael sent council members Nadine Schoen and Chris Schumm to St. Paul recently to meet with the community’s local legislators, including Rep. Joe McDonald and Sen. Amy Koch. Assistant City Administrator Steve Bot, who will become the city’s lead man when Administrator Bob Derus retires in June, accompanied the two. Schumm and Schoen returned to the Capitol, recently, for a day of meetings courtesy of the League of Minnesota Cities. While in St. Paul, the two discussed the city’s stance on a variety of proposed legislation, asking for the state to heed more communities’ calls on issues that have local impact. Near the top of the list was the so-called Voter ID Amendment, which will ask voters to approve a new police asking…
Friday, March 23, 2012
The Minnesota State Senate will hold an ethics hearing today on complaints against Edina Sen. Geoff Michel and his handling of the Sen. Amy Koch affair.
Watch live, courtesy of The Uptake, as the Minnesota Senate addresses an ethics complaint that centers around the resignation of Wright County Sen. Amy Koch as the Senate Majority Leader. The DFL has filed complaints vs. Sen. Geoff Michel, a Republican from Edina. The hearing will revolve around what Michel, the Senate's Deputy Leader last year, knew about the affair between Wright County Sen. Amy Koch, the 2011 Majority Leader, and staffer Michael Brodkorb, former Senate GOP spokesperson.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Documents filed by an attorney for fired Senate GOP Senate spokesperson Michael Brodkorb confirm Koch's "inappropriate relationship."
After nearly four months of speculation, there is documented proof that the "inappropriate relationship" that led to Wright County Sen. Amy Koch's resignation and removal as the Senate Majority Leader was with former Senate GOP spokesperson Michael Brodkorb. According to reports filed by several news outlets yesterday, Brodkorb's attorney, Phil Villaume, detailed the relationship in briefs he submitted in court this week as part of a possible/pending wrongful termination suit Brodkorb is expected to file against the Minnesota State Senate. In mid-December, three Senators confronted Koch about the affair, leading her to submit her resignation as majority leader and to announce that she would not be seeking another term as the Senator from …
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Revised estimates show the state should have a $1.2 billion surplus headed into the budget negotiations in 2013. Both Sen. Amy Koch and Rep. Joe McDonald said reforms enacted after the shutdown last year are working.
Maybe the oft-criticized shutdown of 2011 was actually worth it? After a tedious and combative 2011 session over the state's bi-annual budget led to a complete shutdown of state services back in June, the state is coming out the other side with an additional $1.2 billion in savings, according Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Jim Schowalter's announcement Wednesday. Schowalter said the state would have a surplus of about $320 million, on top of the more than $870 million it announced late last year, heading into the next biennium. Appropriately, that money is already earmarked to pay back the state's "rainy day" fund of more than $650 million, and state aid shifts from schools back to the state Legislature made in 2011 to keep …
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
The panel's decision on Minnesota State Legislative redistricting puts St. Michael at the heart of a new District 30A, which will team with Elk River for its new Senate District.
Hanover, St. Michael, Albertville and Otsego will create a new Minnesota House District race this fall, thanks to a decision handed down by the court panel put in charge of Minnesota State Legislative redistricting. The new district, House District 30A, reflects the unprecedented growth over the last 10 years in northern Wright County, and pushes the Senate District for STMA, Otsego and Hanover north into the Elk River area, expanding west to Big Lake for Senate 30. It will mean a departure from District 19A in the state house, and District 19 in the senate. St. Michael's David Dayon, a member of both the planning and zoning commission and St. Michael Economic Development Authority, has already tossed his hat into the ring for the State …
Mike
9:22 am on Thursday, April 5, 2012
LOL Josh! Susan, Josh's humorous point actually turns out to be analogous to the issue. Sudafed is a good thing when it is used legally. It's a very bad thing when it is used by meth makers. Same could be said for voting. Good for legal citizens; Bad for non citizens. Requiring IDs promotes the good in both cases. Before this was even an issue, I always pulled out my driver's license when I went … more ›