The Capitol Note: Senate bonding bill out Monday, $1.2 billion still unlikely

1) The Senate will release the last remaining proposal to fund public infrastructure on Monday, filling in the final set of blanks that will precede a potential end-of-session deal.

House and Senate Democrats will be publicly negotiating around an $850 million bonding package — plus $200 million in cash spending — but will continue fighting with Republicans behind the scenes for a $1.2 billion bill, which Gov. Mark Dayton called for in his State of the State address. GOP lawmakers appear unwilling to break a deal from last session to limit GO bonding to $1 billion for the biennium.

“This is the one we have the furthest to go on,” House Speaker Paul Thissen said.

2) Different proposals to allow medical marijuana in Minnesota have continued advancing through the Legislature, despite presumed opposition from the governor’s office, Minnesota Public Radio reports.

A more relaxed Senate proposal passed through a committee on Friday, but a provision that allowed smoking marijuana was removed from the package. A House bill that calls for clinical trials of medical marijuana passed through a House panel on Friday as well. The Senate bill will be heard in the Finance Committee on Monday, while the House measure will be heard in the Ways and Means Committee.

3) Former DFL Congressman Jim Oberstar, a longtime transportation advocate who served in the U.S. House for 36 years, died in his sleep at 79 on Saturday, MinnPost reports.

Oberstar was ousted from his 8th Congressional District seat in 2010 by Republican Chip Cravaack. The seat was subsequently reclaimed by DFLer Rick Nolan in 2012. The race for the seat this year will be close, by most observer’s accounts.

Oberstar will be remembered for his work on transportation efforts, and he had been chairman of the House Transportation Committee.

“”It’s a devastating shock,” Nolan said on Saturday. “Jim Oberstar’s death is a tragic loss for his family, his friends, his state, the nation and all of us up in northeastern Minnesota.”

COMINGS & GOINGS

• St. Michael City Council member Kevin Kasel has registered to run as a Republican in House District 30B, where Rep. David FitzSimmons, R-Albertville, has said he will not run in a primary against endorsed GOP candidate Eric Lucero. Kasel works as an international process manager for Best Buy Corp.
• linq3, a “pay at the pump” lottery company based in New York City, retained the services of three lobbyists from the Cook Girard firm, including both named principals, Jim Girard and Judy Cook. Those additions take that company’s current staff up to eight, all of whom have joined its roster since March 2013.
• Lobbyist Kathleen Bovid has discontinued her work with Bristol-Meyers Squibb, a New York-based biopharmceuticals company. That was her only registration in this state, and she had been the only lobbyist on record for that company.
• The Dorothy Day Center‘s annual community breakfast will be held this Thursday at 7:30 a.m. in St. Paul. The event is free, though seating is limited, and a donation in some amount is expected. More information here.
• Minnesota Housing Partnership is hiring for a federal policy and communications associate position. The employee would work as a connection between the organization’s state-based work and congressional staffers in Washington, D.C. Salary is $22,400 per year. Lobbying or advocacy experience, particularly on the topic of affordable housing, is preferred. Send cover letter and resume to [email protected].