Model legislation is from Idaho has a big reach—it defines stray voltage and establishes a “preventive action level.”

Policy bills are indeed passing, and some non-controversial pieces have a good chance to become law this year.

In today’s economy, Greater Minnesota has a terrific story to tell, and in many ways deserves more attention from policymakers than the Twin Cities urban region.

A senate panel questioned the agency for requiring a stringent environmental review for a proposed dairy facility that would be the largest in the state.

The state exported $20.7 billion worth of manufactured, mining and agricultural products last year, down $106 million from a record $20.8 billion in 2012.

Gov. Mark Dayton has called on the federal government to address the dire shortage of feed for Minnesota livestock. The problem has been created from a series of weather events including a massive winter kill of alfalfa.

The first partisan front in the newly constituted Minnesota House of Representatives was established only minutes after that body opened the 2013 session. After the chamber cycled through a handful of procedural votes, Rep. Rod Hamilton, R-Mountain Lake, rose to challenge the DFL majority’s decision to create the House Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Finance Division.

Animal rights groups are trying to advance their agenda in certain states (like Ohio) as they build a base to capture the attention of lawmakers in Washington, D.C. The push has Capitol observers looking to see if Minnesota becomes a battleground state for animal rights.

The state House late Thursday night passed a bill that spends money from the Outdoor Heritage Fund to pay for land purchases and other conservation projects.

State lawmakers and agriculture lobbyists are debating how to deal with the escalating property tax bills that are hitting Minnesota farms. And the differences of opinion reach all the way down to House and Senate DFL committee chairs.