The Senate District 49 race has resulted in the largest haul so far with more than $100,000 in political contributions. Campaign finance reports have revealed this and a lot more, including some notable financial mismatches as well as challengers bringing in more than incumbents.

Gov. Mark Dayton has signed a bill into law that requires teacher candidates to pass a basic skills exam to earn a teaching license in the state of Minnesota.Old state law allowed teachers to take and retake the test for up to three years.

There was little fanfare when not one but two racino bills surfaced in the Minnesota Legislature last week. The perennial proposal to install slot machines in racetracks usually enters into the political milieu with news conferences and headlines.

Kelly Fenton is a veteran of Minnesota legislative campaigns. She ran popular freshman Sen. Ted Lillie’s successful campaign in Woodbury last fall and is president of the Minnesota Excellence in Public Service Series (MEPSS), a women’s leadership and political training program that has served as a breeding ground for successful legislative candidates.