In its first year at the helm of the chamber, the Senate Republican caucus has faced two ethics complaints and could be looking at a third in the wake of former Majority Leader Amy Koch’s sudden resignation after being confronted about an inappropriate relationship with a male staffer who reported to her.

Julianne Ortman, a three-term senator from Chanhassen, will serves as Senjem's number two as deputy majority leader. Bill Ingebrigtsen, a two-term senator from Alexandria, will take a remaining assistant majority leader slot.

When Republican state senators gather on Tuesday to elect a new majority leader, their top-of-mind priority will be to choose someone who can bail out a sinking boat and set it sailing in the right direction again. But the stakes will also be very high for a set of Capitol interest groups facing an historic chance to make years’ and countless dollars’ worth of lobbying efforts pay off.

The Minnesota Senate Republican caucus is in disarray after a tumultuous few days that saw Majority Leader Amy Koch suddenly step down following allegations of an “inappropriate relationship” with a direct subordinate on the Senate staff.

Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch sent shock waves through the Capitol complex late Thursday afternoon when she announced that she will not seek re-election in 2012 and that she is resigning her post as Senate majority leader, effective immediately.

In 1954, when Tom Anzelc was 8 years old, his family was kicked off their plot of land near Keewatin on the Iron Range. The parcel, along with 40 to 60 others, was confiscated for mineral exploration.

On its face, the vote taken recently by the state’s top constitutional officers to delay the granting of mineral rights leases on the Iron Range for six months was democracy in action: government bending to a public outcry and pledging to explore the issues raised.

Nationally, the social networking site was the catalyst for the recent Anthony Weiner scandal and his ultimate resignation, after the seven-term Democratic congressman from New York accidentally tweeted a lewd image of himself he had meant to send as a direct message to a woman.

Freshman Republican Sen. Gretchen Hoffman must apologize to DFL Sen. Barb Goodwin for a tweet she sent out in the midst of a health and human services debate during session, the Senate Ethics Committee ruled on Monday.

To the surprise of many, time ran out on the Legislature before votes were taken on several prominent bills unrelated to Minnesota’s general fund budget battle. While some bills passed the Legislature in the last three days of session, a raft of legislation now sits in limbo, including the Legacy funding bill and pension reform.