Charlie Weaver

Dec 30, 2013

The Capitol Note: MNsure board to hold final pre-launch meeting

The MNsure Board will hold a final pre-launch meeting, which is scheduled to include a progress update from interim CEO Scott Leitz.

Sep 25, 2013

Dayton strikes cordial tone with business

Standing in front of nearly 1,000 of the state’s top business leaders and GOP political influencers is likely not Gov. Mark Dayton’s favorite place to be. The Democratic governor has been at odds with business groups since he first ran for election in 2010, when they sunk millions into trying to defeat him.

Apr 24, 2013

House passes $15.7B education finance bill

K-12 education finance bills that account for roughly 40 percent of the state’s general fund spending are moving through the House and Senate floors this week.

Nov 9, 2012

Marriage amendment had big impact in burbs

Rumblings about the marriage amendment’s unpopularity in the western suburbs came early in the campaign season. Orange and blue “vote no” signs vastly outnumbered “vote yes” ones, particularly in places like Edina, and Republican candidates running for the Legislature avoided the issue at the doors and in debates at all cost.

Oct 31, 2012

GOP-aligned business PACs outspend Democratic counterpart

GOP-aligned independent groups have rushed to fill the campaign spending gap that Republicans face in their battle for continued control of the Minnesota Legislature.

May 18, 2012

Business lobby gives mixed marks to GOP majorities

The change in Minnesota politics wrought by the 2010 election created equal measures of optimism and concern among the business groups that lobby state lawmakers.

Apr 10, 2012

Pawlenty retires debt from failed presidential bid

Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty has retired the debt left over from his failed bid for the Republican presidential nomination, his campaign said Tuesday, officially erasing a burden that at once stood at more than $500,000.

Apr 4, 2012

Business lobby: few wins so far

Business interests still hoping some of their legislative priorities will be addressed in waning days of session.

Mar 21, 2012

Endorsement battles bring March madness to Capitol

Last Saturday GOP activists gathered in Burnsville to determine who would be the endorsed candidate in House District 56A. No incumbent is running for re-election in the district, which leans heavily Republican.

Jan 19, 2012

Business lobby hopes for better year in 2012

Looking to the session ahead, groups like the chamber and the Minnesota Business Partnership plan to renew the push for their key 2011 measures and have added a few new priorities as well.

Jan 18, 2012

The politics of Session 2012

The 2012 legislative session should be unlike any in recent memory. That’s in part because there is no budget deficit to erase. The surprising December budget forecast — showing a surplus of nearly $900 million — removes the primary point of contention between DFL Gov. Mark Dayton and the GOP-controlled Legislature.

Oct 7, 2011

Report may shape next play in Vikings stadium push

The Minnesota Vikings’ partnership with Ramsey County officials in pursuit of a new football stadium in Arden Hills has remained intact. But the alliance appears to be increasingly isolated in the face of forces in business and elected office in Minnesota who have reservations — or other ideas.