Minnesota continues to violate the U.S. Constitution by prohibiting corporations from making political contributions that seek to directly influence campaigns. That's the gist of the argument made by plaintiffs in a hearing Friday afternoon before U.S. District Court Judge Donovan Frank.

A legal challenge to a new state law regulating campaign contributions will be argued in federal court tomorrow afternoon. The lawsuit challenges disclosure requirements that were enacted by the Legislature in the wake of the United States Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling, which opened the door to direct corporate spending to influence elections.

The next salvo in the legal battle over corporate money in politics is scheduled to take place in federal court in St. Paul on Aug. 20.

The state's largest statewide business lobby is cheering the defeat of tax increase proposals in the 2010 legislative session. The group sees more work to be done in 2011 on an array of issues like K-12 education and workers' comp policy.

A conference committee met this afternoon on HF2798 / SF2519, bills that would make public the data on certain expenditures by public utility companies. But a final section in the House version, added as a pair of amendments on the floor, swung the utilities bill into the realm of election law.

Common Cause and DFL legislators today lashed out at the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce for filing a lawsuit that strikes down certain state campaign finance laws.

Minnesota will likely be affected by the U.S. Supreme Court ruling handed down this morning that allows corporate spending in elections.