US Sen. Al Franken has raised more than $3.3 million last quarter compared to more than $1.1 million raised by his main opponent, businessman Mike McFadden, their campaigns reported ahead of the incoming campaign finance reporting deadline.

Dennis Flaherty, Mark Froemke, LaVonne Froemke and Jason George.

When a bipartisan group of legislators threw a medical marijuana bill into the hopper during the last month of the 2013 legislative session, it wasn’t intended as an 11th-hour bargaining chip. Anticipating a short session in 2014, advocates said they were trying to set the stage for convincing lawmakers that they should join a growing list of states that allow patients to use the drug to alleviate pain.

State Rep. Karen Clark, who was the lead sponsor of legislation legalizing same-sex marriage, will receive the lifetime achievement award as part of the fourth annual Leaders in Public Policy awards, sponsored by Capitol Report and Politics in Minnesota. Clark and the other honorees will be recognized at a ceremony at the Saint Paul Hotel on July 11.

The St. Paul Democrat and chair of the House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee rolled out his "Gun Violence Prevention Act" at a press conference on Thursday. It includes his signature proposal to expanding background checks for prospective buyers.

In recent months the headlines have been filled with stories that raise concerns about invasion of privacy, and legislators from both parties are taking notice.

The issue of gun rights has blazed a path onto the policy agenda at the state Capitol. The subject invariably puts legislators at odds with either law enforcement or the National Rifle Association, depending on their vote.

In 2009, there were 4,895 incidents across the state in which police officers permanently seized property from individuals allegedly involved in criminal activity. Almost all of these seizures involved cash, firearms or vehicles. The total street value of the haul, according to a study released this week by the State Auditor’s office: $4.8 million. That money helped bolster the coffers of police departments and county attorneys across the state.

Three chief county prosecutors in the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area, with a combined 55 years of experience, are leaving their jobs at the end of the year and triggering something of a shakeup among metro county attorneys.

There is a price to pay for crossing law enforcement's blue line of silence. Rochester Police Chief Roger Peterson is finding that out in no uncertain terms.