January is generally not the time of year for four-hour committee hearings at the Capitol. But Wednesday’s gathering of the House Commerce and Consumer Protection Finance and Policy Committee nearly reached that dubious mark.

On Thursday afternoon, Sen. Linda Berglin (DFL-Minneapolis) and Rep. Tom Huntley (DFL-Duluth) announced a plan to restore $292 million of the $396 million in General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) funding cut by Gov. Tim Pawlenty earlier this year.