For DFL Rep. Alice Hausman, next year’s bonding bill is a take-two proposition. The House Capital Investment Committee chair from St. Paul pushed for an $800 million package of construction projects last year, but watched it fail by five votes the day before session adjourned.

The trio of perceived shortcomings within MNsure cropped up in rapid succession, with each matter coming to light in a matter of days last week.

Several Republicans also asked Babine about how tax increases passed during the 2013 session might discourage new businesses from relocating to Minnesota or, worse, drive existing business to neighboring states.

The inclusion of business-to-business taxes, particularly those that could cost farmers, are causing last-minute tensions over the omnibus tax bill.

The bill will increase the basic funding formula to schools by $234 million, or 3 percent, which Marquart said would break down to more than $300 in new spending per student.

Politicians give speeches for a living. We asked the Capitol Insiders which of the current legislators are the best orators? Here are their top answers.

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.

The omnibus tax bill advanced out of the House Taxes Committee without significant changes on Wednesday evening. The proposal, which includes $2.6 billion in additional taxes, passed on a party-line 17-11 vote.

It was hardly a secret that the Mayo Clinic’s plan to create a “destination medical center” in Rochester was never going to make it through the House Taxes Committee as originally conceived. Rep. Ann Lenczewski, DFL-Bloomington, the influential chair of the committee, was extremely blunt about the problems she saw with the proposal.

When it comes to bonding in Minnesota this year, everyone can agree on one thing and one thing only: Capitol restoration. The slated set of repairs to the 108-year-old building has support from Gov. Mark Dayton and Republicans and Democrats in both the House and Senate.