In its first year at the helm of the chamber, the Senate Republican caucus has faced two ethics complaints and could be looking at a third in the wake of former Majority Leader Amy Koch’s sudden resignation after being confronted about an inappropriate relationship with a male staffer who reported to her.

Nobody knows what the legislative maps will look like in 2012. The politically charged redistricting process will almost certainly be decided by the courts, most likely in February. But that uncertainty over legislative district boundaries hasn’t stopped numerous challengers on both sides of the aisle from declaring their candidacies.

In his administration’s drive to change the health insurance system, Gov. Mark Dayton has found an adversary in the state senator who presides over the committee charged with making the recommendation to confirm or deny his Health and Human Services commissioners.

Kelly Fenton is a veteran of Minnesota legislative campaigns. She ran popular freshman Sen. Ted Lillie’s successful campaign in Woodbury last fall and is president of the Minnesota Excellence in Public Service Series (MEPSS), a women’s leadership and political training program that has served as a breeding ground for successful legislative candidates.

As the Minnesota Vikings worked through preseason practice last week in Mankato, Ramsey County commissioners and team officials were doing intensive work on the specifics of a proposal to help build a new football stadium for the team in Arden Hills.

Nationally, the social networking site was the catalyst for the recent Anthony Weiner scandal and his ultimate resignation, after the seven-term Democratic congressman from New York accidentally tweeted a lewd image of himself he had meant to send as a direct message to a woman.

Former Sen. Dan Skogen -- who was ousted by freshman Republican Sen. Gretchen Hoffman last fall -- says he will seek the DFL endorsement in 2012 to return to the upper chamber.

GOP Senate Ethics Chair Michelle Fischbach issued a letter Tuesday saying Hoffman has fulfilled the requirements set by the committee and the complaint has been dropped. Last Monday the committee ruled that Hoffman must issue a written apology to Goodwin, delete the original tweet, and post the committee resolution on her Twitter account.

Following a ruling from the Senate Ethics Committee, freshman Republican Sen. Gretchen Hoffman has sent a written apology to DFL Sen. Barb Goodwin for a tweet she sent out in the midst of a heated health and human services debate last session.

Freshman Republican Sen. Gretchen Hoffman must apologize to DFL Sen. Barb Goodwin for a tweet she sent out in the midst of a health and human services debate during session, the Senate Ethics Committee ruled on Monday.