Despite a US Supreme Court ruling from last week saying that members aren't required to pay dues, Minnesota home health care workers have provided the state with enough signatures to start a union election here.

Running Aces Harness Park paid out nearly $440,000 less than it was supposed to in purses to horse owners -- in part caused by an acknowledged lack of oversight by its regulator -- between 2008 and 2012, according to a legislative auditor's report released on Tuesday.

House and Senate Democrats agreed to a bonding deal on Wednesday that includes $850 million of borrowing and $200 million of cash for public infrastructure, but Republicans necessary to pass the measure objected late into the night. The House is expected to take up the bill on Thursday.

Despite prominent supporters, provision nixed from gaming bill.

MNsure interim CEO Scott Leitz declared that Minnesota’s health insurance exchange – which faced a rocky start back in October, underwent a tumultuous leadership change in December and haltingly overcame immense technical issues in the last few months – had “turned a corner.”

A House panel on Tuesday took four hours of testimony on a raft of bills aimed at restricting the government’s use of cellphone tracking devices and drones.

House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, quickly put down an endorsement challenge from Oak Grove Mayor Mark Korin.

All eyes in the political scene have turned to the state health insurance exchange, it seems, and most are casting either a skeptical glance or a withering glare in the direction of MNsure. Earlier this week, the exchange began its own “end-to-end” review of its work process, while simultaneously holding a first meeting with Office of theLegislative Auditor (OLA) head Jim Nobles.

The continued technical difficulties come at a critical point for the exchange.

Dayton said he had been speaking with the MNsure board on an increasingly frequent basis in recent months.