There’s a new twist in the long-running legal fight between the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the company that operates a controversial metal shredding facility ...

Beneath the noisy debate about guns that has erupted at the Capitol this session, there is a quieter legislative push to improve mental health services in schools and public health programs.

The bill, which supporters are calling the Family Economic Stability Act, was introduced in both chambers on Wednesday. In addition to raising the minimum wage, the bill would fund childcare assistance programs and provide per-child tax credits for families.

In their first joint action of the 2013 session, the newly elected Democratic leaders of the Minnesota Legislature held a news conference to show they were on the same page regarding broad goals for the biennium. First and foremost, House Speaker Paul Thissen and Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk promised to balance a projected $1.1 billion budget deficit without gimmicks and without heading into a government shutdown.

Minnesotans United for All Families -- the primary group opposing the gay marriage amendment -- has raised $3.1 million so far this year, with roughly 90 percent of that money coming from in-state donors.

A handful of August primary elections are heating up across the state thanks to the new redistricting map, an uptick in legislative retirements and widespread dissatisfaction with the job lawmakers are doing in St. Paul.

Minneapolis DFLers lost another legislator last weekend. Freshman Rep. Marion Greene, who replaced former DFL House Speaker and gubernatorial candidate Margaret Anderson Kelliher in the chamber, fell in an endorsement contest against DFL House colleague Frank Hornstein.

Rep. Joe Mullery is no stranger to primary battles. The eight-term DFL legislator from North Minneapolis has faced intraparty contests in each of the last two election cycles.

A North Minneapolis activist won't rule out a primary challenge, setting up a potential three-way battle for the DFL endorsement.

This week, a third DFLer filed to make a run for the seat, and at least two more Democrats are thought to be mulling runs of their own.