Republican Rep. Tim Kelly is one of the last GOP legislators you’d expect to find on the bad side of gay marriage advocates. The three-term member from Red Wing is well-known for bucking his own caucus in 2011 as Republicans worked to pass a controversial constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.

Legislation eliminating restrictions on when lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse can be filed is headed for floor votes in the House and Senate. The House bill, sponsored by Rep. Steve Simon, DFL-Hopkins, cleared the Judiciary Finance and Policy Committee on a voice vote Wednesday.

In recent months the headlines have been filled with stories that raise concerns about invasion of privacy, and legislators from both parties are taking notice.

In the closing days of the 2011 legislative session, Republican legislative leaders repeatedly stated that they were optimistic about reaching a solution to the state’s $5 billion budget deficit. “We can get this done,” said Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch with a week left in the session.

Tempers flared and debates grew heated around the Capitol over the past week as Republicans in the House put their controversial legislative redistricting map on the table. The map carves up a new political landscape that pits 26 incumbents against one another - 20 in the House and six in the Senate - and all but one of the matchups put a DFLer, or two, in peril.

Rep. Sarah Anderson has released the first plan for redrawing legislative districts based on 2010 Census figures. The proposed map would pit 20 current House members against each other and six sitting senators, according to an analysis by Minnesota Public Radio.

Former state Rep. Mary Jo McGuire won the special primary election in Senate District 66 by racking up huge vote margins on her home turf of Falcon Heights. In the two precincts covering the Ramsey County suburb, she received 508 votes -- compared to just 53 votes for Rep. John Lesch and 28 votes for attorney Steven Marchese.

Former state Rep. Mary Jo McGuire won the DFL primary election in Senate District 66 with 54 percent of the vote, according to the Ramsey County Elections division. She handily defeated current state Rep. John Lesch, who garnered 36 percent of the vote. Attorney Steven Marchese finished well back with just under 10 percent of the vote.

Ahead of next Tuesday's DFL special primary in Senate District 66, the statewide teachers union Education Minnesota has endorsed Rep. John Lesch to succeed former Sen. Ellen Anderson.

St. Paul Rep. Alice Hausman is backing former state Rep. Mary Jo McGuire in the Senate District 66 special election. Hausman's decision pits her against current House colleague John Lesch, who is also seeking the seat.