The Senate Health and Human Services Committee voted 7-3, across party lines, to move the languishing proposal forward. It has so far passed one committee in the House. Sen. Scott Dibble, the measure's chief Senate sponsor, called the proposal a "responsible bill."

The latest conventional wisdom points to chief of staff Tina Smith as the odds-on favorite.

Political and ideological opponents did not waste their chance to grab some of the spotlight from Tuesday's groundbreaking.

The committee did approve proposals that would nearly double the amount dedicated to security resources for the Capitol Area Complex.

Rep. Kurt Zellers, R-Maple Grove, one of the GOP candidates hoping to challenge Dayton next year, has led the charge on the issue.

Swanson’s opposition creates another political obstacle to the administration’s efforts to modify the terms of confinement for about 700 men.

**UPDATED** Senate and House members continue to squabble over leadership of a committee that's supposed to provide oversight for the Minnesota Vikings stadium and other sports facilities.

Tom Emmer tapped into a network of conservative donors that aligned behind his 2010 gubernatorial campaign to give himself a commanding lead.

The Lakeville-area Republican announced his decision in a letter to Senate Minority Leader David Hann, who is also thinking about entering the 2014 field.

Ingebrigtsen, first elected to his Alexandria-area Senate seat in 2006, says he's been getting encouragement from supporters to run for the state's highest office and plans to make his decision final in "a month or a month and a half." He would join a growing field of GOP candidates seeking the office, including Rep. Kurt Zellers, Sen. Dave Thompson, Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson and Orono businessman Scott Honour.