The bill would allow children and certain adults with severe illnesses -- more restrictive than a different proposal that has stalled in the House -- to ingest and vaporize marijuana as part of clinical trials. The Senate version, which has been moving with more force, is more permissive. The proposals will travel in earnest on Friday into next week.

House Republicans gave some indication of their own priorities during the committee meeting.

The idea is significantly more popular with the young and less affluent, and polls much better with Democrats than Republicans.

The lack of plans available was thought to be caused by the relatively expensive cost of health care in that region.

**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.

The bill passed the House by a tally of 68-66, with the entire House Republican caucus joined by five moderate Democrats who voted in opposition.

The Mayo Clinic's "destination medical center" took another step towards gaining up to $400 million in state financial support on Friday evening. The tax conference committee adopted language laying out the financial terms and governing structure for the estimated $5.5 billion project.

State lawmakers are introducing a workers’ compensation proposal that business and labor leaders alike regard as the most significant change to the system in 18 years.

Kelly’s previous bill, which got a cold reception from gay marriage advocates earlier this month, added civil unions alongside any instance of the word marriage in state statute. His new proposal would eliminate marriage from the lawbooks and and enshrine civil unions in its place

It was hardly a secret that the Mayo Clinic’s plan to create a “destination medical center” in Rochester was never going to make it through the House Taxes Committee as originally conceived. Rep. Ann Lenczewski, DFL-Bloomington, the influential chair of the committee, was extremely blunt about the problems she saw with the proposal.