Minnesota House seats like one now represented by St. Paul DFL Rep. Michael Paymar don’t open up that often. Like many urban districts, it’s a safe haven for Democrats — and the sort of prize that is rarely put up for grabs. Paymar has represented House District 64B for 17 years, winning re-election with margins around 70 percent or higher in the last four cycles.

With a quick swipe of his pen, Gov. Mark Dayton made Minnesota the 12th state in the nation to allow same-sex marriages as a crowd of more than a thousand watched on the front steps of the Capitol Tuesday.

The ceremony marked a dramatic shift in Minnesota, where two years ago lawmakers voted to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot to ban gay marriages. Six months ago, voters rejected that amendment by a more than 5 point margin. Come August 1, same-sex couples in the state will be able to apply for wedding licenses and couples married in other states will have their union recognized in Minnesota.

Rep. Gene Pelowski's calls for greater accountability have been praised by DFL and GOP legislators alike.

Fritz Knaak remembers tripling his billings at his law firm in 1992, the year the Republican state senator from White Bear Lake decided to retire from politics.

If his 2013 budget proposal is any indication, Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton intends to make history. The document landed on Tuesday, containing some of the most significant proposed tax overhauls and increases in Minnesota in decades.

Members of the 88th Minnesota Senate sworn in next January will have roughly 40 percent fewer years of cumulative service than the Senate that gaveled out in May 2010.

Attorney Susan Allen was elected in House District 61B, replacing former Rep. Jeff Hayden. Hennepin County staffer Kari Dziedzic easily won the Senate District 59 seat in northeast Minneapolis to replace former Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller.

Kari Dziedzic was the winner in the crowded field of DFLers seeking the nomination to succeed former Sen. Larry Pogemiller. Mohamud Noor finished second in a crowded field of DFLers.

The Minnesota Legislative Auditor has written the latest chapter in the murky saga of what’s constitutionally permissible when it comes to spending state Legacy Amendment dollars. And in a 37-page report released Wednesday, Legislative Auditor Jim Nobles dealt an apparent blow to a key article of faith held by many environment and conservation groups.