League of Women Voters seeks more open forums

House and Senate panels will focus on voting rules and election finance among other things.

The Impartial Justice Act, which would eliminate conventional contested elections in favor of a merit-based appointment system, has made scant progress in the place that matters most, the Capitol.

The favorable Wisconsin Supreme Court rulings come as Scott Walker, sometimes mentioned as a possible 2016 U.S. presidential candidate, finds himself in a tight race with Democratic challenger Mary Burke to retain his current post.

In the governor’s race, businessman Scott Honour out-raised Gov. Mark Dayton.

On Tuesday night, roughly 100 people gathered at Maplewood City Hall to hear a debate on the proposed constitutional amendment requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls.

On Tuesday night there will be a debate on the proposed constitutional amendment requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls. But the lineup of individuals slated to discuss the merits of the proposal has changed significantly in recent days.

The national push to require voters to present photo identification at the polls is shaping up to be as much a windfall for lawyers in Minnesota as it has been elsewhere.

Through a registration posted Friday, the group has formed the "Vote No on Voter ID" political committee, which will serve as a vehicle for its anti-amendment efforts into the fall.

Draw the Line Minnesota has formed a panel featuring people from multiple political parties that will work on redistricting issues on a non-partisan basis.