In the PIM legislator and politician of the year awards for 2010, Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch and House health care odd couple Erin Murphy and Matt Dean take top honors.

With the House and Senate now in Republican control, issues that have long been bottled up appear to stand a chance of making it onto the ballot in the next statewide election in 2012.

Fiscbach said she doesn't expect Senate committees to take up the nuclear power plant moratorium repeal next week.

Republican leaders in the state Legislature are discussing the specifics of their 2012-2013 budget process. Ideas under consideration include issuing joint budget targets.

While Senate Republicans put two of their most powerful members - Majority Leader Amy Koch and Deputy Majority Leader Geoff Michel - in front of the group's major "jobs bill," the House GOP plucked two freshman to carry the caucus' first major proposals of the session.

The first week of the 2011 Minnesota Legislative session was a lot of motion and little action. Lawmakers were sworn in, took photos with their families, and Republicans got settled into their new-found majorities in both chambers. But GOP leaders say Capitol watchers should be ready for the first bills to roll out in week two.

Winkler asked Dean to quickly hold a Rules Committee hearing on the proposal that would put the economy and the state's budget at the top of the Legislature's agenda.

Rep. Sarah Anderson had been a staffer in the Minnesota House of Representatives for 10 years by 2006. That's when her predecessor in House District 43A, former Rep. Jeff Johnson, decided he'd leave the Legislature to make a run for the attorney general's office.

On Wednesday Republican and DFL legislative leaders offered conflicting assessments of the state budget deficit in back-to-back state Capitol press conferences.

On Wednesday Republican and DFL legislative leaders offered conflicting assessments about the state budget deficit in back-to-back state Capitol press conferences.