Medical Marijuana

May 16, 2014

Medical marijuana: A deal, but will it work?

The measure, which was the product of extensive negotiations and concessions aimed at allaying the shared concerns of the law enforcement lobby and Gov. Mark Dayton, is the most restrictive in the country.

May 16, 2014

The Capitol Note: House passes bonding bill 92-40

Dibble, Melin cut medicinal pot deal with governor’s office amid doubts about feasibility Amid smiles, congratulations and teary expressions of gratitude, lawmakers on Thursday announced that they had forged an ...

May 15, 2014

Lawmakers announce medical marijuana deal

In one of the compromises between the Senate and the House versions, the deal allows for the establishment of two medical marijuana manufacturers and eight distribution sites across the state.

May 14, 2014

Marijuana conferees get started

Aside from their sudden velocity and a good amount of attention from leadership, advocates and the press, the two proposals shared little in common at the start of the session’s last week.

May 13, 2014

The Capitol Note: Dems unveil specifics in $283M of supplemental spending

The subject targets, ranging from higher education to health and human services, signal that an overall deal on specific projects and policies is close.

May 9, 2014

Medical marijuana legislation passes overwhelmingly out of House

The House overwhelmingly passed a limited measure Friday evening to provide people ailed by certain, strictly defined conditions access to medical marijuana at a small number of distribution sites in the state. After an afternoon of debate, a swath of Republicans joined Democrats in moving the proposal forward 86-39.

May 9, 2014

The Capitol Note: House and Senate have deal on second round of tax cuts

The legislation would cut an estimated $103 million in revenue during the current biennium, with an out-biennium tax reduction of $118 million for 2016-2017. An initially slow-moving conference committee, kept many of the House's property tax cut proposals intact, but drifted closer to the Senate tax reduction target.

May 7, 2014

Senate passes medical marijuana 48-18

Lopsided vote sets stage for a showdown with House, Dayton.

May 7, 2014

The Capitol Note: House and Senate moving on borrowing bills

The Senate passed its bonding plan -- like the House it also includes $200 million in cash projects -- onto the Finance Committee, which will hear the bill on Wednesday. Sen. LeRoy Stumpf, DFL-Plummer, said he was pleased with the strong support his bill received in the Senate Capital Investment Committee on Tuesday.

May 6, 2014

Medical marijuana bill set for Senate vote

By a 14 - 7 margin, the Senate Finance Committee on Monday voted to send medical marijuana legislation to the Senate, where the controversial and suddenly fast-moving measure is now set to go to a floor vote on Tuesday.

May 5, 2014

The Capitol Note: Senate bonding bill out Monday, $1.2 billion still unlikely

Dibble, Melin cut medicinal pot deal with governor’s office amid doubts about feasibility Amid smiles, congratulations and teary expressions of gratitude, lawmakers on Thursday announced that they had forged an ...

May 2, 2014

The Capitol Note: House compromise divides lawmakers, advocates

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.