State Sen. Julianne Ortman left the GOP field for US Senate on Monday after handily losing the party endorsement over the weekend to businessman Mike McFadden.

In a statement issued to Politics in Minnesota on Thursday afternoon, Fairview argued that it still felt that it qualified for the exemption.

A new coalition of advocates for the elderly and disabled in Minnesota is planning an aggressive campaign to persuade legislators to pass a 5 percent increase in their budget next session, which would cost the state an additional $86 million in the current budgeting period.

The Department of Human Services employee whose initial complaints led to a harshly worded internal audit says he has been the victim of a retaliation campaign carried out by management at that agency.

The bills, sponsored by Sen. Ann Rest and Rep. Ryan Winkler, increase state limits on the contributions that candidates can receive and the amount of money they can spend.

On Monday evening the House Rules and Legislative Administration Committee met to consider proposed rules for the legislative session. The typically arcane and little-scrutinized topic elicited heated rhetoric.

This month’s meager primary voter turnout has caused Gov. Mark Dayton and leaders from both parties to once again mull moving the primary to June. Just 9 percent of registered Minnesota voters turned out for the August 14 primary.

David Lloyd, owner of a financial advisory practice, has registered to challenge DFL Rep. John Benson in House District 43B, a seat the benson won with about 51.5 percent of the vote in 2010.

Republicans put Gov. Mark Dayton's revised tax plan to the test on the House floor Tuesday, which ultimately failed with all Republicans voting against it and all but one DFLer voting in favor of the plan.

The long-awaited GOP map reshaping the state's Congressional districts was released Monday, and shows Republicans trying to protect newest House GOP star Chip Cravaack while isolating other DFL strongholds.