In the flurry of activity that closed out the 2013 legislative session, a sales tax on farm machinery repairs became part of the omnibus tax bill ultimately signed into law. Now that the tax is on the books and farmers are facing levies on the labor costs of having their tractors and milking parlors fixed, it’s no surprise that the 11th-hour development at the Capitol is one of the hot topics at the annual Farmfest expo near Redwood Falls.

Former Redwood County Commissioner Gene Short is seeking the DFL endorsement for the seat now held by Rep. Joe Schomacker, a self-employed PR consultant from Luverne. The district includes Murray, Nobles, Rock and Pipestone counties.

Many Republican frosh have records of local civic service HD 15B: King Banaian King Banaian was surrounded by politics growing up in New Hampshire. The state is inundated with presidential hopefuls every four years, and Banaian was recruited at 15 to put flyers on doors for the George McGovern campaign.

Republicans pummeled DFLers in the suburbs and greater Minnesota on Tuesday night to take control of both chambers of the Legislature for the first time since the modern partisan era started in the early 1970s.

Capitol Report has learned that House Democrats will gather to caucus just two days after the election, and the central agenda item will likely be to choose new leadership.

Former DFL Minnesota House Majority Leader Ted Winter is looking to regain his old seat. He will run in the Republican-leaning southwestern part of the state. Two seats in the region won't have DFL challengers.