With most major finance bills clearing the House and Senate floors, attention will now turn towards conference committees this week. Conferees on several bills have already been appointed by legislative leaders.

The higher education finance bill cleared the Senate on Wednesday afternoon on a 46-18 vote. Ten Republicans joined all DFLers in voting for the $2.8 billion funding package.

The state House has introduced a higher education bill that seeks to freeze tuition at the state’s two public higher education systems by increasing their funding. The House’s higher education budget bill increases funding for 2014-2015 by $150 million and gives most of the money to the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.

By the time the bills pass to their respective floors, the House and Senate versions are likely to be around $100 million apart.

Legislation establishing a state-run marketplace where individuals and small businesses can purchase health insurance is on its way to Gov. Mark Dayton's desk. The Senate passed the bill on a 39-28 party-line vote on Monday.

A ten-member conference committee has been named to hash out differences between the House and Senate versions of the health insurance exchange bill.

Gene Pelowski pulled out his iPad on the first day of session and went straight to YouTube. The incoming Democratic chairman of the House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee likes to pull up the same video clip for anyone who comes into his office to ask for something: the famous opening scene of the Marx brother’s 1932 movie “Horse Feathers.”

For better or worse, Michael Brodkorb was back on the campaign trail last week. This time, however, the former GOP attack dog, deputy Republican Party chair and Senate communications guru who helped mastermind the 2010 GOP takeover of the chamber has materialized in a glossy pink and blue mailer that’s being used to attack Republicans.

Republican David Gaither likes to compare himself to a Biblical character by the same name. That’s because he and his supporters view his Democratic opponent Terri Bonoff as something of a Goliath.

It was one of the first questions a voter asked of two suburban Minnesota House candidates at a recent forum: How were they planning to vote on the two proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot this fall?