Minnesota
Smoking in MN: Yes in Bars, No in Restaurants
The public opinion firm SurveyUSA recently released a series of questions asked of a random sample of 500 adults in Minnesota addressing a variety of social public policy issues on the state’s legislative agenda. Regarding the proposed smoking ban…
Read MoreFemale Legislators in MN At Record High; IA, WI, and SD Lag Behind National Average
Minnesota voters set a record in November 2006 by electing the highest percentage of female legislators to both the state House (43, 32.1 percent) and Senate (27, 40.3 percent) in Gopher State history. Overall, at 34.8 percent, Minnesota ranks 4th…
Read MoreTax Increases Not a Deal Breaker in Minnesota
The new Smart Politics commentary for Twin Cities Public Television’s Almanac: At the Capitol site is now posted here. In it I challenge the assertions made by Minnesota Republican state Representative Marty Seifert in his February 24th blog that Minnesotans…
Read MoreGlobal Warming Acknowledged in Upper Midwest
Al Gore’s involvement in the documentary An Inconvenient Truth has paid great dividends for the former Vice President—garnering near universal acclaim, and a new platform for the man many in Democratic circles hope to run for President in 2008….
Read MoreIA, MN, and WI Share Identical View of Bush’s Job Performance
Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin will likely remain prized battleground states in the 2008 Presidential election, as they were previously in 2004 and 2000. And while there is still at least a trace of purple in each, these three Upper Midwestern…
Read MoreUpper Midwest House Delegation Votes 16-6 in Support of Iraq War Resolution
On Friday the U.S. House vote 246-182 for a resolution disapproving of the decision of the President announced on January 10, 2007 to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq. The non-binding measure had near unanimous…
Read MoreFranken Announces Senate Candidacy; Starts 22 Points in the Hole
On Wednesday Al Franken officially announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate—aiming to become the DLF nominee to challenge 1-term Minnesota Republican incumbent Norm Coleman in 2008. As discussed in a February 2, 2007 Smart Politics entry, Franken will…
Read MoreTim Walz Plays Hardball…and Goes Hitless
On Tuesday afternoon rookie Minnesota Congressman Tim Walz (MN-01) was interviewed by Chris Matthews on MSNBC’s political show Hardball. Earlier in the day Walz had spoken multiple times on the floor of the U.S. House supporting a Democrat-backed resolution…
Read MoreIraq, Coleman, and Minnesotans’ Views on the War
Norm Coleman has taken specific measures during the last few months to distinguish himself from his Republican Party that has by and large backed President George W. Bush’s efforts in the War in Iraq during the past 3+ years….
Read MoreColeman 1 of 2 Republicans to Vote for Debate on Senate Iraq Resolution
Democrats fell far short Monday of a filibuster-proof majority to bring a nonbinding resolution on the Iraq war to a full debate on the floor of the U.S. Senate. The resolution would, among its dozen points, state the Senate’s…
Read More