February 15, 2007 - Fifth District Democrat Keith Ellison, speaking on the floor of the House this week opposing the President's decision to increase US troop strength in Iraq. The fifth district includes the city of Minneapolis and some surrounding suburbs.
February 15, 2007 - Minnesota's sixth district representative, republican Michele Bachmann, is expected to support the President and vote against the resolution. Bachmann, whose district stretches across the northern metro from Afton in the east to the St. Cloud area in west, outlined her views on the war in speech on the House floor last night.
February 15, 2007 - Minnesota 7th District Democrat Colin Peterson, speaking this morning on the floor of the US House, supporting the anti-war resolution that is expected to come up for a vote in the House this afternoon. A companion measure faces a test vote in the Senate tomorrow.
February 15, 2007 - Minnesota Democratic congressman Jim Oberstar, speaking in support of a resolution before the US House that expresses support for the troops in Iraq but opposition to the President's decision to increase the number of troops in Iraq. A vote is expected this afternoon. The resolution is expected to pass by a relatively wide margin, with virtually all the Democrats and a fair number of Republican supporting the resolution. The Minnesota delegation is expected to split 6-2, with Republican Jim Ramstad joining Minnesota's five Democrats in support of the resolution. It's unclear whether a similar resolution will come up for a vote in the Senate.
February 20, 2007 - DFLers Larry Pogemiller: Senate majority leader; and Larry Pogemiller, Speaker of the House, provide a Capitol progress report on where things stand almost two months into the session.
February 21, 2007 - MPR’s Mark Steil reports on local discussions on federal farm dollars and how subsidies are spent. Southern Minnesota farmers told Minnesota 1st District Representative Tim Walz they want changes made in the legislation to help small farmers. The meeting in Worthington is one of several Walz will hold. It's a discussion which touches just about anyone who owns farmland anywhere in the U.S.
February 22, 2007 - Minnesota has a new law establishing one of the most aggressive standards for renewable energy in the country. Governor Pawlenty signed a bill that would require utilities to generate more of their power from renewable sources over the next two decades. Pawlenty and others say they hope the bill is the first of many energy initiatives to reach the governor's desk this year. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports.
February 23, 2007 - Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann appeared to back away today from comments about Iran she made to a St. Cloud Times reporter. At the time Bachmann said she knew of an agreement allowing Iran to carve out a portion of Iraq which would serve as a terrorist haven. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports.
February 26, 2007 - Republican Norm Coleman, Minnesota's senior U.S. Senator, discusses the war in Iraq and other major issues facing Congress. He also takes questions from MPR listeners.
February 26, 2007 - MPR’s Stephanie Hemphill reports that commercial fishermen along the North Shore of Lake Superior could be allowed to bring more lake trout to market. A bill addressing the issue received a first hearing. Commercial trout fishing has been essentially banned on Lake Superior since the 1960s.