Minnesota Legislature
2004 Session Weekly
Session Weekly is presented here electronically as printed and distributed from the House Public Information Services (175 State Office Building). The electronic versions are not updated but contain exactly the same information as the printed copies.The Session Weekly has been posted as Portable Document Format (PDF) files, allowing
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Final issue of the year. Features an At Issue Education story about academic standards in science and social studies which were passed just before legislators concluded their work for the year; a Stepping Down feature about Rep. Carl Jacobson (R-Vadnais Heights), who has chosen not to seek re-election after four years in the House; bill introductions; and more. (Updated version, see page 7)
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Features an At Issue Government story about the Minnesota Capitol�s centennial for which, planners are working on a celebration and preservation of the structure; an At Issue Government feature about the construction of a World War II memorial on the Capitol Complex that would be assisted by money in the House bonding bill; a Stepping Down Profile of Rep. Dale Walz (R-Brainerd), who will leave the House after two terms to devote more time to his job with the Baxter Police Department; bill introductions; and more.
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Features an At Issue Crime story about a provision in the House omnibus judiciary finance bill that would expand the definition of prostitution to include sex trafficking; an At Issue Environment story about how Officials from Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and one Canadian province are working together to prevent flooding in the Red River Basin; an At Issue Insurance feature about how an insurance fraud prevention agency would be created in the Department of Commerce, under a bill working its way through the House; an At Issue Transportation story about the $4 million included in the House bonding bill that is for a futuristic system that consists of personal transit pods; bill introductions; and more.
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Features an At Issue Development story about a provision in the omnibus tax bill that would provide a zone to help state businesses with international shipping costs; an At Issue feature about a service that provides legal assistance to low-income Minnesotans that may receive a funding reduction; an At Issue Taxes feature about the omnibus tax bill that was approved by the House which would provide $85.8 million in additional revenue; a Stepping Down Profile about Rep. Len Biernat (DFL-Mpls), who is leaving the Legislature after four terms in the House, to return to the classroom; a Stepping Down Profile about Rep. Dick Borrell (R-Waverly), who has chosen to leave the House after one term; bill introductions; and more.
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Features an At Issue Agriculture story about provisions in the omnibus agriculture finance bill that would target invasive species such as gypsy moths and ash borers; an At Issue feature about the House bonding bill that would provide more funding for higher education and transportation projects than Gov. Tim Pawlenty proposed; an At Issue feature about a progress report on renewable energy initiatives given by University officials to lawmakers; an At Issue feature about a plan to combine the state�s gang and drug task forces that has mixed reviews, with proponents saying the two activities are linked and should be fought together; a Stepping Down story about Rep. Eric Lipman (R-Lake Elmo) who, after two terms in the Legislature, is leaving the Legislature to spend more time with his growing family and professional pursuits; a Stepping Down story about Rep. Steve Strachan (R-Farmington) who is leaving the Legislature after one term to take on a new position as the police chief in Lakeville; bill introductions; and more.
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Features an At Issue Bonding story about the Public Finance Authority, which has loaned $1.3 billion to fund wastewater infrastructure projects since 1989; an At Issue Environment feature about the Pollution Control Agency which released a report with a 10-year plan to repair faulty septic systems; a Policy feature about Lawmakers who are looking for ways to support early school readiness programs in light of studies showing a gap; a Policy feature about a parole-style board to evaluate sex offender release that would be created under the omnibus judiciary finance bill; a Policy feature about the state�s dislocated worker programs, which serve workers who have become unemployed, sometimes through mass layoffs, which may undergo some changes under a bill this session; a Process feature about what all those acronyms and jargon, commonplace among legislators, mean; bill introductions; and more.
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Features an At Issue story about a Pollution Control Agency report which recommends methods for reducing phosphorus pollution; an At Issue feature about how House lawmakers debated the omnibus health and human services bill for nearly five hours before passing it to the Senate; a Policy feature about how twenty-five years after legislators approved a funding plan for the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, the Legislature is again considering a stadium plan for professional sports teams; a Policy feature about how Lawmakers are debating ways to create a dedicated funding stream for transit, like highways have; a Policy feature about how Legislators are trying to curb the phenomenon known as cost-shifting where changes in prices for health care charged to one payer or group results in a compensating change charged to another group; bill introductions; and more.
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Features an At Issue feature about the judiciary finance omnibus bill, passed by the House, which contain tougher sentences for sex offenders and methamphetamine-related crimes; an At Issue feature about a bill that reduces the legal limit for drunken driving offenses from 0.10 percent to 0.08 percent which has passed both the House and Senate. A dispute over its effective date and funding however, is sending it to a conference committee; a Policy feature about how a number of states are considering raising the cigarette tax, and redirecting tobacco endowment funds, to help balance budgets; bill introductions; and more.
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Features a First Reading story about how embryonic stem cell research has created optimism among scientists, and skepticism and caution among others; an At Issue story about testimony legislators heard regarding emerging markets for biofiber products in the state; an At Issue story about a proposal to build stadiums for both the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings, which received its first committee hearing; bill introductions; and more.
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Features a First Reading story about legislators' examination of the governor's plan to balance the 2004-05 budget, and the long term affects of the proposed solutions; also the House passes new social studies and science standards during late floor action March 18; along with Highlights of the week's committee and floor action; bill introductions; and more.
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Features a First Reading story about a proposal which would provide longer sentences, better tracking, and create a review board as part of the changes that would be made to Minnesota's sex offender laws; along with Highlights of the week's committee and floor action; bill introductions; and more.
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Features a First Reading story about the Legislative Auditor's report which focused on the costs and consequences of the Federal No Child Left Behind Act; along with Highlights of the week's committee and floor action; bill introductions; and more.
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Features an At Issue story about how legislators are seeking to take full advantage of trust fund lands to increase school funding and to decrease general fund burden; along with bill introductions; and more.
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Features an At Issue story about a bill which is being considered in a House committee that would give homeowners additional recourse when building and remodeling projects go wrong; an at Issue story about how Members of the House Regulated Industries Committee received a lesson in emerging telecommunications technologies that will become the new public utilities; along with bill introductions; and more.
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Features an At Issue story about how members of a House committee learned this week that Minnesota is one of six states that neither share gaming revenue with American Indian tribes nor do their tribal-state gaming compacts have built-in expiration dates; along with bill introductions; and more.
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Features an At Issue story about Gov. Tim Pawlenty�s proposed $760 million in bonding projects for the 2004 which the Legislature will consider; a New Member Profile of Rep. Scott Newman (R-Hutchinson) who joins the House after being elected to the district 18A seat vacated by the resignation of former Rep. Tony Kielkucki (R-Lester Prairie) in late 2003; the results of the Minnesota State Fair Poll which was taken by more than 7,300 people this year; a Policy feature about a biosciences conference hosted by Legislators Feb. 4 to discuss the developing industry and technology; a Policy feature summarizing Gov. Tim Pawlenty�s annual State of the State address Feb. 5, calling for a revival of the death penalty via a constitutional amendment and other policy initiatives; along with bill introductions; and more.