Ernie Leidiger, a Camden Township resident and owner of Brothers Office
Furniture, beat out two candidates on Monday night for the Republican
endorsement in House District 34A.

He was endorsed on the second ballot at a special convention called in
Norwood Young America after Rep. Paul Kohls, R-Victoria, announced he
would not run again due to a job change.

Leidiger beat out Waconia City Councilman Jim Nash and Louisville
Township resident Bruce Mackenthun, a professional handyman and licensed
builder.

By Forrest Adams

On Sunday evening, Rep. Paul Kohls, a Victoria Republican, gave his retirement speech to colleagues in the House of Representatives. On Monday morning, he found himself still in the capital, but this time speaking out against the budget compromise that was ultimately passed.

By Forrest Adams

   The drive to build a new multi-purpose stadium for the Minnesota Vikings is in the Legislature, and for once this off-season Brett Favre may not be the biggest question mark on the minds of Vikings fans.

   What’s at stake now is a home for the team and many think the future of professional football in Minnesota.

Submitted by FAdams on May 3, 2010 -
12:38pm.

District 34 Representative Paul Kohls
(R-Victoria) today announced that he would not be seeking a fifth term in office. In a press release announcing his decision, Kohls said he recently accepted a new position in the private sector that would not "accommodate" his continued service in the House. He gave no indication what the new job would be. His current position has been as a senior manager and lawyer for Allianz Life Insurance.

Sen. Julianne Ortman (R-Chanhassen) represented the Minnesota
Senate with her remarks during the Governor's signing of the bipartisan jobs bill Thursday. The bill which is now law will promote job growth by providing over $100 million in tax breaks and incentives to business around the state.  

State Senator Julianne Ortman (R-Chanhassen) is urging fellow
state legislators to oppose federal healthcare reform backed by the
Obama Administration and the Democrat majority in the U.S. Congress. She calls it unconstitutional and explains how she arrived at this conclusion in the letter below.   

Minnesota Should Be Heard in Health Care Battle

By: Senator Julianne Ortman 

Rep. Paul Kohls (R-Victoria) introduced a bill Feb. 11 to sell the Metrodome to the Vikings for $1. 

“We currently face a $1.2 billion budget deficit. I don’t support using tax dollars to fund a new stadium when so many Minnesotans are struggling,” stated Kohls, in a press release.

“We just can’t afford it, and I’ve never supported using taxpayer dollars for professional stadiums. We do want the Vikings to stay, and this is one way to try to keep the team here.”

By Forrest Adams

Precinct caucuses on Tuesday featured non-binding straw polls for governor.

Local Republican activists bucked the statewide Republican trend by choosing state Rep. Tom Emmer over the former House Speaker Rep. Marty Seifert as their favored candidate to run for governor.

By Forrest Adams

   Faced with dwindling income tax revenues and what DFLers and Republicans alike refer to as “a structural deficit” in the state’s budget, state lawmakers will resume work at the State Capitol on Feb. 4.

   The last session ended in a budget stalemate between lawmakers and Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty. DFLers proposed a package of spending cuts and tax increases. Pawlenty vowed to veto any tax increases sent to him. Pawlenty used emergency unallotment powers to erase a $2.7 million deficit.

By Forrest Adams, Mathias Baden, and Shannon Fiecke

In one of the first bipartisan debates of the gubernatorial election
season, 20 candidates tried to differentiate themselves from other
Republican, Democratic-Farmer-Labor, and Independence party candidates.