MN News

MINNESOTA BUDGET        Dayton’s $500 tax rebate plan proves hard sell        ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The up-to-$500 tax rebate every Minnesota homeowner would get under Gov. Mark Dayton’s budget is provoking a sharp legislative debate over the best route for property tax relief.        Dayton’s plan for giving 1.5 million homeowners a tax break beginning next year was a flashpoint Tuesday as legislative committees examined the governor’s broader tax package.        Republicans accuse Dayton of an election-year ploy and say there is nothing to stop local governments from eroding the tax relief with levy hikes. Democratic leaders at the Capitol say they’re not wedded to the idea of an across-the-board rebate, which would provide direct relief on the first $500 of a property owner’s bill.        Dayton responds that GOP criticism is “crass,” and says he’s responding to a top tax concern among the public.

LEGISLATURE-OPEN SEAT        College professor win DFL primary for House seat        ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Democrats in St. Peter, North Mankato and surrounding communities have chosen a college professor as their candidate for an open state House seat.        Minnesota State University professor Clark Johnson won the special primary election Tuesday night. The election was held so voters could choose a Democrat to run for the seat left open by the retirement of DFL Rep. Terry Morrow of St. Peter.        The other candidates were North Mankato farmer Karl Johnson, North Mankato teacher and union activist Robin Courrier, and St. Peter Mayor Tim Strand. But they’d suspended their campaigns after Clark Johnson received the DFL endorsement and urged Democrats to support him.        The special election will be held Feb. 12. The Republican candidate is former state Rep. Allen Quist, and the Independence Party’s candidate is Tim Gieseke.

DAY CARE REGULATIONS        Regulators propose improvements in day care safety        (Information in the following story is from: Star Tribune, http://www.startribune.com )        ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – State inspection records for thousands of in-home day care providers could be posted online if legislators approve new safety recommendations.        The Star Tribune reports state regulators will propose a variety of new safety measures in response to a rising number of child deaths in day care homes.        Regulators say posting inspection records online would give parents important information when making a day care decision. Proposals also include increased training for providers and tougher penalties for providers who violate state safety standards.        The proposals to be considered by the Legislature in coming weeks following an investigation by the Star Tribune last year which revealed a sharp increase in the number of children dying at in-home day care settings. There are 11,000 in-home providers across Minnesota.

SCOUT ABUSE-FILES        Minn. judge orders release of more Boy Scout files        MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A Minnesota judge has ordered the release of confidential Boy Scout records on sexual abuse from 1999 to 2008.        Ramsey County Judge Elena Ostby issued the order Tuesday in a lawsuit involving a former Burnsville scoutmaster now serving a 21-year prison sentence for molesting four scouts. The lawsuit was filed by one of the victims.        That victim’s attorney, Jeff Anderson, says the files are from a later period than the internal Boy Scouts of America records known as the “perversion files,” which were released last October by court order in Oregon.        The Minnesota judge ordered that identifying information in the files be blacked out, but Anderson’s co-counsel Paul Mones said the material could still be used to establish patterns of abuse.        Attorneys for the Boy Scouts didn’t immediately return messages.

TIMBERWOLVES-ADELMAN’S WIFE        Adelman says wife dealing with seizures        MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minnesota Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman has been trying to keep a lid on his wife’s health issues that caused him to be away from the team for three weeks.        Mary Kay Adelman didn’t seem to understand why, so Rick Adelman has revealed that she has been suffering from seizures.        Rick Adelman returned to the Timberwolves after his hiatus on Monday and declined to talk specifically about what was bothering his wife.        On Tuesday, Adelman says he was urged by her to be more open about the situation. He says his wife has been seeking treatment for the past three weeks, but doctors still don’t know what is causing them.        Rick Adelman missed 11 games to be with her. He plans to coach on Wednesday night against the Clippers.

FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION        Charges: Council member stole from father’s fund        (Information in the following story is from: Star Tribune, http://www.startribune.com )        MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A longtime Maple Grove City Council member is accused of stealing from her father’s trust fund and then lying about it.        Sixty-two-year-old LeAnn Sargent faces two counts of perjury and one count of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult. She is accused of using her power of attorney to take thousands of dollars from her ailing father, Robert Bobleter Sr., from 2009 through 2011.        Bobleter died last March at age 84. When Sargent and her husband filed for bankruptcy in 2011, she allegedly did not list the money withdrawn from her father’s accounts or money she earned to serve as his personal care attendant.        Sargent told the Star Tribune it’s a probate matter. She referred questions to her attorney, who did not immediately return a call Tuesday evening.

LEGISLATURE-JURY SELECTION        Minn. Senate committee backs jury bias ban        ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A Minnesota Senate committee has passed a bill to prohibit lawyers from dismissing potential jurors based solely on their sexual orientation or marital status.        The Senate Judiciary Committee backed the bill Tuesday on a split voice vote. Several Republican senators questioned whether such discrimination actually occurs in Minnesota courts.        The bill’s sponsor, Democratic Sen. Scott Dibble, says it simply adds to a list of protected categories that includes race, color, religion, sex, national origin and economic status. Dibble and OutFront Minnesota say there have been accusations of jury selection bias based on homosexuality in Minnesota.        Republican Sen. Warren Limmer questioned whether the bill could be a vehicle to force a Senate floor vote on legalizing gay marriage, which is expected to be a big issue later this session. But Dibble said he intends to proceed on that issue separately.

MINNESOTA SMOKING        Adult smoking rate climbs in Minnesota        MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A new report shows that 19 percent of Minnesota adults still smoke.        The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report shows the state’s ranking for adult smoking fell from 7th to 11th place among all states. The last time the CDC compared states was 2009.        State Commissioner of Health Edward Ehlinger says 11th isn’t good enough for Minnesota. He says the cost of tobacco in terms of lives and about $2.8 billion in annual medical costs is too high.        Tobacco use continues to be the leading cause of preventable death in Minnesota and the U.S.        Gov. Mark Dayton has proposed a 94 cents-a-pack tax increase to deter smoking. Minnesota’s cigarette excise tax ranks 28th among states.

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