MN News

DAYTON-STATE OF STATE        Dayton: Tax cuts caused Minn. economic problems        ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Governor Mark Dayton says in his State of the State speech that past state income tax cuts are partly to blame for chronic budget problems in Minnesota. The Democratic governor says political leaders cannot afford to keep delaying difficult tax and spending decisions.        Dayton delivered the annual speech Wednesday night in the state House chamber. He says in advance excerpts provided by his office that income tax cuts in the late ’90s were followed by a decade where Minnesota’s economy fared worse than the nation as a whole and most other states.        The speech is largely a pitch for Dayton’s proposal to hike income taxes on the wealthy and expand the state sales tax to more purchases. But Dayton also endorses same-sex marriage, an issue lawmakers might tackle later this session.

HEALTH OVERHAUL-MINNESOTACARE        Solution found to preserve MinnesotaCare        MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – State and federal officials have come up with a way to preserve Minnesota’s subsidized health care for the working poor when the federal health overhaul takes effect.        Around 130,000 Minnesotans are currently enrolled in MinnesotaCare, which helps cover premiums for people who make too much to enroll in Medicaid but not enough to afford regular insurance. However, the program as currently structured conflicts with the federal health law, meaning many participants were facing the prospect of sharply higher premiums.        The state Department of Human Services says Wednesday’s announcement from its federal counterpart means at least 38,000 and possibly more than 90,000 people will get to stay in MinnesotaCare with affordable premiums. Many of the rest are expected to qualify for an expanded Medicaid program awaiting approval from the Legislature.

HOMEOWNER-FATAL SHOOTINGS        Boy shot in Little Falls accused of past break-ins        (Information in the following story is from: Star Tribune, http://www.startribune.com)        LITTLE FALLS, Minn. (AP) – Court documents say a Little Falls teenager who was killed after he broke into a home on Thanksgiving Day had burglarized the same property twice in the months before he was shot.        Seventeen-year-old Nick Brady and his cousin, 18-year-old Haile Kifer, were killed as they broke into Byron Smith’s home. Smith is charged in their deaths.        Court documents show Brady had previously broken into Smith’s house and garage, stealing cash, a video recorder and a chain saw. The documents were filed in juvenile cases against a 17-year-old friend of Brady’s.        Smith’s attorney, Steve Meshbesher, says the burglary charges show Smith had been victimized and was scared.        Washington County Attorney Pete Orput is prosecuting Smith’s case. He says Smith is using the prior burglaries as an excuse.

CRYSTAL SUGAR-ACCIDENT        Worker burned at Minn. Crystal Sugar factory        (Information in the following story is from: Grand Forks Herald, http://www.grandforksherald.com)        EAST GRAND FORKS, Minn. (AP) – Officials are saying little about an accident that seriously burned a worker at the American Crystal Sugar Co. plant in East Grand Forks last week.        A Crystal Sugar spokesman says the man “came into contact with lot liquid and was burned,” and that the Moorhead, Minnesota-based sugar beet processor is investigating.        But since the man is a replacement worker – working under contract during Crystal Sugar’s lockout of union members – the company can’t say much about the accident.        The Grand Forks Herald was referred to the man’s employer, Strom Engineering Corporation in Minnetonka, Minnesota. But Strom’s national safety manager declined to comment to the Herald.        The Crystal Sugar lockout began on August 1st, 2011, and affected about 1,300 workers at plants in North Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa.

HAMLINE COACH SUSPENDED        Suspended Hamline basketball coach leaves school        ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Hamline University says suspended basketball coach Nelson Whitmore has left the school after a player was accused of punching a woman.        Hamline said Wednesday Whitmore and the St. Paul university agreed he did not violate any NCAA or MIAC policies. But Hamline says there is “mutual agreement” his departure “is the best course of action.”        Whitmore was suspended in early January after former Hamline forward Eugene Lawrence the Third was arrested in Spokane, Washington while on a team trip. Lawrence was charged with second-degree assault for allegedly hitting a woman in the face at the team hotel and has pleaded not guilty.        Whitmore was in his sixth season as the Pipers’ head coach. Hamline athletic director Jason Verdugo (vur-DOO’-goh) will continue as acting basketball coach for the rest of the season.

Admin Log In