State Politics

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees will host four listening sessions to gather comments on how state colleges and universities system can better meet the public’s needs in light of fiscal and demographic challenges.

State Rep. Ron Shimanski, R-Silver Lake, will host a series of town hall meetings throughout District 18A during the next several weeks.

A familiar face in local politics is returning to the fray. Hutchinson attorney Scott Newman this week declared his candidacy for the Minnesota District 18 Senate seat.

If elected to the Minnesota District 18 Senate seat, Republican Tim Benoit plans to stick to his guns.

Democrat Hal Kimball has been busy since 2006, when he ran and lost against longtime incumbent Republican Steve Dille for the Minnesota District 18 Senate seat.

New Minnesota laws taking effect Jan. 1 will include changes for state trail permits and restrictions on the use of certain plastics.

The following are selected new laws passed during the 2009 legislative session that take effect Jan. 1, 2010. The asterisk following the bill number denotes the language that became law.

From the Office of Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson

Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Dan McElroy will release the state's unemployment rate for November at 10 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 17.

Although Dean Mahlstedt’s served in township government for seven years, he’s a relative newcomer to party politics.