Thursday, August 18, 2011
Our Trip to Connecticut.
Chan and I love road trips. This one was to Connecticut by way of Gettysburg, Lancaster, Manhatten. Food highlights: Chipped beef and toast, grits, pastrami in Manhatten, Salmon at Jai and Beth's wedding.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Special session: The epilogue
We kicked butt last night.
I got home just in time to meet Chan at 4:45 a.m. as he was leaving for his morning workout.
Yesterday morning, when a special session was called for the afternoon, we had two key staff members on vacation. They came to work!
When session began, we went into action, over the next 12 hours, our writing staff cranked out 12 stories about the 12 major bills passed by the Legislature and sent to the governor. Here's the link if you want a nonpartisan, no-frills read http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hinfo/sdaily.asp. Our TV staff provided minute-to-minute coverage of the floor action. We tweeted, we updated our facebook page, we uploaded photos to Twitpic. I didn't know this old girl still had it in her.
Now that it's over, what did I think of this special session? I'll stick to the process. It is shameful that the public had little or no time to view the bills that made up this $34 billion budget. I covered the bonding committee this past session, and there was NO bonding bill... but there was last night! So no input really. One of our writers covered pensions, and there was no pension bill this past session, but there was last night!
These 12 bills were massive and, for instance, people had little less than 15 minutes to view the education bill before it was voted on!
When you consider your candidates during the next election cycle. PLEASE ask them about the process of law making. This is extremely important. If your candidate doesn't think that compromise trumps personal or party principle... then I'd look elsewhere. If any candidate says what happened here "in the dark of night" is sometimes necessary, then look elsewhere.
There was a lot that went wrong in the process, but if we, the electorate don't give a rip, then I guess we get what we deserve - a government by the few and for the few!
Thanks, it's a wrap!
Chan and I are going to Grand Marais for a long weekend with the Schutz kids and grandkids, to visit the favorite aunt and hubby and cousin.
Here's to quilt shops, wine, beer, good food and LAKE SUPERIOR.
I got home just in time to meet Chan at 4:45 a.m. as he was leaving for his morning workout.
Yesterday morning, when a special session was called for the afternoon, we had two key staff members on vacation. They came to work!
When session began, we went into action, over the next 12 hours, our writing staff cranked out 12 stories about the 12 major bills passed by the Legislature and sent to the governor. Here's the link if you want a nonpartisan, no-frills read http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hinfo/sdaily.asp. Our TV staff provided minute-to-minute coverage of the floor action. We tweeted, we updated our facebook page, we uploaded photos to Twitpic. I didn't know this old girl still had it in her.
Now that it's over, what did I think of this special session? I'll stick to the process. It is shameful that the public had little or no time to view the bills that made up this $34 billion budget. I covered the bonding committee this past session, and there was NO bonding bill... but there was last night! So no input really. One of our writers covered pensions, and there was no pension bill this past session, but there was last night!
These 12 bills were massive and, for instance, people had little less than 15 minutes to view the education bill before it was voted on!
When you consider your candidates during the next election cycle. PLEASE ask them about the process of law making. This is extremely important. If your candidate doesn't think that compromise trumps personal or party principle... then I'd look elsewhere. If any candidate says what happened here "in the dark of night" is sometimes necessary, then look elsewhere.
There was a lot that went wrong in the process, but if we, the electorate don't give a rip, then I guess we get what we deserve - a government by the few and for the few!
Thanks, it's a wrap!
Chan and I are going to Grand Marais for a long weekend with the Schutz kids and grandkids, to visit the favorite aunt and hubby and cousin.
Here's to quilt shops, wine, beer, good food and LAKE SUPERIOR.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Day 19 State Government Shutdown
State Office Building and Capitol open at 9 a.m. .... not a moment too soon for afternoon snackers.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Day 18- Government Shutdown -open meeting law
Thanks to those of you who have asked questions:
1. "What the heck can citizens do to help resolve this shutdown? I don't know if you can post about that or not. But, we were chatting about it in my office today and nobody really knew what to do! Seems crazy to me ..
- The best thing to do is contact your representative or senator by e-mail or phone. Some will respond and others won't. But they'll get the message... here's how to find out who your representative is and their contact information. LINK
2. Isn't the Legislature subject to the open meeting law?
- Well, sort of. According to House Research: "The open meeting law that applies to the Legislature (STATUTE 3.055) applies to sessions of the House and the Senate and meetings of legilsative ocmmittess and commissions. The meetings between legislative officials and the governor are not meetings of a legilsative committee, and no official action can be taken at these meetings. Although the meetins may be important, technically they are informal gatherins. So there is no law or urle that requires these meetings to be open."
1. "What the heck can citizens do to help resolve this shutdown? I don't know if you can post about that or not. But, we were chatting about it in my office today and nobody really knew what to do! Seems crazy to me ..
- The best thing to do is contact your representative or senator by e-mail or phone. Some will respond and others won't. But they'll get the message... here's how to find out who your representative is and their contact information. LINK
2. Isn't the Legislature subject to the open meeting law?
- Well, sort of. According to House Research: "The open meeting law that applies to the Legislature (STATUTE 3.055) applies to sessions of the House and the Senate and meetings of legilsative ocmmittess and commissions. The meetings between legislative officials and the governor are not meetings of a legilsative committee, and no official action can be taken at these meetings. Although the meetins may be important, technically they are informal gatherins. So there is no law or urle that requires these meetings to be open."
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