Why I chose not to write about Senator Koch's situation

I would like to explain why I rather not to write about latest situation at my work (Minnesota State Capitol) regarding Senator Amy Koch and former staffer Michael Brodkorb. I wanted to get my point across so people can understand why I chose not to write about latest scandal at the Capitol. 


Due to my nonpartisan job at the Capitol, I decided not to write about Amy Koch and Michael Brodkorb scandal. Let the matters be handled alone by Senate Human Resources Department, Secretary of Senate Office and Senate Rules and Administration subcommittee on Ethical Conduct. I have no comment on the situation since I am staying out of this matter. I am not on anyone’s side and just staying out of it. 


I only can write about election, events or good things about what are going on at the Capitol or in politics. I hope my readers can understand that I need to keep my job and as I stated that my job is nonpartisan, I cannot report on what is going on with my coworkers such as Amy Koch situation. All I can say people do make mistakes but need to respect them even if they are not brightest light on Christmas tree and they do deserve privacy so I leave the scandal out of this blog. I do not want to cause any conflict or rift between me and my coworkers. 


We are one big family in the Legislature, and we have to respect each other even if there are bad situations or conflicts. I hope that the Amy Koch situation gets resolved soon so we can move on by time we start new session in 2012. 


Again, please understand and thank you. I would appreciate people do same thing leave situation handled at my work by the Senate and let people move on with their lives.

SPECIAL ELECTION CANDIDATE PROFILE: FIRST SOMILIAN CANDIDATE FOR STATE OFFICE

There is a Somilian Immigrant running for State Senate to replace Senator Larry Pogemiller who resigned to get a job with Gov. Mark Dayton’s Administration. Mohamud Noor lives in Northeast Minneapolis with wife and three kids.  If he is elected to Senate then he would be first Somali to be elected to Minnesota Legislature. According to his website, his issues are Jobs, Tax Fairness, Marriage and he thinks that building stadium is not biggest concern.

His primary opponents are Jacob Frey and Peter Wagenius. He used to be in MAPE due to his job as IT but had to resign to focus on campaign. He served two terms on Council of Black Minnesotans.

Name: Mohamud Noor

Political Party: DFL

Age: Unknown

Home: Minneapolis

Family: Farhiya Del and 3 children

Occupation: Used to be IT but now running for State Senate

Website: http://www.noorforsenate.org/

Senator Higgins will not seek re-election

State Senator Linda Higgins, DFL-Minneapolis, announced today she will not seek re-election in 2012.

Sen. Higgins plans to complete her current term, which expires in January of 2013, and is looking forward to representing her constituents during the 2012 Legislative Session.

“I’ve been honored to serve the residents of North and Downtown Minneapolis for 15 years. I’m proud of what we have accomplished, and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to serve our community.” Sen. Higgins was first elected to the Minnesota Senate in 1996 and represents the residents of North Minneapolis, North Loop, and Downtown in Senate District 58.

During her 15 years of service in the Senate, Sen. Higgins has held many leadership roles. She chaired the Senate’s Public Safety Budget Division from 2006 to 2010 and the State and Local Government Operations Committee from 2003 to 2006. She served as Majority Whip from 2001 to 2006. She currently is the DFL lead on the Senate’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee.

 Sen. Higgins is widely regarded as one of the Legislature’s most effective and outspoken advocates on environmental and consumer protection issues.

During her 15 years at the Senate, Sen. Higgins:

 · Wrote and passed toughest-in-the-nation predatory lending and foreclosure prevention laws with strong bipartisan support.

 · Passed legislation to make it easier for Minnesotans to recycle old televisions, computers or other “e-waste,” the largest source of lead found in Minnesota’s municipal waste.

 · Made Minnesota the first state in the nation to ban toxic metals like lead and cadmium from children’s toys and jewelry, and banned environmentally hazardous phosphorus from lawn fertilizers.

 · Passed bipartisan, groundbreaking legislation to establish a special sentencing program for veterans facing criminal prosecution who suffer from combat-related mental health disorders.

 · Was named to Senate negotiations team for bills on issues as diverse as eminent domain, Minnesota Twins ballpark, public safety and judiciary policy and funding, environmental policy and funding, healthcare policy and funding, and early childhood education policy and funding.

Senate DFL Caucus Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, said Sen. Higgins’s leadership and experience would be sorely missed at the State Capitol. “Linda has been one of the strongest and most effective legislators in recent memory,” said Sen. Bakk. “When the foreclosure crisis struck North Minneapolis, Linda rolled up her sleeves and passed the toughest anti-predatory lending laws in the nation. She tackles difficult issues, but works across party lines to build consensus, remove barriers and deliver results for her constituents and our state.”

SERIES OF MINNESOTA STATE LEGISLATURE OLD TIMERS: SHARON MARKO/WOLCOTT

By Rach Eggert, Rach's Political Report

This is first series of "Minnesota Legislature Old Timers". The series will cover former Minnesota State Legislators and what they are up to today.

As Minnesota Legislative Junkie, have you been wondering about where old timers such as Former State Senator Sharon Marko is? A source pointed out that now she is Sharon Wolcott living in Surprise, Arizona. According to her Mayorial campaign website, she fell in love with town when she was vacationing.

Sharon Marko used to be in Minnesota House from 1995 to 2002 then Minnesota Senate from 2003 to 2006. Before she won election to Legislature, she was on Newport City Council from 1992 to 1994 but was on St. Charles City, Ill City Council before moving to Minnesota.

Click here for her Mayorial campaign website

Here are pictures of Sharon Marko/Wolcott.

Sharon Marko when she was in Minnesota Senate

Sharon Wolcott in Surprise, AZ 

This is Sharon Wolcott in Surprise AZ

This was Sharon Marko from Minnesota Senate days

If you know where other former legislators are and what they are doing, please email Rach's Political Report at senatoreggert@yahoo.com if you want them to be featured on Rach's Political Report.

Dahle announces he'll run for state Senate in 2012 UPDATED

SOURCE: NORTHFIELD NEWS

By SUZANNE ROOK, srook@northfieldnews.com

11/6/2011

Former state Sen. Kevin Dahle (DFL), of Northfield, announced today that he's running to reclaim a seat in the Legislature.

"I believe in possibilities," Dahle wrote on his website.

If elected, Dahle, 51, said he’d look to “compromise and work together,” two things he says were noticeably absent in the current Legislature and highlighted by July’s nearly three-week state government shutdown.

Dahle isn’t the only one to criticize the K-12 education funding shift approved in July. By essentially borrowing from the schools, opponents of the plan have said that the state hasn’t yet learned to live within its means.

“There were a lot of short-term bad solutions (approved by the 2011 Legislature),” he said.

While Dahle, a Northfield High School social studies teacher, is particularly interested in the K-12 funding shift, the economy would be his first priority.

Dahle said he’d also like to give a voice to issues important to Northfield, particularly taxes for properties in historic business districts and lifting a gag order on the Dan Patch railroad line.

"I believe we can meet the challenges and maximize the opportunities that lay before us. What will break the people of Minnesota is not adversity – we’ve been here before … what will break our spirit is thinking that tomorrow is going to be just like yesterday. If we think that government cannot change that which is broken, we lose interest, we lose faith, we lose the people…but worst of all, we lose the future."

Dahle was beaten last November by Republican Al DeKruif of Elysian. In a three-way race, DeKruif took 44.7 percent of the vote to Dahle's 42 percent. Montgomery's John Grimm, who ran as an independent, got 13.2 percent of the vote.

Dahle was elected in a January 2008 special election to fill the seat of former state Sen. Tom Neuville after Neuville was appointed a Third District judge.

Whether Dahle will face off against DeKruif in November isn't yet known. While DeKruif hasn't yet announced his intent to run he'll run, the shape District 25 will take is also in question. Every district in the state is expected to be reconfigured in the coming months as a part of a decennial reapportionment following the 2010 U.S. Census.

The current redistricting plan, put forward in May 2010 by the Legislature, splits Rice County lengthwise generally along I-35. Called Senate district 22, it includes the eastern portion of Steele County along with small eastern sections of Goodhue and Olmstead counties.

Redistricting is expected to be complete by Feb. 21, according to a state Legislature timeline.

The primary is set for Aug. 14. The general election will be held next Nov. 6.

* * * *

UPDATED: SUNDAY 6:18 P.M.

Former state Sen. Kevin Dahle (DFL), of Northfield, announced today that he's running to reclaim a seat in the Legislature.

"I believe in possibilities," Dahle wrote on his website.

If elected, Dahle, 51, said he’d look to “compromise and work together,” two things he says were noticeably absent in the current Legislature and highlighted by July’s nearly three-week state government shutdown.

Dahle isn’t the only one to criticize the K-12 education funding shift approved in July. By essentially borrowing from the schools, opponents of the plan have said that the state hasn’t yet learned to live within its means.

“There were a lot of short-term bad solutions (approved by the 2011 Legislature),” he said.

While Dahle, a Northfield High School social studies teacher, is particularly interested in the K-12 funding shift, the economy would be his first priority.

Dahle said he’d also like to give a voice to issues important to Northfield, particularly taxes for properties in historic business districts and lifting a gag order on the Dan Patch railroad line.

"I believe we can meet the challenges and maximize the opportunities that lay before us. What will break the people of Minnesota is not adversity – we’ve been here before … what will break our spirit is thinking that tomorrow is going to be just like yesterday. If we think that government cannot change that which is broken, we lose interest, we lose faith, we lose the people…but worst of all, we lose the future."

Dahle was beaten last November by Republican Al DeKruif of Elysian. In a three-way race, DeKruif took 44.7 percent of the vote to Dahle's 42 percent. Montgomery's John Grimm, who ran as an independent, got 13.2 percent of the vote.

Dahle was elected in a January 2008 special election to fill the seat of former state Sen. Tom Neuville after Neuville was appointed a Third District judge.

Whether Dahle will face off against DeKruif in November isn't yet known. While DeKruif hasn't yet announced his intent to run he'll run, the shape District 25 will take is also in question. Every district in the state is expected to be reconfigured in the coming months as a part of a decennial reapportionment following the 2010 U.S. Census.

The primary is set for Aug. 14, 2012. The general election will be held next Nov. 5.

* * * *

Former state Sen. Kevin Dahle (DFL), of Northfield, announced today on his website that he'll try and reclaim a seat in the Legislature.

"I believe in possibilities," Dahle wrote. "I believe we can meet the challenges and maximize the opportunities that lay before us. What will break the people of Minnesota is not adversity – we’ve been here before…what will break our spirit is thinking that tomorrow is going to be just like yesterday. If we think that government cannot change that which is broken, we lose interest, we lose faith, we lose the people…but worst of all, we lose the future."

Dahle was beaten in November 2010 by Republican Al DeKruif of Elysian. In a three-way race, DeKruif took 44.7 percent of the vote to Dahle's 42 percent. Montgomery's John Grimm, who ran as an independent, got 13.2 percent of the vote.

Dahle, 51, is a social studies teacher at Northfield High School.

Whether Dahle will face off against DeKruif in November isn't yet known. While DeKruif hasn't yet said he'll run for re-election, the shape District 25 will take is also in question. Every district in the state is expected to be reconfigured in the coming months as a part of a decennial reapportionment following the 2010 U.S. Census.

Stay with Northfield News for the latest on this story.

IT IS OFFICIAL FORMER STATE SENATOR DAHLE IS RUNNING AGAIN

Former State Senator Kevin Dahle during 2010 Special Session (Picture by Rach Eggert) 

Former State Senator Kevin Dahle want to make comeback to Minnesota State Senate after losing election in 2010. He made it official on his campaign website:

LET’S RECLAIM OUR VOICE!

Published On: 2nd November 2011 | Published By: Kevin Dahle For Senate

Just about a year from now, we will cast votes for the President, a U.S. Senator, numerous county and city offices, and a new Minnesota legislature. I am announcing my plans to, once again, run for a seat in the Minnesota Senate. This election is not about getting my “old seat back.” This election is about reclaiming a voice for Senate District 25 and all Minnesotans. The current party in power in the Minnesota legislature fails to listen. This past summer’s government shutdown proved they are more concerned about their party platform than the constituents who elected them. I worry about the tone of today’s politics and our basic priorities.
We talk about recession…yet ignore the needy
We talk about test scores…while ignoring educational funding.
We talk about wanting quality health care, yet over 400,000 Minnesotans go without.
We talk about local control, yet we starve our cities and counties.
We talk about Republicans and Democrats yet we forget about Minnesotans
I believe the basics include a job, a quality education, affordable college, a clean and healthy environment, equality for all, and a right to grow old with dignity.
We are facing a critical time in Minnesota. We can no longer allow extreme political agendas to divide us — the success of our state and our communities depends on our ability to find common ground on many critical issues.
We can do this together. When we stop working together government ceases to work. Again, let’s make Minnesota proud!

Yes, he is running and want his job back at the Capitol. His campaign website is http://www.kevindahle.net/. He is Social Studies teacher and lives in Northfield besides served in Senate for one term after winning special election in 2008 to replace Senator Tom Neuville who was appointed to be Judge by Former Governor Tim Pawlenty.