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John Wodele

A look at the 2014 legislative session

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Daily Circuit Friday Roundtable
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The state Legislature is on break until April 22. This week, the Roundtable members analyze what's been accomplished in the 2014 session thus far, discuss what's left to be addressed, and look forward to the upcoming campaigning.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SESSION:

• Gov. Dayton's take on medical marijuana
Dayton doesn't support the current bill in the Legislature, and said it should not move forward based on anecdotal evidence about people who benefit from the drug. He reiterated his proposal for a clinical trial that would provide the drug in a capsule form to evaluate a patient's medical improvement. (MPR News)

• Dayton signs minimum wage increase
The law phases in the increase, setting a $9.50 minimum wage for businesses with gross sales over $500,000 in 2016. The first increase comes in August of this year when the hourly wage goes to $8.00. It goes to $9.00 in August 2015.

The last time the state raised the minimum wage was in 2005. (MPR News)

• Congressional fundraising: Nolan bounces back, big leads for Kline, Paulsen
Tuesday was a good day for Rep. John Kline, who not only opened up an 8-to-1 cash-on-hand lead on his presumed Democratic opponent Mike Obermueller but won a new "Safe Republican" ranking from the Rothenberg Political Report forecasters. Kline has $1.6 million banked to Obermueller's $238,000, a healthy cash lead. (MinnPost)

• For Minnesota DFL, GOP, the race for cash is on
Republicans are intent on breaking DFL control of the governor's office and the House, which could give the GOP, after two years as a powerless minority, a way to block their opponents' initiatives.

But those plans could be hindered by a state Republican Party that remains hobbled by more than $500,000 in debt, lackluster fundraising and just $26,000 in the bank. (Star Tribune)