The days of jumping into a warm car on a cold day may be drawing to an end in Minneapolis.

City council members are to hear a proposed ordinance from the city's environmental and public works staff Thursday morning that would restrict vehicle idling in the city. The ordinance would make it illegal to let your car idle for more than three minutes, unless, of course, you're stuck in a traffic jam. The goal is to improve the city's air quality, if not the wintertime mood of its residents. — Doug Grow

Meetings between Gov. Tim Pawlenty and legislative leaders at the Capitol are going smoothly today, according to a source close to the negotiations who asked not to be named. All sides — the guv, Republicans, DFLers, House members, Senate members — met this morning and are set to meet again early this afternoon.

Some of the divisive issues — such as Pawlenty wanting to use money from a health care fund — have melted away somewhat, according to the source. But a sticking point remains on Pawlenty's desire for a property tax cap.

So, things appear sunny today, after a dust-up last night, on how to close the state's $935 million budget shortfall. But, the source warns, don't bet any money on an agreement just yet. — G.R. Anderson Jr.

Democrats have chosen a blogger from each state to "participate" in the Democratic National Convention in Denver. And the winner from Minnesota is: Minnesota Monitor.

Howard Dean made the announcement today. Yeeeeaaaaahhhh.

About 400 individuals and organizations applied for the blogger spots at the convention. When applying for a spot, they had to "submit daily audience information and provide examples of posts that made their blogs stand out as an effective online organizing tool or agent of change, a demonstration of both the reach and impact blogs have had and will continue to have on the 2008 election," according to a press release.

The Republicans also will give credentials to bloggers for the Republican National Convention, to be held in St. Paul Sept. 1-4. The RNC blogger deadline is tomorrow; then officials will look at the available space and identify who will get credentials, said Matt Burns, the RNC spokesman in St. Paul.

I'm thinking that Minnesota Monitor, unabashedly liberal outlet, won't be tops on the RNC list.

Here's the list of DNC bloggers, announced today. — Joe Kimball


ALASKA: Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis

ALABAMA: Doc's Political Parlor

ARKANSAS: Under The Dome.com

ARIZONA: Ted Prezelski, Rum, Romanism and Rebellion

CALIFORNIA: Calitics

COLORADO: SquareState.net

CONNECTICUT: My Left Nutmeg

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: DCist.com

DELAWARE: TommyWonk

DEMOCRATS ABROAD: Democrats Abroad Argentina

FLORIDA: Florida Progressive Coalition

GEORGIA: Tondee's Tavern

GUAM: No Rest for the Awake, Minagahet Chamorro

HAWAII: iLind.net, Ian Lind Online

IOWA: The Iowa Independent

IDAHO: 43rdStateBlues.com

ILLINOIS: Prairie State Blue

INDIANA: Blue Indiana

KANSAS: EverydayCitizen.com

KENTUCKY: BlueGrassRoots

LOUISIANA: Daily Kingfish

MASSACHUSETTS: Blue Mass. Group

MARYLAND: The Center for Emerging Media

MAINE: Turn Maine Blue

MICHIGAN: Blogging For Michigan

MINNESOTA: Minnesota Monitor

MISSISSIPPI: The Natchez Blog

MISSOURI: Fired Up! LLC

MONTANA: Left in the West

NORTH CAROLINA: BlueNC.com

NORTH DAKOTA: NorthDecoder.com

NEBRASKA: New Nebraska Network

NEW HAMPSHIRE: Blue Hampshire

NEW JERSEY: PolitickerNJ.com

NEW MEXICO: Democracy for New Mexico

NEVADA: Las Vegas Gleaner

NEW YORK: Room 8

OHIO: Ohio Daily Blog

OKLAHOMA: DemoOkie

OREGON: BlueOregon (blog)

PENNSYLVANIA: Keystone Politics

PUERTO RICO: Jusiper

RHODE ISLAND: Rhode Island's Future

SOUTH CAROLINA: CracktheBell.com

SOUTH DAKOTA: Badlands Blue

TENNESSEE: KnoxViews/TennViews

TEXAS: Burnt Orange Report

UTAH: The Utah Amicus

VIRGINIA: Raising Kaine

VIRGIN ISLANDS: Democratic Party of the US Virgin Islands

VERMONT: Green Mountain Daily

WASHINGTON: HorsesAss.org

WISCONSIN: Uppity Wisconsin

WEST VIRGINIA: West Virginia Blue

WYOMING: Hummingbirdminds blog

File this under climate change, carbon footprints and putting your money where your wheels are.
 
A handful of real big wheels are going to launch a $1 million environmental oasis Friday, when the Freewheel Midtown Bike Center opens at 7 a.m. on the Midtown Greenway, just north of the Midtown Global Market.
 
Mayor R.T. Rybak, a cyclist from way back, will cut the ribbon, along with Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin, Allina CEO Dick Pettingill, Minneapolis City Council Members Gary Schiff and Robert Lilligren and a host of others.
 
The bike center, at 2834 10th Ave. S., will be more than a piddly pit stop for commuters. Repairs, of course, but a shower, too, a cafe. Lots of programs are planned for kids and the local community.
 
The federal government provided a $560,000 grant, the city kicked in $120,000, Allina chipped in $75,000, Ryan Cos. another $25,000, but the Freewheel folks have plunked down a bunch: $220,000, according to Jason Lardy, who is — this being a bike event — the spokesperson.
 
There's an open house from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday. Pedal there, of course. — Jay Weiner

St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman is in Washington, D.C., today, getting an award for organizing lots of after-school programs for kids. The Afterschool Alliance thanked him and 15 others, along with four organizations, for "their tireless work on behalf of afterschool programs."

Instead of having an after-school ceremony, however, they did it at a breakfast meeting.

Youth Community Connections, Minnesota's Statewide Afterschool Alliance, nominated the mayor for the award, noting that he's helped St. Paul families by organizing out-of-school programming and partnering with youth programs across the city. They also noted free rides transporting young people to after-school programs and other learning opportunities. — Joe Kimball

Gov. Tim Pawlenty has vetoed the "safe toys bill," which would have banned certain flame retardants and phthalates from sale in the state.

In his veto message, Pawlenty said that "the prohibitions in this bill are not based on established science."

Phthalates (pronounced tha-lates) are considered a potential endocrine disruptor and are banned in the European Union until 2010, when the bans can be put up for review or renewal. — Mark Neuzil