Minneapolis election officials seeing steady turnout in early hours
A sample of voters and election judges reported little confusion with ranked-choice voting, new polling machines or the lengthy list of mayoral candidates.
James Nord
James Nord covers politics and the Minnesota Legislature.
Lawsuit over Senate building would be a headache for DFL but likely wouldn’t derail projects
A former legislator’s effort to stop the building could complicate the Mayo project and even tax hikes, but legislators could re-pass those provisions separately.
MNsure working better, but two missing features are still slowing sign-ups
There are still problems for agents, brokers and health plans that are affecting how the exchange works for consumers.
MNsure gets $41 million federal grant for improvements and operations
The newest grant brings the total amount of federal awards to roughly $150 million for Minnesota’s fledgling insurance marketplace.
Should Minnesota adopt electronic pollbooks for elections?
Many consider them a big step forward, but questions remain. A state task force is investigating potential legislation.
Dayton defends Southwest LRT delay
He also calls for legislative approval of Mark Ritchie’s online voter-registration effort.
BCA lab plays a key role in the state’s battle against synthetic drugs
They’re often the most expensive and time-consuming substances to test, lab staff explained to lawmakers, who hope to tighten laws concerning their use.
MNsure advocates, opponents debate meaning of first data ‘snapshot’
As of Wednesday, about 12,000 people have created accounts, and about 5,600 people had completed applications for coverage.
Minnesota Majority mulls legal action against Ritchie’s online voter-registration tool
Republican legislators say Secretary of State Mark Ritchie exceeded his authority; his office defends the system and his action.
Head-shop convictions bolster state efforts to tackle synthetic drugs
At its Wednesday session, a legislative committee plans to examine the effects of the substances in the metro area.
MNsure still working on way to track health insurance purchases
The health exchange is “working on identifying a reporting mechanism and a schedule for reporting that makes sense,” a spokewoman said.
Final stadium approval: A deal few will love, with a partner most don’t trust
Beyond Vikings games, authority officials stress that the “people’s stadium” will be home to high school and college sports and wintertime runners and roller-skaters.
Health exchange launches successfully as officials await feedback, fallout
MNsure opened in time for Obamacare’s initial Oct. 1 deadline, with more than 100,000 visits just hours after it opened.
MNsure health exchange scheduled to go live Tuesday afternoon
Minnesota consumers will be able to shop for coverage and compare plans, apply for public health programs and calculate tax credits for their income level.
Some MNsure problems appear worse, but officials say they’re set to launch Tuesday
The health exchange’s latest internal reviews show continuing serious problems and two new “at risk” areas.
Minnesota’s top health insurance ranking didn’t include all factors
The federal analysis that proclaimed the state’s health insurance premiums to be the lowest in the nation didn’t take into account several factors.
Next week’s MNsure launch depends on passing security test
Internal documents show continuing concerns. If serious security flaws are identified during the final check, the project will be grounded until they’re fixed.
Reports find potentially serious problems, but MNsure director says health exchange is a go
Internal documents, obtained by MinnPost, note concerns about small businesses using the exchange, as well as issues with eligibility verification and user testing.
Health exchange frees up funds for bypassed outreach groups
African-American and immigrant groups that key lawmakers say were overlooked in MNsure’s initial grants now likely will be included.
Lawmakers blast health exchange for not funding outreach to communities of color
Critics note that the lack of grants in minority communities makes it even harder to reach groups with stubbornly high rates of uninsured people.
