Former state senator Steve Kelley, who battled former attorney general Mike Hatch at the DFL state convention four years ago to run against Gov. Tim Pawlenty, has dropped out of the current governor’s race.

Kelley did not do well in Tuesday’s caucus straw poll. Kelley said he intended to support the DFL-endorsed gubernatorial candidate. -- T.W. Budig, ECM Capitol Reporter

by T.W. Budig
ECM Capitol reporter

Lawmakers returned to St. Paul today (Thursday, Feb. 4) to instantly present bonding bills even before session opening day gavels fell.

House and Senate bonding bills hit nearly a $1 billion in general obligation bonding, while Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s bonding bill came in at $685 million.

Read more: House and Senate bonding bills hit nearly $1 billion

Feely Elevator Manager Mark Malecha was safely rescued at 7:40 p.m. Feb. 4 after being confined inside the grain silo for eight hours.

Malecha was buried up to his chest in corn with his head and reportedly one arm free while crews managed a rescue.

Emergency medical and fire departments from Farmington, Lakeville, Apple Valley, Rosemount and Edina all assisted with the rescue.

See more photos and story in ThisweekLive story by Kara Hildreth.

Crews have cut a hole inside at the top of the silo to pull the man out. (Photo by Kara Hildreth, Thisweek Newspapers)

by T.W. Budig, ECM Capitol Reporter -- The House has proposed a nearly $1 billion bonding bill, with a number of local projects not found in the governor’s smaller bill.

The Senate is expected to present its bonding bill this afternoon in committee, a bill likely to be about the same size as the House’s.

Read more: Minnesota House proposes a nearly $1 billion bonding bill

The proposed Braham Community Center became easier to envision after drawings and blueprints were presented at the Feb. 1 regular Braham Council meeting.

Terry Lind, project manager/estimator with Construction Results Corporation, walked the council through the Rosa Architectural Group’s study. The Tusen Tack in Braham is the lead on the community center project, and that establishment was represented at the meeting by Dorothy J. Johnson, Joan Shockman and Jim Hieb. See more in Greg Hunt's Isanti County News story.

Braham City Council got a glimpse of the proposed Braham Community Center during its Monday, Feb. 1 council meeting. (Illustration courtesy of Construction Results Corporation)

Washington D.C. – The House of Representatives today (Thursday, Feb. 4) voted to restore a common sense spending law that helped eliminate budget deficits in the 1990s.

The Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (H.J. Res. 45) requires both the House of Representatives and the Senate to pay for new spending with either a new source of revenue or a corresponding cut in another program.

Read more: U.S. House passes common sense pay-as-you-go rule

Correctional officers found convicted sex offender Walter Allen Wildhirt, 32, had attempted suicide in the Mille Lacs County Jail, Milaca, on Thursday, Feb. 4. He was scheduled to be sentenced on Friday.

According to Mille Lacs County Sheriff Brent Lindgren, a well-being check was conducted at approximately 5:20 a.m. when they found Wildhirt out of his bed. See more in Dawn Slade's exclusive story in the Mille Lacs County Times.

by T.W. Budig, ECM Capitol reporter -- The 2010 legislative session began today (Thursday, Feb. 4) with the fall of gavels as House and Senate came to order and began to conduct business.

The biggest issues confronting lawmakers arguably are the state budget deficit, a $1.2 billion hole that needs to be immediately correctly, and passing a bonding bill.

But a lot of the first day on respective House and Senate floors was lawmakers shaking hands and reacquainting themselves after more than a half year apart.

SEE SLIDESHOW by T.W. Budig, ECM Capitol Reporter

Rep. Bob Dettmer, R-Forest Lake, leans to listen to a colleague on the House floor.

(Photo by T.W. Budig, ECM Capitol Reporter)