The 2012 Minnesota Legislative session convened Tuesday, January 24, with legislators hoping for a quick session, expressing their common goal of focusing on job creation and strengthening Minnesota’s economy. Members on both sides of the aisle said it was time to set aside the partisan bickering and work toward compromise—a far cry from last year’s session which led to a 20-day state government shutdown after DFL and Republican legislators failed to agree on a state budget.

Senate Minority Leader Tom Bakk (DFL-Cook) on Friday said that the first week in the Senate was “extremely difficult and painful” referring to a vote on Tuesday in the Senate Rules Committee. The Committee voted to cut $444,400 from the DFL Senate staffing budget. The cuts would result in losing 12 to 14 Senate DFL staffers. On Friday Sen. Bakk announced the information the Rules Committee was given on Tuesday was misleading and inaccurate. Bakk sent a letter to Majority Leader Sen. David Senjem (R-Rochester) asking him to call another Rules Committee meeting for another vote and an explanation as to why they were given false information.

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