Channel 9's Trish Van Pilsum report on drinking at the Capitol in the final days of the 2004 session. It includes hidden camera footage of Minneapolis city lobbyist Bill Barnhart drinking in Sen. Linda Higgins' office (Higgins is shown speaking on the Senate floor at the time).
Van Pilsum asks who paid for the booze in Higgins' office; Higgins issued a statement, but refused to comment on-camera to Fox. From an AP story that will run in tomorrow's Strib: KMSP said state policy forbids state workers from drinking on the job, even during rest breaks and overtime work. The station taped someone carrying a cooler into the office of Senate Majority Whip Linda Higgins. The Minneapolis DFLer was on the Senate floor at the time, in the final hours before adjournment, but several people were in her office drinking. KMSP said most of them were lobbyists. One lobbyist was sitting behind her desk, drinking a beer. Higgins issued a written statement to KMSP saying it was unfortunate that its news team was ``failing to focus on the dedication of members and staff who work round the clock ... to pass important legislation.'' [end excerpt] The Fox report also quoted Minneapolis City Councilmember Scott Benson (chair of the Council Intergovernmental Affairs Committee) asking the City Coordinator to look into Barnhart's conduct. Van Pilsum said her Capitol source was not a Republican or a Democrat, but the piece showed only drinking by DFL legislators or in DFL offices. The AP report: http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/4798054.html Story is not on KMSP's Web site yet - www.kmsp.com David Brauer List manager REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
