Minn. court rules for Franken in Senate fight

(St. Paul, Minn.) The Minnesota Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered that Democrat Al Franken be certified as the winner of the state’s long-running Senate race, paving the way for a resolution in the seven-month fight over the seat.

The high court rejected a legal challenge from Republican Norm Coleman, whose options …

Minnesota Poll: A subtle shift on gay unions

With the state Supreme Court in neighboring Iowa rewriting that state’s definition of marriage to include same-sex couples, Minnesotans are divided on the subject in this state, a Star Tribune Minnesota Poll finds:

• One-third say the state needs a constitutional amendment to prohibit same-sex marriage;

• Just over one-third say that there should be no change in current state law, which bans such unions, and that it should be left to the Minnesota Supreme Court to rule on the law’s constitutionality;

• One-fourth believe same-sex marriage should be legalized.

The survey of 1,042 adults was conducted April 20-23, and has a margin of sampling error of 4 percentage points, plus or minus.

See Minnesota Poll: A subtle shift on gay unions

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Craig nixes further appeals

(Minneapolis, Minnesota) Former Idaho Sen. Larry Craig has reached the end of the road in his effort to reverse his conviction in an airport bathroom sex sting, one of his lawyers said Thursday.

Attorney Tom Kelly said Craig had decided against asking the Minnesota Supreme Court to void the conviction. The …

Senator Larry Craig’s Appeal Denied… Tried To Withdraw Guilty Plea

MINNEAPOLIS — Idaho Sen. Larry Craig has lost his latest attempt to withdraw his guilty plea in the Minneapolis airport men’s room sex sting that effectively ended his Senate career.

A three-judge panel of the Minnesota Court of Appeals on Tuesday rejected the Republican’s bid to toss out his disorderly conduct conviction.

Craig still has the option of appealing to the Minnesota Supreme Court, and he said Tuesday he was considering future options.

Craig was arrested June 11, 2007, by an undercover police officer who was conducting a sting operation against men cruising for gay sex at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

He quietly pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor and paid a fine, but changed his mind after word of his arrest became public that August. Craig insisted he was innocent and said he was not gay. His attorney argued that the police officer misconstrued Craig’s foot-tapping, hand movements and other conduct.

But the case brought widespread ridicule and effectively ended his political career.

Craig lost several GOP leadership positions in the wake of the scandal, and the Senate Ethics Committee said in February that Craig had brought discredit on the Senate. The committee members said they believed he was guilty, and that his attempt to withdraw his plea was just an effort to evade the legal consequences of his own actions.

See Senator Larry Craig’s Appeal Denied… Tried To Withdraw Guilty Plea