A big bet on health-care bucks

First in a list of 66 amendments on deck last week for the House Health and Human Services budget bill was a modest DFL proposal with a cheap buy-in to save millions of bucks.

The human services commissioner would be directed to buy a Mega Millions lottery ticket and "book a savings of $304,000,000," the amendment reads. Nobody took credit for the proposal.

"Sounds reasonable to me," said Rep. Tina Liebling, DFL-Rochester, who with other DFLers has been sharply critical of what they call "phony money" Republican measures aimed at cutting $1.6 billion from projected state spending.

Four measures that account for $1.2 billion of that savings are so vague that their financial impact can't be calculated, Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson said on Wednesday.

But chief sponsor Rep. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, said the savings may be far greater than he has estimated.

"I'm being conservative," he said.

WARREN WOLFE

Removing one of the last remaining links between the two combatants in Minnesota's 2008 Senate recount, Sen. Al Franken has moved out of the Washington office once inhabited by former Sen. Norm Coleman.

On Friday, Franken moved down the hall to Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin's old digs. Spokesman Ed Shelleby said the new office has more space for staffers and more room outside to hold his weekly constituent breakfast meetings.

Shelleby said Franken will keep the same wooden desk that was used by both Coleman and Democratic Sen. Paul Wellstone.

JEREMY HERB

Health-care law -- live from Brooklyn Park

And Vice President Joe Biden trotted out a Minnesota family to make the case for the Affordable Care Act. In an e-mail sent out by President Obama's campaign operation Wednesday morning, Biden told the story of Brooklyn Park residents Justin and Kari Ihle:

"They're parents to three children. Their 3-year-old, William, was born with a genetic disorder called tuberous sclerosis complex ... What Justin and Kari want for William is a future. And because of health reform, that's what he'll have."

In an accompanying online video, Kari Ihle says, "We know now that William has a lot better future than what he had prior to health-care reform."

BOB VON STERNBERG

K-9 penalties increased

"An assault on Major is an assault on the integrity of our society and respect for law and order," Dayton said during the ceremony. "Major," he said after signing the law, "you want a pen?"

Major is a seven-year K-9 veteran of the Roseville Police Department who was stabbed four times on Nov. 12 while responding to a report of a break-in.

Officer John Jorgensen, Major's partner, called Tuesday "a good day, a good day."