Politics & Government

Rep. Laine: I'll Be Back at Capitol in April

The legislator said she has acute cholestastic hepatitis, caused by a drug-induced liver injury.

State Rep. Carolyn Laine is suffering from "acute cholestastic hepatitis caused by a drug-induced liver injury," she said Friday, but she expects to return to the Minnesota House of Representatives next month.

"I definitely intend to be present at floor sessions sometime in April, even if I have to go not completely well and spend more time resting in the retiring room!" said the three-term DFLer, who represents Fridley's western and southern sections, in an email to Fridley Patch.

that she is able to keep up with communications with colleagues and constituents, and even monitor committee meetings online, she explained today that she cannot vote remotely.

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She has, however, been able to get her bills introduced in the House during her absence from the Capitol, which began almost six weeks ago. She explained how:

I will note that one need not be present for introducing a bill. Sometimes one's bill gets passed around for additional co-authors and, when ready, gets thrown in the "Hopper" (a metal file basket). It is then processed by the leadership and put on the calendar to be introduced at the next floor session, along with all the other bills that have accumulated in the same time frame. So, a bill's "first reading" (introduction) is an automatic processing. The other bill I referenced in my [Thursday] statement (accountability on health care contracts) is currently having additional co-authors added and will be dropped in the Hopper by the person I chose as 2nd author, as soon as she feels she has enough.

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