Stimulus highlights stakes of Minnesota recount
Court Alerts
Neither side is giving an inch in Minnesota's protracted Senate election fight, and the tiny margin used to secure the newly passed economic stimulus package is a vivid reminder of why.
Supporters of both Democrat Al Franken and Republican Norm Coleman see a winner influencing the balance of power in the Senate, even as the Democrats already firmly hold the chamber.
"The 59th vote in the Senate is very valuable, and that's obvious now," said Kathryn Pearson, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Minnesota. "It's valuable for Democrats to add a vote, and it would be very valuable to Republicans to deny that vote."
For Democrats, the absence of Franken's vote has already made passing legislation more of a challenge. The $787 billion stimulus bill squeezed through the Senate late Friday night on the vote of Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who was flown back to Washington on a government plane from his home state, where he was mourning the death of his mother. Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, who is suffering from a brain tumor, could not attend the vote.
Related listings
-
Jury deliberating in Fla. tobacco trial
Court Alerts 02/13/2009A jury is deliberating a key phase in the first of 8,000 Florida lawsuits blaming health problems and deaths on tobacco companies. The six-person Broward County jury must decide whether Stuart Hess was addicted to cigarette nicotine before he got lun...
-
Court says measles vaccine not to blame for autism
Court Alerts 02/12/2009A special vaccine court ruled against parents with autistic children Thursday, saying that vaccines are not to blame for their children's neurological disorder. The judges in the cases said the evidence was overwhelmingly contrary to the parents' cla...
-
Mass. court: Juveniles can't be held extra 3 years
Court Alerts 02/11/2009Massachusetts cannot hold juvenile offenders for three years past their 18th birthday because the law is vague on how a youth's potential danger to the public is decided, the state's highest court ruled Tuesday. Most juvenile offenders are released w...
Is Now the Time to Really Call a Special Education Lawyer?
IDEA, FAPE, CHILD FIND and IEPs: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) guarantees all children with disabilities to a free appropriate public education (FAPE). FAPE starts with a school’s responsibility to identify that a child has a disability (Child Find) and create an Individualized Education Program (IEP) to suit the needs of the child.
Forte Law Group is one of only a very few law firms within the state of Connecticut that is dedicated to exclusively representing families and children with special needs.
Parents need to be persistent, dedicated and above all else aware of the many services and accommodations that their child is entitled to under the law. As early as this point within your child’s special education, many parents will often find themselves in the situation asking, “is now the time to really call a special education lawyer?” Here are a few things to consider when asking yourself that question.