The Mn Secretary of State did propose new changes in Minnesota election law, including things like clearer specifications on absentee ballots, early voting procedures, issuing a provisional election certificate during recounts, better maintenance of voter rolls, etc.
It was passed by both houses of the Legislature and sent to Gov. Pawlenty – who vetoed it!
Does conceding an election have any legal standing?
That’s what I was just about to ask. Could Pawlenty still refuse to sign the certificate, if he wanted to, or does Coleman’s concession override that? Do the laws address this kind of thing?
Pawlenty could refuse to sign the certificate, but I doubt it would be legal.
“I concede” may well. He’s probably filed whatever he needs to file to give up.
The Democrats, as the party in control of the Senate (even if they don’t have the super-control of 60 seats) can choose precisely when to put the bill on the floor. Given this news, I would imagine that they’ll wait for him.
Pawlenty’s only grounds for not signing would have been the election was still contested. If it’s no longer contested, he really has no grounds at all.
Well, Michele Bachmann is still around.
Someone needs to give her a cocker spaniel named ‘Checkers’.
Does she have a daughter?
Complicated. Can’t kick her around without you throw a net over her first.
Would you all get over the nonsense that the governor won’t sign? He’s already said publically he will sign it, now that the court has ruled, and Coleman has conceded. Honestly, I can see where conspiracy talk starts. 
It’s now reported that Pawlenty has signed the certificate.
Way to go, Mr. Smalley!
(that book was brilliant! If his Senatorial career is 1/4 as on target, he’ll be an above-average senator)
No, conceding has no legal status. The state government issues the certificate of election to the winner; the loser(s) are not involved at all (unless they contest this in court, like Coleman did). There is nothing Coleman has to file to ‘concede’. But a public concession probably indicates that he won’t be filing any additional challenges to the election.
Well, just for sake of paranoia, can someone press for court review on their own? Suppose someone is so incensed at the prospect of Franken that they are determined to press ahead, do they require Coleman’s permission?
Seems Senator-Elect Franken is going to be on the Indian Affairs committee. Would that he was there during some of Abraham Jackoff’s shenanigans.
Show of hands: When he announced that the 21st Century was going to be the Al Franken Century (was it in 1999?) did you think it was anything but a joke?
What, can’t you see it in his eyes, that burning determination for world domination? Of course, to be fair, that’s pretty common amongst nice Jewish boys from Minnesota.
I believe you need what is legally called ‘standing’ to sue in court. That would normally be showing that you have suffered injury from this action. Obviously Coleman & the other losing candidates have that. It’s questionable if anyone else does. You could possibly claim that as ‘a citizen of Minnesota’ you are injured by this, but Courts generally don’t like such broad classes of plaintiffs – if this was allowed, just about any citizen could sue over nearly any legislative action.
I think any individual or group of citizens would have a lawsuit thrown out quickly by the Courts, just based on lack of standing.
I don’t remember that. I do remember on SNL when he declared that the Eighties would be the Al Franken Decade.
“I’d like to thank you all for voting for me, Al Franken.”