U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen, R-Minn., has announced that high school students in the Third District, which includes Eden Prairie, can submit original artwork for the 2010 Congressional Art Competition, Artistic Discovery.

Submit the artwork to Paulsen’s office for the opportunity to have the work displayed in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol for one year, as well as in Paulsen’s Congressional offices in Minnesota and Washington.

According to a news release from Congressman Erik Paulsen, he has made a friendly wager with Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise.

The two are roommates in Washington, D.C.

Here's the news release:

Washington, D.C. – As the states of Minnesota and Louisiana anxiously await Sunday’s NFC Championship game between the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints, Congressmen Erik Paulsen (MN-03) and Steve Scalise (LA–01) today placed a wager on the results of the game.

Democrats from around Eden Prairie and Southern Minnetonka will gather on Tuesday, Feb. 2, for the DFL Party’s biennial precinct caucuses. The Senate District 42 DFL caucuses will be held at a new location this year, Eden Prairie’s Central Middle School at 8025 School Road.

Senate District 42 Republicans have scheduled the 2010 Precinct Caucus for Feb. 2 at Eden Prairie High School. A preliminary program for all precincts starts at 6:15 p.m.

Individual Precinct Caucuses start at 7 p.m. Attendees are asked to arrive at 6 p.m.

By Leah Shaffer

Last year’s contentious budgeting year at the State Capitol is likely to extend into another round as the legislative session starts up Feb. 4. Though a bonding bill will be at the top of the agenda, so will budget cuts.

The November economic forecast from Minnesota Management and Budget estimated a projected $1.2 billion shortfall for 2010-2011, and the February financial forecast is unlikely to get sunnier.
The common concern among all three EP Legislators was how to tackle the deficit.

Funding for transportation infrastructure projects has passed the U.S. House of Representatives, according to a news release from U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen.

"Appropriations for the Interstate 94 - Brockton Lange Interchange, the Highway 169-Interstate 494 Interchange and Highway 610 were included as part of the Fiscal Year 2010 Omnibus Appropriations Bill approved yesterday," the release said.

A coalition of state legislators has organized a new Small Business Caucus focused on addressing the challenges and opportunities facing small businesses in Minnesota, according to a news release. The new caucus, co-chaired by State Rep. Denise Dittrich (DFL, Champlin) and State Rep. Maria Ruud (DFL, Minnetonka), is seeking the input and partnership of small business owners across the state.

“The October edition of Democratic Visions features a discussion between Hennepin County Commissioner Jan Callison and host Tim O’Brien about light rail transit in Hopkins, Minnetonka and Eden Prairie and probable cuts to programs at the Hennepin County Medical Center,” according to a news release.

U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen, R-Minn., co-chair of the House Medical Technology Caucus, will hold a field hearing titled “The Impact of the Medical Device Tax on Jobs, Innovation, Patients and the Cost of Health Care” today (Oct. 19).

The hearing is scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. in the council chambers at Plymouth City Hall, 3400 Plymouth Blvd., and include testimony from the local medical technology community, according to a news release from Paulsen's office.

The rules were set: “If you need to yell, yell at me,” cautioned Third District Republican Congressman Erik Paulsen during his town hall meeting, held at Maple Grove High School Friday evening. Though outbursts and harsh attacks have gone hand-in-hand with other Congressional town hall meetings centering on health care reform, the tone at Friday’s event remained at a raucous yet containable level.

There was some amount of booing, a large amount of applause and mostly a back-and-forth amid supporters of health care reform and those opposed to changes proposed in Congress.