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Jun 30, 2009 11:20 pm US/Central
Good Question: 'Reply All' To Senate Questions
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ―
WCCO-TV viewers have many Good Questions about the Minnesota Supreme Court's ruling in the U.S. Senate race. From committee assignments, to the cost, we hit "Reply All."
• How many kids could be sent to the U of M with the money spent on the recount? - Roshini
We don't have final numbers for the total spent, but according to campaign officials through May, both sides spent at least $12.2 millio. In-state tuition for the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus is $8500 a year. The money spent would send at least 1,435 Minnesotans to the University.
• What committees will Franken be on? - Randy
He scored a seat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which means he'll be a part of the Sotomayor Supreme Court confirmation hearings. Franken joins Senator Amy Klobuchar on the high-profile judiciary committee. He's also on the Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions, the Special Committee on Aging, and the Special Committee on Indian Affairs.
• Why did the decision come down today? - Larry
The decision certainly wasn't made today, in fact, former Supreme Court justice Jim Gilbert said the decision was probably made June 1, right after the oral arguments.
Typically, the justices sit around a table, discuss the case, and vote. Then the case is assigned to a justice to write the decision. That takes time. In this case, the ruling was not signed by a particular justice writing for the majority. Instead, it was written "per curiam" meaning "for the court." That's considered a stronger opinion than a normal opinion written by one judge.
• Will Senator Franken get his full salary? - Ryan
He will not. Actually, the Secretary of the Senate had to research this. Franken will get paid from the day he gets sworn in, approximately $464 a day. He'll lose about $80,000 of salary because of the six-month delay in taking the seat.
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