The bill to provide $4.9 million for mesothelioma research in Minnesota has been enacted.  Governor Tim Pawlenty signed the document yesterday, finalizing the long process of approval.  The research, which is expected to take five years, aims to explain why dozens of miners from the Iron Range have been struck with mesothelioma.  The funds are coming from the state's Department of Commerce and will be divided among state universities over time.  Read the full article here.

On Monday, the Minnesota Senate unanimously approved a bill to allot $4.9 million for mesothelioma research related to Iron Range mining.  Now, it will advance to the Governor's office for final endorsement.

The bill had acquired national attention not only because of the significant monetary value, but also because of the Governor's initial opposition to the proposal.  Even though he believed the research should be conducted, Gov. Tim Pawlenty originally opposed the funding's source.  Last Thursday, however, Pawlenty met with Democrats to reach a compromise: the $4.9 million will be taken in four stages from a Department of Commerce-administered fund that is now running a healthy surplus, instead of from a worker's compensation fund.  Pawlenty feared that extracting from the compensation fund would mean premium increases for all businesses that feed into it.

The bill is now expected to pass smoothly.  The research, which will be led by state university campuses, is predicted to last five years.