The bill to fund mesothelioma research in Minnesota's Iron Range has passed the House of Representatives, but the governor has already threatened a veto.  Governor Tim Pawlenty does not endorse the source of the study's funding, but the bill passed by an 88-45 vote.

The research will be a collaborative effort between the state's University campuses at Duluth and Twin City.  The study will help determine the details of the relationship between taconite mining in the Iron Range and the instance of mesothelioma in miners.  John Finnegan, dean of the School of Public Health, said the research will be divided into four different studies, three of which look at the causes of death in the miners and the health of current and former miners.

"This is probably the best shot in 25 years to get the research done the right way," Finnegan said.  Read the full article here.

The funding discussed on March 11 has now passed the Minnesota House of Representatives Committee.  The bill allots $4.9 million to study the relationship between taconite mining and mesothelioma.  Last spring, the Minnesota Health Department found that 58 miners on the Iron Range had died of the disease.  The funding will allow researchers to study the components of taconite dust to determine what level, if any, constitutes dangerous exposure.  Read the article here.