We got your patronage here!

Yesterday it was announced that she-of-the-concealed-carry-bill, former Republican Representative Lynda Boudreau, has been named deputy commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Health. According to the story, she "will be the department's chief lobbyist at the Legislature and will oversee the department's budget, health statistics, budgeting and health provider inspection and regulation."

Boudreau is known for the aforementioned concealed carry bill, as well as her push for the "Women's Right to Know" bill, which requires a 24-hour waiting period for abortions (though I prefer to call it the "Women Я Stupid" bill, because that's what it implies). From what I know of her, she doesn't strike me as the brightest bulb; certainly, if asked which former legislator I would expect to cover budget, health statistics, budgeting and health provider inspection and regulation, her name would not top the list. But she did head the Health and Human Services Policy Committee, but that was policy, not budget.

Also of interesting note in the story is the fact that she will be replacing another former Republican Representative, Doug Stang, who will now be a lobbyist. Stang moves from legislator to lobbyist in less than two years, and he will once again return to the Capitol, but this time he won't have to run for his job every two years, and his pay will be quite a bit higher. Good deal!

Incidentally, Stang's appointment to this post was something I commented on my first day blogging. How meta!