Robot 6 has the story:


Explaining why the state funding for the arts is undergoing scrutiny, House Majority Leader Matt Dean singled out $45,000 in Legacy money paid to author and comics writer Neil Gaiman for a four-hour appearance at a Stillwater public library in May 2010.

Dean is quote as saying that Gaiman, “who I hate,” was a “pencil-necked little weasel who stole $45,000 from the state of Minnesota.”


If you'd like to read Gaiman's story about why he charges $45,000, you should proceed directly to his blog, where he explained the whole thing last May when this issue first came up. And for the record, he donated the proceeds from that speaking engagement to charity.