How ‘Duck Dynasty’ and ZZ Top entered a Minnesota Senate debate on hair discrimination
The CROWN Act passed the Legislature and was signed into law last week but not before a Senate debate over beards.
Peter Callaghan covers state government for MinnPost. Follow him on Twitter or email him at pcallaghan(at)minnpost(dot)com.
The CROWN Act passed the Legislature and was signed into law last week but not before a Senate debate over beards.
Updating the way Minnesota responds to hate crimes has been a goal of a community coalition and DFL lawmakers for three years. Doing so this session could be another result of the trifecta that emerged from the 2022 election.
A perennial legislative issue — state preemption of local government decisions — has been turned on its head when it comes to recreational marijuana.
The most expensive legislative race in terms of independent expenditures was in Senate District 36 where DFL candidate Heather Gustafson of Vadnais Heights defeated GOP incumbent Roger Chamberlain of Lino Lakes.
Sen. John Marty, a DFLer from Roseville, is the new chair of the Senate Finance Committee, a legislative panel that usually is the place where the 10 or so big omnibus bills get their final touches and final approval.
A $17.6 billion surplus means Walz gets to both spend money on new programs and cut taxes. In fact, the fun volume for Walz this year is at levels perhaps never seen before, as past state surpluses have mostly been in the $1 billion range.
Called “Democracy Dollars,” the proposal would automatically send Minnesota voters coupons to easily spend on their favorite candidates.
With gas taxes, motor vehicle excise taxes and tab fees are all coming in lower than was projected a year ago, are tax hikes coming?
Those who fought for marriage equality say conversations with Minnesotans about their values helped ensure defeat in 2012 of a constitutional amendment and a change in Minnesota law soon after.
How soon? Who’s in charge? How high will taxes be? How will criminal records be expunged? MinnPost’s guide to the marijuana legalization bill being considered at the Legislature in 2023 answers these questions and more.
The panel did send 12 names to the Legislature, where they will again be reviewed by the combined House and Senate higher education committees.
Reporting by MinnPost in 2020 showed Minnesota’s ‘ban the box’ laws covered everything except government boards and commissions such as the Public Utilities Commission and Metropolitan Council.
A court case arguing that those convicted of felonies should have their voting rights restored when being released from prison has waited nearly 14 months for a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling. Meanwhile, DFL state lawmakers hope to change the law.
The revenue from the bill might not even be enough to pay for the regulation, enforcement and economic development efforts contained in the measure.
With the DFL holding a one-seat majority in the Senate, Gov. Tim Walz no longer faces the threat that a GOP Senate can remove his commissioners with a simple majority vote.
From managing pent-up demands to navigating narrow majorities in both the House and Senate, all eyes are on DFL leaders in what could be a big year for both policy and the state budget.
A lot happened in 2022, including a consequential election. But there was plenty of political drama leading up to it, too.
With the legislative session convening Jan. 3 and the DFL about to be in control of the House, Senate and governor’s office, MinnPost talked with House Speaker Melissa Hortman to talk about her caucus’ priorities.
Rebate checks, Walz Checks, whatever they are called, have more life than ever with DFL control of the State Capitol and a $17.6 billion projected surplus.
Free and reduced-price lunch eligibility is used to determine schools’ needs, so an alternative metric would be needed if the state moves forward with universal school lunch.
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By Peter Callaghan | Staff Writer
8 hours ago