Walker Orenstein reports on the state Legislature for MinnPost, with a particular focus on covering issues affecting Greater Minnesota. He can be reached at worenstein@minnpost.com, and you can follow him on Twitter at @walkerorenstein.
Whether the proposals will lead to actual legislation is unclear, but both sides were hopeful that a special session to hammer out a deal could be held as early as next week.
MDH also announced 6,343 new cases of COVID-19 in Minnesota on Monday, based on 57,015 new tests.
In early November, Benton, Mille Lacs, Sherburne and Stearns counties had four of the state’s top five highest weekly case rates, leading to a rapid rise in hospitalizations and putting acute pressure on the region’s health systems.
There have been 784 deaths from COVID-19 in Minnesota so far in November, making it the deadliest month of the pandemic.
Minnesota has now reported more than 60 deaths for three straight days, and there have been 693 deaths through the first 20 days of November.
“We could have piles of PPE and hundreds of beds and none of that matters if we don’t have people to care for our patients,” a hospital official said.
Walz announced the rules — which will close bars, restaurants and gyms and severely curtail social gatherings for four weeks — in response to a surge in COVID-19 cases around the state.
DFL House candidate John Persell maintains his loss was the result of factors unique to 2020. Republicans see the results as something else: confirmation of a changing political tide.
Through 13 days of November, 382 Minnesotans have died of COVID-19.
The shakeup raises questions about the future of agriculture policy in a Democratic party increasingly made up of lawmakers from the Twin Cities metro.
The restrictions announced Tuesday are an attempt to curb the spread of a pandemic that has already killed 2,698 Minnesotans even as the state is on pace for its deadliest month yet.
Nineteen more Minnesotans have died of COVID-19, the Minnesota Department of Health said Monday.
Minnesota has now reported more than 30 deaths from COVID-19 in four of the last five days, and a total of 199 deaths in the first eight days of November.
Four election takeaways.
The DFL is expected to retain the state House, while close races in St. Cloud, Rochester and Austin could determine whether the GOP retains its slim majority in the Minnesota Senate.
Voters talk about their votes.
The Minnesota Department of Health said the number of positive cases in the state is up 2,948 from Sunday’s count, based on 37,429 new tests.
From bellwether Legislature races to congressional district vote totals, here are the things MinnPost writers will be paying attention to as Minnesota starts counting votes Tuesday.
The number of positive cases is up 2,867 from Wednesday’s count — a new single-day record — and is based on 27,769 new tests.
The state Senate district that includes Austin and Albert Lea is one of few in Greater Minnesota that Republicans don’t control.
