How the invasion of Ukraine became part of the debate over copper-nickel mining in northern Minnesota
Both supporters and opponents of two potential copper-nickel mines have used the war in Ukraine to underscore their stances on the projects.
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.
Both supporters and opponents of two potential copper-nickel mines have used the war in Ukraine to underscore their stances on the projects.
The divestment of funds won’t cause a massive hit to Russia’s bottom line. But lawmakers and Ukrainian Americans said no Minnesota money should help Vladimir Putin’s government.
In a year where Republicans are promoting a “tough on crime” posture, the expungement bill is one of the few criminal justice reform measures that Democrats hoped some in the GOP-led Senate would support.
Gov. Tim Walz has asked the state’s Board of Investment to review holdings in Russia-linked companies.
More than three-quarters of the state experienced severe or extreme drought last year, which farm groups said was particularly tough on cattle and dairy farmers who can’t rely on crop insurance in the same way farmers for commodity crops like corn and soybeans can.
While helping police fill open jobs has drawn bipartisan support at the Capitol this year, a key Democratic lawmaker on Monday criticized a bill proposed by fellow DFL House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler.
A new bill backed by many House DFLers would end most no-knock search warrants.
Outside the metro, Minnesota’s new political maps aren’t likely to spark a huge shift in power. But that doesn’t mean redistricting won’t lead to some important political developments.
The debate has turned into a proxy fight over broader issues expected to play a role in the fall elections.
Of the 94 people listed in the data who were targeted with no-knock warrants, 66 were Black.
As both the Minneapolis City Council and the Minnesota Legislature scrutinize how and when ‘no-knock’ warrants are used, a look at what we know about the policies governing the search warrants, before and after the killing.
Following the killing of Amir Locke in Minneapolis, lawmakers are once again debating the issue.
So far, the plans have been met with skepticism from Republicans and some police groups. And judging the success of earlier spending on such nonprofits has been difficult, since very little of it has actually been sent to anti-violence organizations.
New research from the University of Minnesota suggests wakesurf boats would need to run at least twice as far from shorelines, docks and other lake-goers for their waves to have the same impact as other common recreational boats used for sports like tubing, waterskiing and wakeboarding.
Bigger cities that once got hundreds of applicants might now only have dozens. Smaller cities, especially in Greater Minnesota, might be getting three or four applicants instead of 10 to 15.
Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman say the concerns with some of their policies and decisions are overblown, misunderstood, or have more police support than Republicans are letting on — even as they concede there might be some cause for common ground among county attorneys, cops and the GOP.
The ruling wasn’t a total victory for mine opponents, however. The court ruled in favor of PolyMet and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency on several other issues.
The panel also recommended the state raise application fees for Minnesota driver’s licenses and extend the validity of licenses to eight years.
Talon Metals Corp. wants to build an underground mine that would operate for nine years and primarily extract nickel, but also some copper, cobalt, platinum group metals and iron.
Lawmakers in both parties often argue public safety should not be politicized, yet crime is also expected to be a potent campaign issue later this year, a situation that could fuel a rancorous and partisan debate at the Capitol.
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By Walker Orenstein | Staff Writer
March 14, 2022