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.
Though the program — which allows those who invest in early-stage Minnesota businesses to claim a 25 percent tax credit — has been popular, it has come nowhere near its goals for boosting startups by nontraditional owners.
A bill advancing through the Minnesota Senate aims to put Minneapolis on the hook for any law enforcement help it receives from around the state during the March trial of ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
The Minnesota Department of Health also reported that 475,200 Minnesotans so far have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
The idea is to entice law enforcement from other parts of Minnesota to help with security around the trial for the ex-Minneapolis police officer charged with killing George Floyd. But the plan has already faced opposition from legislative Republicans.
The Minnesota Department of Health said Wednesday that 24 more Minnesotans have died of COVID-19.
Neel Kashkari, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, was at the Minnesota Capitol Tuesday to brief lawmakers on economic conditions in Minnesota and the country.
MDH also said Friday there were 1,114 new cases of COVID-19 in Minnesota, based on 44,777 new tests.
Companies that could quickly build out fiber optic internet have been squeezed out of areas covered by a federal grant to a company with limited resources and experience, something state funders said was necessary to avoid duplicate use of taxpayer money.
Gov. Tim Walz wants to authorize $150 million in bonds to help redevelop parts of Minneapolis and St. Paul. A GOP proposal, meanwhile, would bar any state disaster aid from paying for repairs to public infrastructure damaged in the riots.
The Minnesota Department of Health also said Wednesday that 18 more people have died of COVID-19.
Processing plant closures due to coronavirus forced farmers to euthanize hundreds of thousands of animals. Now, many of the biggest players in Minnesota agriculture are debating how to strengthen the food system.
The state’s seven-day positive case average rate has been declining over the last week, though it remains slightly above a 5-percent threshold that officials consider concerning.
The state has reported 709 deaths in January so far, making it the third deadliest month of the pandemic.
So far, there have been a modest number of cases among the thousands of workers on the pipeline, though the full scope of the project’s impact on disease spread isn’t clear.
Minnesota’s seven-day positive case average continues to be well above a threshold that health officials say is a concerning sign of disease spread.
The Minnesota Department of Health also said Tuesday that there were 1,315 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, based on 29,315 new tests.
At the same time, the Duluth-based utility is pushing forward with plans to build a new natural gas plant, which would have to be shut down or converted by 2050 to achieve the carbon-free goal.
Democratic members of the state’s congressional delegation will now have far more power, especially Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
Official data show 104,226 Minnesotans have received either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine so far.
