This will be fun for the Legislature to deal with. The Star Tribune’s Chris Serres reports: “A federal appeals court in St. Louis has reversed a lower-court ruling that Minnesota’s sex-offender treatment program is unconstitutional — a major victory for the Minnesota Department of Human Services and a decision that could delay long-awaited reforms to the state’s system of indefinite detention for violent sex offenders. … In a decision released Tuesday morning, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals found that a class of sex offenders who sued the state failed to prove that the Minnesota Sex Offender Program (MSOP) violated their due process rights under the Constitution.”
Fourth down for Claeys? The Star Tribune’s Joe Christensen reports: “With Tracy Claeys’ future as Gophers football coach still uncertain, the University of Minnesota Board of Regents have become involved in the discussions. … On Tuesday, Regents chair Dean Johnson and vice chair David McMillan will meet with university President Eric Kaler, Gophers athletic director Mark Coyle, university general counsel Douglas Peterson and others, according to two people familiar with the plan. … Claeys is not scheduled to be at the meeting, and several sources say it’s unclear if he’ll learn Tuesday whether he’ll be retained as coach.”
This might cause them to lose sleep. KARE reports: “The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has revoked the accreditation of Minnesota-based MyPillow, lowering its rating to an F based on a pattern of complaints by consumers. … The BBB made the decision after reviewing Chaska-based MyPillow’s ‘buy one get one free’ offer, which violates the organization’s code of advertising.”
In Minnesota Monthly, sometimes MinnPost contributor Pat Borzi takes a look at Minnesota’s outsize role in the fitness industry. He writes: “Even though Minnesota always comes out near the top of national health and exercise rankings, its stature in the fitness industry — three of the largest health club chains in the country make their headquarters in the Twin Cities metro — is relatively unknown. … Life Time, the Chanhassen-based chain of upscale, sprawling health club/day spas is largest, ranking third on the fitness trade publication Club Industry’s Top 100 list (behind LA Fitness and 24 Hour Fitness), with an estimated $1.35 billion in annual revenue. Anytime, the world’s fastest-growing fitness franchise of small, no-frills facilities, ranked 16th, with nearly a billion in annual revenue. Just two places behind is LIFT Brands, the Chanhassen-based parent company of the Snap Fitness chain, with bare-bones clubs (many of the older ones don’t even have showers) and a franchise-based model similar to Anytime’s.”
In other news…
Looking good: “The awe is back: Take a tour through the newly restored state Capitol” [MPR]
Can we call a special session?: “Dayton: Stadium Security Issues Need Correction ‘Immediately’ ” [WCCO]
A Vox take from Matthew Yglesias: “Democrats would be smart to embrace Keith Ellison as DNC chair” [Vox]
Minneapolis’ Franklin Ave. Bridge garners a mention: “America’s best new bike lanes of 2016” [People for Bikes]
How much do you think Dayton regrets saying this (sort of):
The Democrat Governor.of Minnesota said “The Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) is no longer affordable!” – And, it is lousy healthcare.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2017
R.I.P.: “WDGY Radio personality, ‘Bowling for Dollars’ host Johnny Canton dies” [Star Tribune]
Claeys
The utter ineptitude and dishonesty of Kaler and Coyle in this mess clearly leads to their firing before Claeys. The process is:
1. The U of M EOAA does their investigation
2. The findings are reported to the program and the students involved
3. The students prepare their response to the investigation
4. A final judgement is made
5. That judgement is made public
Kaler and Coyle inserted a bonus Step 5 right after Step 1 to create this mess. And they said Claeys made the decision to do so and he did not. What good is the appeal process if all the damage has been done before it even gets started?
If Kaler and Coyle were half as competent at their jobs as Tracy Claeys is at his we would not be in this mess.