Crashing the party. The AP reports (via WCCO): “Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon is asking legislators to change a state law that requires voters to declare a party preference in the state’s 2020 presidential primary and makes that information public data.”
St. Paul shakeup. The Pioneer Press’ Frederick Melo reports: “After 22 years in office, the longest-serving member of the St. Paul City Council stunned colleagues on Wednesday by announcing his retirement. … ‘It’s my deepest honor to have earned your respect and trust,’ said Dan Bostrom, addressing the seven-member council.”
Bean bloat. The Star Tribune’s Adam Belz reports: “Soybeans have been harvested across the Midwest, but tens of millions of bushels are sitting in bins on farms and at grain elevators. … Unwilling to sell at current prices and hopeful that progress on trade talks with China will be a boost to the market, farmers have decided to hold on to their crop as long as they can.”
Rising tide lifts all boats. MPR’s Martin Moylan reports: “Doors are opening wider lately for many ex-offenders, people who’ve historically had the hardest time landing jobs. With Minnesota’s near-record jobless rate and more openings than people looking for work, observers say employers’ attitudes are shifting on the value of the roughly 320,000 Minnesotans — about 8 percent of the state’s adults — with felony records.”
In other news…
Minneapolis 2040 is the year’s best Christmas gift: “The most wonderful plan of the year” [Brookings]
National media can’t get enough of this thing: “Minneapolis, Tackling Housing Crisis and Inequity, Votes to End Single-Family Zoning” [New York Times]
Look who has a problem with powerful Muslim women: “Saudi Arabia Declares War on America’s Muslim Congresswomen” [Foreign Policy]
Line 3 flowing along: “Minnesota regulators reject attempt to stop Enbridge line” [KSTP]
Package thieves, beware: “St. Paul police launch decoy operation to deter package thieves” [KARE]
Is this thing happening? “St. Paul City Council supports legalizing recreational cannabis” [Pioneer Press]
Symphony in steel: “Classically trained musician is making music with her violin, taconite pellets and trumpeter swans” [Duluth News Tribune]
Thin Boo line: “Viral video: St. Paul Police called for noise complaint, stay for a game of Super Smash Bros.” [City Pages]
Bostrom may have been ready to retire, but he also knew he was going to lose.
An important detail on the primary story which did not appear in the WCCO article but did in the MPR report:
“The plan Simon will put before lawmakers would still give parties some access to data about which party ballot a voter picks, likely through a sign-in roster. But the broader public couldn’t obtain it. Simon said party officials are insistent that the information be collected or their national parties won’t recognize the primary as binding for the purpose of awarding convention delegates.”
https://blogs.mprnews.org/capitol-view/2018/12/election-officials-rethink-2020-presidential-primary/
Soy Bean Farmers are literally betting the Farm on Donald while he expects them to take one for the team. Guess who’s gonna lose out in that deal? I’d feel bad for them, but this is what the majority if them voted for.