Minnesota Court of Appeals overturns revenge porn law

Says Briana Bierschbach for MPR, “The Minnesota Court of Appeals has overturned a state law that makes it illegal to disseminate private sexual images of someone without their permission, arguing it’s overbroad and a violation of First Amendment rights. The ruling Monday upends the state’s 2016 law addressing revenge porn and has supporters pushing for a review by the state Supreme Court. A three-judge panel found the revenge porn law not only covered situations where someone knowingly posts explicit images of someone without their permission, but also situations where someone might not know the other individual did not consent to its publication and ‘did not cause or intend to cause a specified harm.’”

The Star Tribune’s Janet Moore reports: “Every year, fewer and fewer people take a public bus to work, school or social events in the Twin Cities. The persistent decline is due to many reasons … . But Metro Transit has a strategy to stem the slump and attract riders back to the bus: expanding bus-rapid transit (BRT). And 2020 will be an important year to plan and secure funding for a half-dozen new BRT lines that promise smoother, better service in years to come.”

MPR’s Brian Bakst writes: “Former Minnesota transportation commissioner Charlie Zelle will take charge of the Metropolitan Council in January following an appointment Monday from Gov. Tim Walz. Zelle, 64, will chair the board in charge of Twin Cities mass transit and regional growth planning. He fills the position left open by the resignation of Met Council Chair Nora Slawik.”

In the Duluth News Tribune, Kelly Busche reports, “Duluth’s first Catalyst Content Festival brought more than $1.7 million to the area during its run, a figure that’s expected to grow leading up to next year’s iteration of the event. Organizers say visitor spending was directed to several Duluth industries, such as hospitality, restaurant and retail — making it the best week ever for some businesses. … The festival moved to Duluth after several years of operating in Vermont. Unlike other content festivals, it invited people with unfinished work to attend — offering a place to network, collaborate and work on the pieces.”

Says the Star Tribune’s Paul Walsh, “There are now three lottery tickets worth $1 million or more sold in Minnesota in less than a week, and officials are waiting for the winners to step up and claim their respective windfalls. The latest in the lucky streak came during Saturday’s Powerball drawing, when a ticket bought in Big Lake at the Market Place Express off Hwy. 10 at NW. 168th Street matched the first five numbers drawn and earned its owner $1 million before taxes, the Minnesota Lottery announced Monday.”

Also from MPR’s Bakst: “Under a federal law change, the legal smoking age from coast to coast will rise to 21 in September. But that isn’t stopping Tobacco 21 advocates from pursuing changes at the state level. A massive budget bill that Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed last week will make it illegal to sell cigarettes, other tobacco and vaping products to anyone under 21. That’s up from 18 years old now. … Anti-smoking advocacy groups still want Minnesota lawmakers to act on their own standards around compliance and enforcement. They also want a ban on the sale of flavored tobacco products, particularly vaping liquids.”

In the Pioneer Press, Jess Fleming reports, “It’s the end of an era for the Twin Cities pastry scene — the last Salty Tart is closing at the end of the year. The space, in Market House Collaborative in St. Paul’s Lowertown, will become a True Stone Coffee Roasters cafe. It’s the first consumer-facing business for the coffee roasters, who have been putting out some of the Twin Cities’ best coffee for 17 years. Salty Tart and Octo Fishbar, which is part of Market House Collaborative, both serve True Stone Coffee. The new cafe’s pastries and breads will be supplied by two other newcomers to the market, Vikings & Goddesses Pie Company and Lowertown Bakehouse.”

Also in the Strib, this from Liz Navratil, “The tears flowed only slightly slower than the drinks at BJ’s Liquor Lounge on Monday. After 40 years in the business, Minneapolis’ last neighborhood strip club held its final dance. BJ’s survived 27 years after the city tried to move all nude entertainment downtown. It kept rolling after the city ordered BJ’s to stop the dancing in 2007. A new cutoff of Jan. 1, 2020, was approaching when a developer offered to buy the place at 229 W. Broadway Av.”