A collection of news and stories from around the state of Minnesota.
Across Greater Minnesota, many cities and towns face a lack of housing and struggle to boost inventory to meet demand for homes. That is what inspired DFL lawmakers to expand a state program that subsidizes ‘workforce housing’ in Greater Minnesota.
A small MPCA grant program is undergoing a massive expansion. It’s one of the biggest environmental and climate initiatives at the Legislature this year, and will help local and tribal governments prepare for increasingly extreme weather.
With Wednesday’s ruling, the Supreme Court sent the crucial permit for the NewRange mine, formerly PolyMet, back to the MPCA. The agency will have to give the EPA a chance to weigh in, this time in a more formal and public manner.
The Duluth City Council is scheduled to hear a proposal to ban marijuana smoking or vaping in city parks and along the Duluth Lakewalk. Detroit Lakes, Alexandria, Lakeville and West St. Paul are also considering limits.
The final product only applies to projects inside, or within a mile of, environmental justice areas in the seven-county Twin Cities metro area, Rochester and Duluth. But the definition of an environmental justice area is expansive enough to cover the vast majority of those regions.
Plans are afoot to revamp and reinforce parts of the trail’s Bean and Bear section and two other popular loop hikes. Minnesota lawmakers this year approved $565,000 for the work, which comes as the trail’s association works to better understand ‘hot spots’ on the 300+ mile route.
The Minnesota Department of Commerce has not yet launched the program for doling out rebate money. But for now, here is what we know about the EV rebates and who can get them.
In surveys conducted in previous years, rural stakeholders said access to family doctors and other basic care was the highest priority. Looking into the future, a new survey says the highest priorities will be mental health and addiction.
When calculating who has access to proper broadband, the federal government counts much slower internet speeds compared to Minnesota’s definition. As a result, the cash may be enough to hit federal goals for universal broadband, but not state ones.
Despite the lobbying for changes in the new farm bill, Finstad is a realist. He knows that there’s a limit to how much money for the legislation can be authorized and said making changes to the existing farm bill will be a “balancing act.”
The moratorium has led to complicated questions about burials and cemeteries. It has also raised eyebrows among Jewish and Muslim leaders because burials in their faiths could be impacted by the law.
Organizing for racial justice in a rural community looks a lot different from in a city. We spoke with Seraphia Gravelle (Aguallo), founder of a Minnesota-based social justice organization, about the lessons she’s learned organizing in rural parts of the state.
The cash is a staggering sum of money compared to prior state and federal spending on broadband internet access in Minnesota. It should help move the state closer to goals in state law for universal access.
It’s even more unusual because the number of bellwether counties is rapidly diminishing.
Talon’s plan is a milestone for the company’s Tamarack Nickel Project. It’s also a new chapter in a long and thorny debate between those who fear possible water pollution and those eyeing potential job creation.
No. Uber is continuing its normal operations in Minnesota cities beyond the Twin Cities metro area, according to a company spokesperson.
In rural parts of the state, the shortage of licensed alcohol and drug counselors is stark. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, in the Twin Cities, there are 2,786 residents for every 1 LADC. In rural areas, the number is 13,576 residents to every 1 LADC.
Greater Minnesota lawmakers had substantially less influence at the Legislature than perhaps ever before — during a year when the state had a record $17.5 billion surplus. It’s a result of political realignment along geographic lines that accelerated in the Trump era.
Those seeking a job with a federal contractors and most federal agencies will be rejected if they say they have used marijuana. Those applying for help with housing, if it involves federal funding, will also continue to be asked about their drug use.
