What Minnesota’s delegation is planning to do during Congress’ summer vacation
Yes, they’ll be at the Fair.
Politics & Policy
D.C. Memo: Not optimistic
Infrastructure moves; the eviction ban; and Emmer on what makes America beautiful.
The push for rent control in St. Paul, explained
What a proposed ballot measure says, what it would do, and what advocates and opponents say it could mean for the city.
How reforming Minnesota’s law governing self-storage units became an equity issue
Rep. Esther Agbaje said the seemingly ubiquitous buildings are often used by people in desperate situations.
What Minnesota’s delegation loves and hates about the Senate’s big infrastructure deal
In need of 60 votes to pass the evenly divided Senate, the bill is full of compromises.
Why national drug company settlements could kill a key part of Minnesota’s efforts to address the opioid crisis
If the pending settlements are approved, current fees on drug-makers and distributors — worth around $20 million a year to Minnesota — would likely be all-but canceled under the terms of a bill passed by the Legislature in 2019.
DFL lawmakers wanted a state budget focused on racial equity issues. Did they get it?
Rep. Rena Moran said she thought the DFL “did pretty darn good” on equity issues in 2021 considering the Minnesota Legislature divides power between a DFL-controlled House and a GOP-controlled Senate.
D.C. Memo: Do not tell your parents about this memo
The Capitol Police speak out about Jan. 6, a Minnesota fourth grader prompts political outrage and things get heated in the House.
Who got shuttered venue grants in Minnesota
The program, which was established by Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s Save Our Stages Act, makes payments to entertainment venues to cover losses sustained during pandemic shutdowns.
‘Do your job’: Was Line 3 message from powerful Minnesota legislator a form of intimidation — or ‘respectful’ advocacy?
A voicemail from Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka to then-MPCA Commissioner Laura Bishop about Enbridge’s controversial oil pipeline project offers a rare glimpse of political machinations at the Minnesota Capitol.
Raising Wisconsin’s minimum wage would significantly cut poverty. So why is it still $7.25?
Thousands of residents in Wisconsin — many of them people of color — would see a higher standard of living if politicians raised the long-stalled minimum wage.
Federal government looks to address the legacy of Indian boarding schools — including in Minnesota
The discovery of mass graves at boarding schools in Canada has forced that nation to face its history with the institutions. It’s also prompting leaders in the U.S. to look at its own history with such schools.
D.C. Memo: Doused down and gridlocked out
COVID-19 hits the White House, Omar and Phillips team up against hate and a windfall of funds possible for Minnesota projects.
How Greater Minnesota priorities fared at the Minnesota Legislature this year
From farming pollution to broadband access, meat processing capacity and lack of child care, how Minnesota legislators addressed the issues facing Greater Minnesota this year.
‘We aren’t a bunch of lazy people’: Rejoining workforce isn’t easy for some who lost jobs to COVID-19
Karen Miller was one of 10 people who spoke to WPR and Wisconsin Watch about rebuilding their lives after losing work amid the upheaval of the pandemic.
Which Minnesota restaurants got grants from the federal Restaurant Revitalization Fund?
The federal fund, created by the American Rescue Plan, sought to offset pandemic-related financial losses. The program ran out of funding in 12 days.
Southwest LRT’s rocky mess
Project delays and cost overruns could be measured in years and hundreds of millions of dollars.
There’s little evidence that film and TV tax credits work. Why Minnesota lawmakers funded a new one anyway.
The state’s new tax credit for TV and film productions will cost taxpayers $5 million a year over the next four years.
D.C. Memo: You look happy and healthy (from vaccine)
Emmer’s influence on the 2022 midterm elections, Omar’s not invited to the Middle East and the Canadian border is… still closed.
The American Rescue Plan included loan forgiveness for Minnesota farmers of color. Then a group of white farmers sued.
The plaintiffs claim the program is racist, but supporters call it a civil rights issue in a country where farmers of color have been systematically discriminated against.
