Walz’s ‘tax the rich’ plan doesn’t just tax the rich
Yes, Minnesota’s corporate income tax is borne by owners and shareholders. But also by workers and consumers.
State Government
Why federal grants may set rural broadband in some areas of Minnesota back for years
Companies that could quickly build out fiber optic internet have been squeezed out of areas covered by a federal grant to a company with limited resources and experience, something state funders said was necessary to avoid duplicate use of taxpayer money.
Minnesota lawmakers split over using state money to help Minneapolis recover from Floyd riots
Gov. Tim Walz wants to authorize $150 million in bonds to help redevelop parts of Minneapolis and St. Paul. A GOP proposal, meanwhile, would bar any state disaster aid from paying for repairs to public infrastructure damaged in the riots.
Walz’s budget: more support for those hit hardest by pandemic; more taxes on the wealthiest Minnesotans
State Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka said tax increases are a non-starter with Senate Republicans, however, calling it “a line in the sand.”
On the fence: Minnesota Capitol likely to beef up security with permanent enclosure
Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, who chairs the state’s Capital Security Advisory Committee, said the state must balance building security and access for the public.
After COVID-related livestock kills, a push to diversify meat processing in Minnesota
Processing plant closures due to coronavirus forced farmers to euthanize hundreds of thousands of animals. Now, many of the biggest players in Minnesota agriculture are debating how to strengthen the food system.
Why lawmakers introduce bills that have little chance of becoming law in Minnesota’s divided Legislature
And why a lot fewer of those bills have been introduced this year.
Minnesota’s GOP leaders continue to struggle with saying the 2020 election was legitimate
What two Minnesota Senate resolutions say about where the parties are, even as Joe Biden is sworn in as president.
Another year, another Legislature that’s unlikely to legalize sports betting in Minnesota
One reason for the lack of action is anti-gambling sentiment among some legislators. Another is opposition from Minnesota’s tribal nations.
New rule requires state senators to reveal if they’re voting from outside Minnesota
Since both the Minnesota House and Senate began allowing lawmakers to vote remotely, being “present” doesn’t require the 201 members to be, well, present.
Minnesota to receive at least $3 billion from federal COVID stimulus passed in December
An unemployment benefit bump makes up the largest amount of money, though there is also funds for rental assistance, public schools, higher education, child care, COVID testing, vaccination programs, transit and highways.
Emergency powers, elections and violent rhetoric: Why it may be hard to get anything done at Minnesota Legislature this year
A heated media forum Monday with the governor and the four legislative leaders featured a back and forth about the invasion of the U.S. Capitol and whether lawmakers’ rhetoric contributed to it. But it was sometimes hard to distinguish between anger over the attack and frustration over the state’s response to COVID-19.
In wake of U.S. Capitol riot, Walz, GOP leaders tried to discuss Minnesota’s 2021 Legislature. It didn’t go well.
Walz had been on the teleconference for more than 20 minutes before he spoke. When he did, he unloaded. “How do we find common ground when we have people who won’t say the election was fair?” Walz asked.
State board proposals would change how lobbying activities are reported in Minnesota
Among other reforms, one proposal would require lobbyists — and groups that hire them — to say how much they spend on television or radio ads advocating for or against particular legislation.
What you need to know about the reopening of bars and restaurants in Minnesota
Gov. Tim Walz said Wednesday he will allow bars and restaurants to serve indoors starting Monday. The governor is also easing limits on the number of people who can attend religious services, gyms, sporting events, theaters and pools.
Minnesota’s 2021 Legislature starts today. Here are five factors that will dominate the session
The bad news: Minnesota lawmakers will once again be sequestered from the public unless they venture out beyond the chain-link fence that now surrounds the Capitol. The good news? Parking shouldn’t be a problem.
Year in Review: Five big Greater Minnesota stories (that you may have forgot actually happened in 2020)
Five things that may have escaped your memory during a 2020 full of big things.
Year in Review: Five big political stories overlooked amid the pandemic
As much as COVID-19 and the homicide of George Floyd dominated government and politics in 2020, there were other stories that seemed important at the time — and will likely return to prominence after the pandemic is over.
COVID relief bill offers Minnesota budget officials a deadline reprieve (for whatever that’s worth)
State and local governments didn’t get a hoped-for second infusion of money in the $900 billion COVID relief package passed by Congress earlier this week, but they did get word that they didn’t have to spend CARES Act money within the calendar year.
Unemployment benefits pumped an estimated $9.5 billion into Minnesota’s economy in 2020
About $2.4 billion of that money came from the state system, with the rest coming from federal contributions adopted in response to the economic fallout from COVID-19.
