Why DFLers at the Minnesota Capitol are fighting — with each other — over rural broadband
An influx of $578 million in federal money has led to infighting, discord and failure bred by government delays.
State Government
Liquor industry deal would create council to recommend booze law changes in Minnesota
One group especially unhappy with the proposals: grocery and convenience stores, which were not only left out of negotiations that led to the latest efforts around changing liquor laws, but would also not have a place on the new advisory council.
Six things that could get done at the Minnesota Legislature before the end of the 2022 session
Some big issues might still get addressed — or go down as lost opportunities.
Who’s running for the Minnesota Legislature in 2022
See who’s running in each of Minnesota’s House and Senate districts.
Why high gas prices may doom the chances of Minnesota adopting low-carbon fuel standards
The policy, which DFLers in the Minnesota House have been working on for more than a year, would require fuel suppliers to make their product cleaner over time.
Is bipartisan compromise possible in a pivotal election year? The Minnesota Legislature has five weeks to find out.
The main issue: how and how much of Minnesota’s surplus money — along with unspent cash from the federal American Rescue Plan — the state should spend.
Why the Page Amendment can’t get a hearing at the Minnesota Legislature
Opposition to the amendment by the state’s teachers union, Education Minnesota, has led many DFL members, and nearly all DFL leaders, to oppose the measure.
How the Minnesota Senate’s anti-crime plan could (eventually) swamp the state’s prison system
Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell told the Senate’s Finance Committee that Minnesota’s prison and supervision costs would “increase dramatically” if the GOP plan were to pass.
Elephants in the room? Bill language would ban private clubs for lawmakers, lobbyists proposed by GOP campaign committee
The bill, which now has GOP support, came in response to a mysterious request made to the state Campaign Finance Board in September about charging membership dues for a club that would provide access to Capitol decision-makers.
New laws, tougher sentences: How legislative Republicans want to address crime in Minnesota
While the Senate GOP bills the plan as “tough on crime” policy that will lead to a safer state, many of the proposals face opposition in the Democratic-led House, where DFLers have taken a different approach.
Fare trade: Minnesota Senate DFLers propose summer transit fare holiday
The bill, which would order the Met Council to charge no more than $1 for bus and transit fares in July and August, was offered in the wake of a proposed gas-tax holiday, which many DFLers oppose.
Legislature looks to get money from national opioid settlement moving to Minnesota cities and counties
The legislation would clear the way for the settlement money to begin flowing, the latest development in a years-long battle over how hold drug makers and distributors accountable for the opioid crisis.
‘De facto agents of the state’? GOP lawmakers want to keep a sharper eye on nonprofits that get most of their money from Minnesota
The move comes amid allegations against the Twin Cities-based Feeding our Future, which is being investigated by the federal government for misusing millions of dollars intended to help feed children during the pandemic.
Latest effort to change Minnesota liquor laws would leave grocery stores high and dry
By giving all the players in the state’s liquor industry — with the significant exception of grocery stores — something they want, the bill that surfaced last week in the state House might actually have a chance of passage.
Citing climate concerns, some progressives look to change the conversation about nuclear power in Minnesota
The St. Paul-based organization Generation Atomic argues that substituting coal and natural gas with nuclear power is a way to provide electricity without producing greenhouse gasses.
More monkey business? Legislature weighs what kind of facilities can have large animals, primates in Minnesota
A bill addressing accreditation in the Minnesota House has pitted the owners of smaller zoos against the Humane Society and animal sanctuary organizations, including Carole Baskin’s Big Cat Rescue.
Community grants, foot patrols and body cams: What gets funded in the DFL’s latest public safety plan
The $150 million plan for public safety is a major plank of how Democrats in the Minnesota Legislature hope to address crime.
The Legislature’s divestment bill wouldn’t affect Minnesota companies doing business in Russia
The proposed divestment of assets held by the Minnesota State Board of Investment is also likely to be far less than the $53 million initially estimated.
How a battle over daylight saving time once made Minnesota the laughingstock of the nation
Minneapolis and St. Paul created separate start dates for daylight saving time in 1965.
The $500 million question: Where exactly is the Met Council going to come up with the money to cover Southwest LRT cost overruns?
“It is not tenable for Hennepin County taxpayers to continue to be solely responsible for completing the largest infrastructure project in Minnesota history,” said Hennepin County Commissioner Marion Greene.
