The battle over ‘wake surfing’ has made its way to the Minnesota Legislature
A contingent of homeowners and environmental advocates say a proposal to keep wake surfing 200 feet from shore, docks, and swimmers in Minnesota won’t be effective.
State Government
Here’s one thing House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler and House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt agree on
The bill asks voters to give lawmakers the authority to call themselves into special session, a power currently only granted to Minnesota’s governor.
The Minnesota Legislature may have found a way forward on emergency insulin
A Senate bill that relies on manufacturers to supply insulin for diabetics who can’t afford it actually got some good marks — along with some questions — from insulin advocates Thursday.
Legislators look to make getting REAL ID a little easier
The proposed legislation would loosen some outdated requirements for the types of documents needed to prove identity and residency.
Biden wins Minnesota Democratic primary
Biden, with a minuscule state operation, benefited from the popularity of U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who dropped out of the race the day before the primary and endorsed the former vice president.
Walz, legislative leaders outline state’s response to coronavirus
Minnesota still doesn’t have a confirmed case of COVID-19, but it is prepared for when it does, say state officials.
Primary election privacy concerns are getting attention at the Minnesota Legislature. Is it too late to do anything?
Between election day and the deadline for officials to produce voter lists, lawmakers have time to make changes to address some privacy concerns. Yet legislators seem divided on what to do, if anything.
What Minnesota’s $1.5 billion budget surplus means for the rest of the 2020 legislative session
Legislative leaders’ comments suggest there could be some (but not too much) new spending and some (but not too much) tax cutting.
The Page-Kashkari proposal for a constitutional right to ‘quality public education’ finds support at the Capitol
The mix of co-signers on Rep. Rena Moran’s bill indicates that this issue has the potential to transcend party politics.
DFLers push for money to help address gun violence in Minneapolis, St. Paul
The request —$20 million in this year’s supplemental budget — would be distributed to small organizations that work to respond to the impacts of gun violence and to de-escalate confrontations that can lead to gunfire.
Why is the DFL so riled up over inflation?
Because — besides the inherent sexiness of the topic — Minnesota doesn’t account for inflation in state spending forecasts. Why that may (or may not) matter.
Yes, Minnesota’s political parties are holding precinct caucuses this year. Here’s what you need to know about them.
On Tuesday night, precinct caucuses for both the DFL and Minnesota GOP will be held in more than 4,000 locations around the state.
Why trying to spend Minnesota’s budget surplus is proving irresistible to legislators
It is an election year, after all.
Why Greater Minnesota lawmakers aren’t thrilled about the state’s new ‘Clean Cars’ rules
Skeptical lawmakers in both parties ripped the proposal as misguided, particularly for rural Minnesota.
Coal play: How lawmakers want to encourage seasonally cutting coal use in Minnesota
The measure, deemed the “coal holiday bill,” got its first hearing in a Minnesota House committee on Tuesday.
Frey jumps into the fray as GOP legislators make issue of crime in Minneapolis, St. Paul
Running against big cities has long been part of GOP election campaigns. It is especially potent when there are no Republicans elected from those cities, as in the case in Minnesota.
DEED revamps grant process in wake of pushback from nonprofits
The current round of changes is focused on easing bureaucracy, paperwork and monitoring the agency has decided is redundant or unhelpful.
REAL ID could be a really big problem for Minnesotans who wait too long
“If you are not in with your paperwork by June first, I cannot guarantee,” you will get a REAL ID by the Oct. 1 federally mandated deadline, said Emma Corrie, director of the state’s Driver and Vehicle Services division.
Some of Minnesota’s most important conservation hearings aren’t videotaped. Lawmakers are trying to change that.
“There’s a different level of accountability when someone can see a video of you,” said state Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn, a Roseville DFLer who sits on the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council.
What’s happening with the Page-Kashkari proposal for a constitutional right to ‘quality public education’
In order to get a proposed change on the ballot, they’ll need to build support at the state Capitol for a majority vote in both the House and the Senate.
