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6 questions for former St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, CEO of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity
We talked to Chris Coleman, president and CEO of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity and former St. Paul mayor, about the housing landscape and what Habitat has been up to. His answers were edited for space and clarity. Q: What’s the housing situation look like right now? Chris Coleman: The housing shortage is dramatic in the […]
Al Giraud-Issaacson resigns his seat on the Minneapolis Charter Commission
Al Giraud-Issaacson has resigned his seat on the Minneapolis Charter Commission, which in recent weeks has become the source of controversy over whether the City Council could go through with a plan to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department. Giraud-Issaacson announced his resignation on Twitter, saying, “In my letter to the Chief Judge of Hennepin County, […]
Secretary of State Steve Simon says no worries yet on mail ballots, thanks to court ruling
Minnesota is one of 46 states the U.S. Postal Service has warned may not be able to get all its mailed votes counted in time for the November election, but state election officials aren’t worried, thanks to a recent court ruling giving them an extra week to count votes. A judge recently ruled the state […]
Minneapolis pauses reopening of 38th and Chicago
The city of Minneapolis has paused its plans for a phased reopening of 38th Street at Chicago Avenue — where George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis Police officer in May — citing concerns from a neighborhood group. Last week, city employees told a handful of community leaders and business owners the city would reopen […]
Voices of the 5th Congressional District on primary day
At most polling places, the scene Tuesday was marked by a quiet determination to get in and get out in the least time possible. But at the Coyle Community Center across the street from Cedar-Riverside apartments, it was like an Election Day celebration. Groups of people were singing, chanting, smiling and laughing while holding campaign […]
Abolishing the police won’t get rid of the police union, under court ruling
Even if the Minneapolis City Council succeeds in getting voters to allow it to replace the Police Department in 2021, it may wind up with the same cops represented by the same police union, or risk breaking state law. In 2019, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled Brainerd engaged in unfair labor practices when it abolished […]
Minneapolis will remove barricades at Floyd memorial in August, neighbors say
The city of Minneapolis intends to remove barricades around the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue — the site of George Floyd’s death — the week of Aug. 17, a group of neighbors said. City employees told a handful of community leaders and business owners about the plans Thursday, the residents said. But the residents are […]
Abolish the Minneapolis Charter Commission? That’s harder than the Police Department
Many Minneapolis residents are talking about recalling members of the previously low-profile Minneapolis Charter Commission or abolishing the body altogether after it blocked a police reform amendment from reaching the ballot this November. But getting rid of them wouldn’t be easy. It’d require unprecedented action from the Hennepin County District Court chief judge or an […]
Ilhan vs. Antone: A battle for the future of the Democratic Party
How is Rep. Ilhan Omar in a tough re-election battle just two years after her quick ascension to national prominence? She has a devoted following, the full backing of her party and an inspiring biography as the nation’s first Somali-American congresswoman. Her left-wing politics match the city’s long history of progressive trailblazing. But she’s running […]
Minneapolis voters will not decide future of police department in November
In a stunning blow to the Minneapolis City Council and residents who want to dismantle the Police Department, the Minneapolis Charter Commission voted 10-5 Wednesday to take another 90 days to review the council’s proposed charter amendment, effectively preventing it from going on the ballot this November. The Minneapolis City Council had proposed letting voters […]
Minneapolis Charter Commission scuttles plan that would have allowed city to reduce Police Department
The Minneapolis Charter Commission considered, and then scuttled, a plan Wednesday that would have erased minimum police staffing requirements specified in the charter, which is like the city’s constitution. The commission mulled the change as a response to the City Council, which has its own plan to dismantle the Police Department and create a public […]
Charter Commission skeptical of proposal to strip Minneapolis Police Department from city charter
Of the 15 members of the Minneapolis Charter Commission — which will ultimately decide whether residents will get to vote on a measure to dismantle the Police Department — nine of them are publicly cool to the idea. The Minneapolis City Council wants the Charter Commission to let voters delete the Police Department from the city charter, […]