Author
DFL leadership shuts down special session talk, will revisit police in schools issue next year
DFL legislative leadership on Thursday said it’s committed to holding hearings about school resource officers and a ban on prone restraints in Minnesota schools when the 2024 legislative session starts in February — effectively shutting down further discussion of a special legislative session regarding the law this year. House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, and […]
Prone restraint is banned in Minnesota prisons, yet controversy continues about a ban in schools
Most of the state Senate Republican caucus supported a 2021 law that banned corrections officers from putting inmates in a prone — or face-down — position. Now, however, legislative Republicans want to roll back a law passed this year that seeks to provide the same protection to Minnesota students. During a special session in 2021, […]
Three Minnesota U.S. GOP congress members receive ‘F,’ don’t support Ukraine
Three Republican Minnesota U.S. House members received a grade of “very poor” on their support for Ukraine, based on their public statements and votes to cut United States’ aid to the war-torn country. U.S. Reps. Pete Stauber, Brad Finstad and Michelle Fischbach all received an “F” from the conservative advocacy group Republicans for Ukraine, which […]
Minnesota police, Republicans press for special session over restraint law
Minnesota Republicans and police officers continue to pressure Gov. Tim Walz and Democrats in the Legislature to make changes to a law that they say has left many law enforcement officials confused and hesitant to do their jobs. The Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association and Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association said during a Wednesday […]
DFL candidates emerge in special election for suburban House seat
Three DFL candidates have announced their intention to run for the House seat of former Rep. Ruth Richardson, DFL-Mendota Heights, about a week after the lawmaker announced her resignation to focus on her executive role at Planned Parenthood North Central States. The east metro suburban House seat encompasses Mendota, Mendota Heights and a majority of […]
Prosecutor alleges a rural sheriff helped a friend avoid a drunk driving charge
SLAYTON — The mayor of this small city is a little skeptical about the latest accusation against former sheriff Steven Alan Telkamp, but only because the alleged scheme required some effort. “I was actually kind of surprised that he had done that. Not that it’s beyond his personality, but that he was actually around because […]
Progressive Democrats a hard ‘no’ on calling a special session for restraint ban
A bloc of progressive, mostly Twin Cities House and Senate DFL members are opposed to a special legislative session to change a new law that bans using certain restraints on students. The law says district employees, including police known as school resource officers, can’t use prone restraints on students — meaning place them in a […]
Check your snail mail: More Minnesotans to receive paper rebate check than expected
You thought your Timmy Stimmy was just going to show up in your bank account, but it may arrive in your mailbox instead. The Minnesota Department of Revenue decided to send more paper tax rebate checks than expected after switching over 700,000 Minnesotans to a physical check rather than a direct deposit for security reasons. […]
While Walz welcomes students to school, questions remain about special session
Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday morning gave high-fives and fist bumps to Bloomington’s Oak Grove Elementary students who were walking into school, celebrating the start of the 2023-2024 school year. The DFL governor touted the state’s new universal school meals program: Students will be able to receive free school breakfast and lunch every school day […]
DFL Rep. Wolgamott pleads guilty to DWI charge
Rep. Dan Wolgamott, DFL-St. Cloud, earlier this week admitted he was driving drunk in July when a state patrol trooper pulled him over and arrested him near Mora, Minn. Wolgamott, who is in his third legislative term, submitted a guilty plea in Kanabec County District Court to a 4th degree charge of driving above the […]
Republicans call for special session to repeal physical restraint ban in schools
Minnesota Republicans sent a letter to DFL Gov. Tim Walz on Wednesday urging him to call a special legislative session after numerous law enforcement agencies pulled officers from schools because of a new law that restricts officers from using certain types of physical restraints on students. House and Senate Republicans, flanked by law enforcement leaders […]
Walz’s supreme court pick says he will recuse himself from cases involving former clients
Karl Procaccini, Gov. Tim Walz’s former general counsel and appointee to the Minnesota Supreme Court, said he will recuse himself from cases that involve his former clients, which include PolyMet, 3M and Flint Hills Resources — a subsidiary of Koch Industries. “Every judge needs to take that responsibility seriously,” Procaccini said during a Wednesday news […]