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Minnesota’s new campaign finance data, in four charts
Campaign finance data released Friday show Gov. Tim Walz far outraising Republican gubernatorial hopefuls, with more than $1 million in contributions so far this year. The field of GOP candidates vying for the party’s nomination is crowded. The candidates include former state Sen. Dr. Scott Jensen, Sen. Michelle Benson of Ham Lake, dermatologist Dr. Neil […]
Scott Jensen: COVID death data ‘skewed’ by people who would have died soon anyway
Dr. Scott Jensen’s latest piece of evidence for his erroneous claims that COVID-19 death counts have been inflated: Many people who died of COVID-19 would have died in two or three years anyway. Jensen — a practicing family physician, former state senator from Chaska and GOP gubernatorial frontrunner — argued during a Facebook livestream Monday […]
How Minnesota’s electric car progress compares to the U.S., in three charts
Minnesota drivers have been slow to adopt electric cars, but a potential new Tesla sales center and the state’s forthcoming clean car rule could accelerate the shift. Electric cars accounted for fewer than 0.4% of registered vehicles in Minnesota last year, according to the state Department of Transportation. Although electric vehicles are less harmful for […]
Lawmakers hold Black maternal health roundtable
Brittany Wright told her doctors over and over during her first 20 hours of labor that something felt wrong. They assured Wright that she was fine, telling her that she just didn’t know what labor felt like as a first-time mom. Then, in hour 20, Wright started convulsing. Wright had developed a fever during labor […]
11 educators named Minnesota Teacher of the Year finalists
Eleven educators from across Minnesota were named finalists for the state’s Teacher of the Year award Monday. The award is given each year by Education Minnesota, the statewide teachers union. This year’s finalists were selected from a group of 77 nominees. Teachers with at least five years of experience who work at public or private […]
Early education budget with $850 million in new spending clears House committee
A proposal to pour $850 million over four years into Minnesota’s struggling child care industry cleared a House committee Thursday. The House early education committee approved a budget bill that seeks to make child care more accessible by boosting aid to families and providers, funded by the state’s projected $9.3 billion budget surplus. The proposal […]
‘Page Amendment’ education bill likely dead for the third year
A controversial proposal to amend the education clause of Minnesota’s Constitution is likely dead for the third consecutive year after an influential lawmaker said she won’t hold a hearing on it. The “Page Amendment” — championed by former state Supreme Court Justice Alan Page and Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank President Neel Kashkari — won’t receive […]
House DFL proposes $3 billion education funding increase over 3 years
Minnesota House Democrats are proposing a $3.3 billion increase to state education funding over the next three years. The sprawling package would use money from the state’s projected $9.3 billion budget surplus to boost spending on mental health, English language instruction and special education services, House DFL leaders announced Monday. It comes just days after […]
Public safety officials push for early ed investments to reduce crime
Public safety officials urged lawmakers on Friday to boost funding for early childhood and family programs as a crime reduction strategy. In a joint hearing of the state House early childhood education and criminal justice reform committees, researchers and law enforcement said spending more on child care and parent support programs would benefit the state […]
Report: Law enforcement coordination during unrest inefficient, unclear
Law enforcement agencies responding to unrest after the police murder of George Floyd didn’t coordinate efforts fast enough, establish clear structure or follow consistent accountability and engagement standards, according to an external review of the state’s response published Thursday. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety contracted with Wilder Research to “objectively evaluate what the state […]
Minneapolis’ new teachers of color layoff protections: Three things to know
Minneapolis Public Schools is stepping into nearly uncharted territory — and potentially thorny legal ground — with its new policy aimed at protecting teachers of color from potential layoffs. The new teachers contract, reached last week after a 14-day strike, creates exemptions to seniority-based job cuts, a feat that few other districts in the state have managed. […]
Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe receives federal solar energy funds
The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe received more than $729,000 in federal funding for a solar energy project, the United States Department of Energy announced Monday. The Department of Energy is distributing $9 million to 13 tribes, including Leech Lake, for projects aimed at expanding access to sustainable energy. The Leech Lake Band will use […]