Government & Politics
Walz wants end to low-level traffic stops, says state board should regulate tear gas
Gov. Tim Walz promised more police reform after Daunte Wright was killed, but he’ll have to beg and barter to get it through a divided Legislature. In an interview on the debut episode of Reformer Radio, Walz said he wants to “show movement” by passing policies that would yield immediate results like an end to […]
Walz to end all COVID-19 restrictions by July 1, starting with capacity limits
Gov. Tim Walz will end all COVID-19 health restrictions by July 1, beginning with a phased-in lifting of capacity limits in public settings, he announced Thursday. The three-step process calls for the easing of some capacity limits in outdoor settings at restaurants and large venues starting Friday. Mask requirements will end outdoors at large venues […]
Biden’s ‘30 by 30’ conservation plan urges collaboration with private landowners
The Biden administration plans to broadly define conservation and encourage private landowners to adopt sustainable practices to meet a goal of protecting 30% of the land and water in the U.S. by 2030, according to a multi-agency report published Thursday. The recommendations are short of the most aggressive federal directives congressional Republicans feared would be […]
Scooter company Bird avoided low-income neighborhoods; city re-upped license anyway
One of the two companies that provides shared motorized scooters in Minneapolis was granted a license this year, even though last year it didn’t provide scooters in high-poverty portions of the city — essentially redlining Minneapolis in violation of city rules. The city licensed operators Bird Rides and Lyft Inc. to put out up to […]
No details yet on Biden conservation plan, but Stauber slams it
Republicans on the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday previewed their objections to the Biden administration’s still-unreleased plan to conserve 30% of U.S. land and water by 2030. President Joe Biden created what is commonly called the “30 by 30 plan” in a Jan. 27 executive order, but the administration hasn’t released details about […]
Effort to rein in electronic pull tabs pits tribal casinos against bars, charities
A fierce debate has emerged at the State Capitol over the future of legal gambling. Minnesota tribes, which control slot machine gambling, are pushing for closer regulation of so-called electronic pull tabs, which have exploded in popularity in recent years at bars across the state. The debate, coming in the legislative session’s closing days, has […]
Bill to legalize marijuana clears 11th House committee
A bill to legalize recreational marijuana cleared another House committee Wednesday. The House Tax Committee is the 11th committee to approve the bill, sponsored by Rep. Ryan Winkler, DFL-Golden Valley, but the GOP-led Senate so far isn’t on board. Next, it will be heard in the House Ways and Means Committee. Seventeen states and Washington […]
Chauvin’s attorney seeks new trial, alleging juror misconduct
Derek Chauvin’s attorney filed motions Tuesday seeking a new trial and asking the judge to bring in jurors for questioning, alleging they committed misconduct, without giving specifics. Attorney Eric Nelson wrote that the jury and prosecutors committed misconduct and the judge abused his discretion, saying the jury “committed misconduct, felt threatened or intimidated, felt race-based […]
Senate GOP, school choice advocates push new voucher-style program in Minnesota
Republicans want to put Minnesota on the front lines of school choice innovation again with a new program that would give families state money to pay for private school tuition, textbooks and school supplies. These “education savings accounts” have been championed by conservatives nationwide as the new frontier in school choice and sparked the interest […]
Senate GOP issues first offer in budget negotiations, calling for Voter ID, no taxes
Senate Republicans on Tuesday issued the opening salvo in legislative budget negotiations, making public their first offer with House DFL leadership. Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-East Gull Lake, outlined his caucus’s priorities during a brief news conference, calling for no tax increases to balance the state’s budget, which currently is forecasted to see a […]
Walz calls on Minnesota Senate to pass summer learning package
Gov. Tim Walz called on the state Senate on Tuesday to pass his $150 million summer learning package, which the House passed in March. The package includes state and federal funding for summer school and other measures aimed at mitigating students’ learning losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The GOP-led Senate has balked at the […]
Walz, Democrats make last ditch plea for police reform in legislative session’s final days
For the second time in less than a year, a high stakes debate over police reform has erupted at the State Capitol, with emerging progressive lawmakers from racially diverse communities pushing for changes their constituents are demanding. After the recent police killing of Daunte Wright and guilty verdict in the murder trial of former Minneapolis […]