Government & Politics
The dangerous path from no refugee resettlement to something much darker
The recent decision by Beltrami County to no longer accept new refugee resettlement there was in some ways meaningless. Refugees have not been placed there in at least five years. Their ruling only affects efforts by groups like Catholic Charities and Lutheran Social Service to resettle refugees, but does not prevent refugees from moving to […]
Former Woodbury Mayor Mary Guiliani Stephens to challenge DFL Sen. Susan Kent in swing district
State Sen. Susan Kent, DFL-Woodbury, is facing a new Republican opponent for her senate district seat: former Woodbury Mayor Mary Giuliani Stephens. Kent, who is two days away from challenging DFL Senate Minority Leader Tom Bakk for caucus leader, now faces a formidable opponent in a swing district she won by fewer than 400 votes […]
Women mayors twice as likely than men to face online abuse, threats of violence
Former Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges, the first woman in the city’s history to hold the post in the era of social media, recalls clearly the shift in criticism she received when she went from city councilwoman to city executive. “The number of times I was told I should get raped was extraordinary,” she said in […]
Minneapolis council member to lead housing authority
Minneapolis City Council Member Abdi Warsame got the job at the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority. The Sahan Journal reports Warsame was tapped to be the next CEO/Executive Director of MPHA, which serves some 26,000 people through managing the city’s public housing and administering the Housing Choice “Section 8” Voucher Program. It was announced Wednesday at […]
Who are the popular kids? Klobuchar tops Trump, Walz, Smith
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, whose presidential campaign is sprinting to the finish ahead of the Iowa caucus next week, continues to be the state’s most popular politician, according to public-opinion polls aggregated by APM Research Lab and Minnesota Public Radio. A mixture of 2019 polls by Morning Consult, Kaiser Family Foundation/Cook Political Report and the […]
What happens in Minnesota if Obamacare gets struck down by the courts?
At least 300,000 Minnesotans may lose health coverage if the Affordable Care Act is overturned, which is the entirely possible outcome of a lawsuit winding its way through the courts. The 2018 election hinged on the largely successful Democratic message that they would keep in place protections afforded by the Affordable Care Act, sometimes known […]
DCCC goes on offense, running health care ads in the metro
This story and headline have been updated to reflect the ads’ broader reach than just the Second Congressional District. U.S. Rep. Angie Craig is getting some national help in her first reelection. Minnesota is among the states where the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced more than $1 million in TV and digital ad buys Monday […]
Republicans begin push for voter ID law even after voters rejected it in 2012
Minnesota Senate Republicans, defending a narrow 35-32 majority in the November election, signaled a major push for a new voter ID law in the upcoming legislative session that begins Feb. 11. Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, a Nisswa Republican, released a video on social media channels Friday saying the caucus will advocate hard for a law […]
It’s on: Sen. Susan Kent is challenging Sen. Tom Bakk for DFL leader
The Senate DFL caucus is nearing what could be a bruising leadership battle — and potentially its first woman leader. State Sen. Susan Kent, DFL-Woodbury, is challenging Minority Leader Tom Bakk of Cook, in a leadership election that will take place Feb. 1, according to an email Kent sent to the caucus and obtained by […]
Lewis stumps for blocking refugee resettlement in Bemidji
BEMIDJI — On the campaign trail for a U.S. Senate seat, Jason Lewis made a stop in Bemidji Thursday night to host a discussion many here say they wish they weren’t having at all: refugee resettlement. The topic has been a flash point since the Beltrami County Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 to not accept […]
DFL Party Chair calls on Legislature to protect voter data in upcoming presidential primary
This post has been updated. DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin on Thursday called on the Legislature to change the state’s presidential primary law to protect voter information, including party affiliation. With the state’s first presidential primary in nearly three decades just 40 days away, privacy concerns have emerged among voters who fear their political affiliations […]
Coolican: Amy Klobuchar and the scourge of the bullying boss
Sen. Amy Klobuchar shared the endorsement of The New York Times with Sen. Elizabeth Warren this week, one of several events indicating a wisp of momentum for our senior senator. Her legendary work ethic — which has taken her to all 99 Iowa counties in a replay of her approach here in Minnesota — seems […]