Author
Walz, Democratic governors say abortion will be on the November ballot
Gov. Tim Walz used the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court Dobbs decision to highlight what he said would be the “major role” abortion will play in the November presidential election, and he argued that limiting access to reproductive health care is still a priority for many Republicans. Walz, who serves as chair of […]
House DFL piling up cash advantage over House Republicans
The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor House caucus has a large cash advantage over the GOP House caucus as of May 31, according to recent campaign finance reports. All 134 seats in the closely divided House will be on the ballot in November, and fundraising will be critical as Democrats and Republicans vie for control of the chamber. […]
Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman reflects on DFL trifecta
Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, was first elected to the Legislature in 2004 and became speaker in 2018. Her influence expanded significantly after voters delivered Democrats a trifecta over state government two years ago, and she played a central role in deciding which bills Democrats would prioritize. In 2023, she helped pass the […]
Former Sen. Ann Johnson Stewart running in special election for Minnesota Senate seat
Former Democratic state Sen. Ann Johnson Stewart is now campaigning in earnest for a seat in the Minnesota Senate after Sen. Kelly Morrison, DFL-Deep Haven, resigned Thursday to focus on her bid for U.S. Congress. Prior to Morrison’s resignation, only the Minnesota House’s 134 seats were supposed to be on the ballot in November; senators […]
Minnesota optometrists get thumb in the eye from big donors, House speaker
Dozens of lawmakers from both parties, eye doctors and the Minnesota Board of Optometry wanted Minnesotans to be able to receive expanded services from their eye doctors this past legislative session. Minnesota optometrists currently can’t prescribe oral antiviral medications to treat shingles in the eyes, for example, for longer than 10 days, or glaucoma medication […]
Walz, Moriarty clash over case against state trooper Ryan Londregan
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty attacked DFL Gov. Tim Walz Monday, accusing him of meddling in her prosecution of State Patrol Officer Ryan Londregan — who shot and killed Ricky Cobb II during a traffic stop on I-94 in Minneapolis last summer — because “I’m a queer woman in this role,” she said. Moriarty’s comments […]
DFL Party Chair Ken Martin, Walz call for resignation of embroiled Sen. Nicole Mitchell
Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Chair Ken Martin on Thursday morning called for Sen. Nicole Mitchell, DFL-Woodbury, to resign. DFL Gov. Tim Walz later joined Martin’s call for Mitchell’s resignation, the Star Tribune reported. Mitchell has been embroiled in scandal ever since she was arrested in April for allegedly breaking into her stepmother’s Detroit Lakes home to steal […]
Legislature allocates $109 million for property forfeiture class action settlement
The Minnesota Legislature this session allocated $109 million to settle class action lawsuits after a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, which found Minnesotans had their money wrongfully taken under an unconstitutional state law. The U.S. Supreme Court last year ruled 9-0 in Tyler v. Hennepin County that the county violated a woman’s constitutional rights when […]
The ginormous tax bill had very few actual tax provisions; here’s what they are
The Minnesota Legislature in the final minutes of the 2024 session passed a more than 1,400-page tax bill that Democrats used to push through their to-do list, including a ban on a certain kind of rapid-fire gun trigger and a bill guaranteeing minimum pay rates for Uber and Lyft drivers. But the bill itself has […]
Chaotic end leaves Democratic Legislature with a few wins
Democratic lawmakers in the final hour of the 2024 legislative session passed a 1,400 page bill that includes a lengthy list of policy items, from minimum pay rates for Uber and Lyft drivers to increased penalties for straw gun purchases and changes to the state’s paid leave law that will result in a higher payroll […]
Minnesota Legislature takes little action on Saturday, sets up frenzied final day of session
The Minnesota Senate met for less than one hour as of Saturday afternoon despite having about 30 hours left to take up more than 20 bills, including legislation to fund infrastructure projects across the state, place an Equal Rights Amendment on the 2026 ballot and raise pay for Uber and Lyft drivers. The Senate passed […]
Minnesota Legislature pushes off 2024 to-do list for final two days
The Minnesota Legislature’s Democratic majority has about two days left to pass a long list of bills that could affect millions of Minnesotans: funding public works projects, increasing pay for Uber and Lyft drivers and legalizing sports betting. The fate of these high-profile bills remained unclear as of Friday afternoon because lawmakers took little action, […]