Good morning. Four days down, one to go.
Politics Friday means it’s, well, Friday. We’ve got a good show lined up . We’ll talk about criminal expungements related to Minnesota’s new cannabis law and then pivot to what’s being done to get ready for the big grow that will be essential for the retail market. Later, our own Ellie Roth convened others from Gen Z to talk about how they’re approaching this year’s campaign. Our show gets going at noon.
The House debated and approved a bill yesterday that shifts some of the process for issuing cannabis licenses. The goal is to get the market ready in stages while rulemaking finishes up. And there are also changes to the way that social equity applicants would be chosen. But Dana Ferguson reports there is opposition from some interests who believe it would discount the preparations some business owners have already made and might aid those who are ill-prepared in getting licensed. This bill isn’t the last word because a Senate vote and more negotiations lie ahead.
First Lady Jill Biden is making another swing through the Twin Cities. Her stop later today includes an education speech and also a campaign event with women voters. Biden, herself an educator, is scheduled to speak in Bloomington at Education Minnesota's annual convention and appear at the campaign event in the same area before heading onto Colorado. She was in the state last June for events around LGBTQ rights. Other members of the Biden administration have also made stops here in recent months. The visits indicate that the White House is not taking Minnesota for granted even though it has been decades since the state went for a Republican presidential candidate.
Rep. Ilhan Omar’s daughter was suspended from college for involvement in the protest at Columbia University in New York.Isra Hirsi was one of several students suspended yesterday from Columbia and Barnard College due to their involvement in a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on campus. Students pitched dozens of tents as a type of “sit-in” protest against Israel’s actions in Gaza. More than 100 protestors were arrested. The encampment has created a standoff between administrators and students. The encampment began on Wednesday, the day the university’s president appeared in front of Congress to discuss antisemitism on the Ivy League campus. During the hearing, Rep. Omar had questioned president Nemat Shafik about the school’s targeting of pro-Palestinian protestors.
Also in New York, yesterday was a bumpy day in the trial of Donald Trump. Two jurors were excused, but more were chosen to bring the total to 12. It’s still not a full jury that will allow the actual trial arguments to begin. One juror was granted a request to be excused after she felt her identity was filtering into public. Another was removed by the judge after there was a concern about him not faithfully answering questions.
Back at the Capitol, an elections bill that creates a new pathway to challenge laws that could impair voting rights is on the verge of reaching Gov. Tim Walz. Yesterday, the Minnesota Senate approved an elections policy bill that would guarantee voters the right to sue if they face vote suppression or vote dilution. Dana Ferguson reports that it passed the DFL-led chamber on a 35-32 vote as part of a broader bill (Republican Sen. Carla Nelson of Rochester siding with them). Senate President Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis, said Minnesota should cement the policy in state law and let voters sue over voter suppression and vote dilution, which is a racially driven form of preventing minority communities from electing candidates due to political boundaries being drawn in a fashion that prevents it. Republicans opposed the provision, saying a federal ruling to raise the bar on lawsuits stemming from a similar federal law hasn’t yet had time to be tested.
A Minnesota Senate panel advanced a bill that would require that firearms be locked, unloaded or placed in a storage box when not in an owner's possession. Dana, again, reports that the bill is lined up for a Senate floor vote after clearing a final committee. Those in violation could face petty misdemeanor charges. Tougher penalties would apply if unsecured weapons fell into the hands of kids. "This is saying that when you're not in possession of your firearm, that you know that it is secured, safe so that people who shouldn't have your firearm don't have your firearm,” said Sen. Heather Gustafson, DFL-Vadnais Heights. “That's it." Republicans said the state should enforce existing laws on the books rather than add new ones. Sen. Eric Pratt, R-Prior Lake, said, "The penalties in this bill are disproportionate to the violation." The bill is also edging closer to a House vote and leaders in that chamber say they expect it will pass.
Republican and DFL leaders in the Minnesota House and Senate have been going out to dinner to hash out a bonding bill. “We had a very nice dinner last time,” DFL Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman told reporters Thursday. “We made some good progress and maybe we’ll close the deal. I don’t know.” The dine-outs have involved the heads of the four caucus families: Hortman, Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson and House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth. Republicans are calling for a higher amount for Emergency Medical Services and Hortman said there have been discussions about additional funding for EMS related to a bonding deal. Hortman said the white wine at the dinners “potentially didn’t hurt” the discussions. | 