Good morning, and welcome to Thursday.

The Minnesota Department of Human Rights on Wednesday slammed the city of Minneapolis and its police department for what it described as a “pattern or practice of race discrimination in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act.”  MPR News reports the newly released findings from a nearly two-year investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department — a probe launched days after the May 2020 police killing of George Floyd — paint a stunning portrait of an agency with a culture of animus toward people of color. “It’s going to take a lot of work by a lot of people to get out of this,” Minnesota Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero told reporters Wednesday of the patterns of behavior her office said it discovered after reviewing 10 recent years of police reports and data and conducting multiple interviews. Mayor Jacob Frey said he found the contents of the report to be "repugnant, at times horrific -- it made me sick to my stomach," and community members likely felt the same way.

The Minnesota House passed a bill Wednesday that would provide help to schools with special education, English language learner programs and mental health support. MPR’s Tim Pugmire reports the proposal uses budget surplus money to increase school funding by more than $1 billion in fiscal 2023. Another $2 billion would be designated for education in the next two-year budget cycle. Rep. Jim Davnie, DFL-Minneapolis, the chair of the education finance committee, said the measure is a significant investment. “For far too long we’ve made excuses, oh we don’t have the resources, oh we just can’t,” Davnie said. “Well members, yes, we can. We have the resources. The students and schools of Minnesota are the best place we can invest those resources.” Rep. Sondra Erickson, R-Princeton, said she thinks there are too many policy changes and new mandates. “I don’t think this is the time to make that many different changes,” Erickson said. “We need stability and consistency, and believe me our teachers want that as well. They have told me ‘we don’t need great change.’” The bill also includes early childhood provisions. Last year lawmakers provided the largest spending increase on public education in 15 years, but some noted that even that increase doesn't keep up with inflation. Senate Republicans have proposed a much smaller school spending package.

The Minnesota Senate has moved to prohibit voter-approved rent ordinances adopted by voters last fall in Minneapolis and St. Paul. MPR’s Brian Bakst reports that by a 34-33 vote Wednesday, the nullification language remained in a broader housing budget bill. Two Republicans joined all DFLers in trying to strip it out. Backers of the measure say ordinances to limit rent increases infringe on property rights. Sen. Eric Pratt, R-Prior Lake, pressed that point. “Sometimes the voters get it wrong,” Pratt said. “Sometimes the voters should not be voting on something. To me this is a constitutional issue, this is a value of property rights.” DFLers said it was an extraordinary effort to intrude on local decisions. Sen. Sandy Pappas, DFL-St. Paul, criticized Republicans for intruding on local affairs. “You talk about local control but when it comes down to a policy you disagree with then suddenly the policy issue is more important,” Pappas said. Nothing similar is in a House bill, but the topic is likely to be part of end-of-session negotiations. 

The Pioneer Press has a closer look at what happened last weekend when Erin Maye Quade left the Senate District 56 DFL convention to give birth to a daughter.  Her campaign manager Mitchell Walstad said he doesn’t know whether Maye Quade will run in a primary after Justin Emmerich won the DFL endorsement. From the story: Questions were also raised about why the endorsing convention wasn’t suspended or rescheduled. “The puzzling thing for me, as I reflect on what happened, is how would this have been handled if it were another type of medical emergency?” Walstad said. He added that Maye Quade wasn’t yet ready for an interview. In separate written statements, District 56 DFL Party chair Nancy Stroessner and Emmerich, Maye Quade’s opponent for the endorsement, both said after learning she was in labor they agreed to her requested accommodations including moving up the endorsement process. “I readily agreed to all of them, as did the convention delegates by unanimous consent,” Emmerich said in a statement. “Had there been a formal request from Erin or any of the delegates to suspend the convention in order to hold it at a later date I would have agreed, however no such request or motion was made.” Walstad said the campaign didn’t feel like it “had the latitude” to request the convention be suspended or rescheduled. He acknowledged that some party members were unhappy that Maye Quade announced her intention to run for the seat before incumbent DFL Sen. Greg Clausen announced his retirement.

Sahan Journal reports:New documents filed in federal court last week shed more light on an FBI investigation into potential voting irregularities in Minneapolis . Muse Mohamud Mohamed was charged in November 2021 with two counts of lying to a grand jury about absentee ballots. The government’s trial brief, filed April 19 in federal court, reveals for the first time what the grand jury was investigating: the “agent delivery process” in the August 11, 2020 primary election. The court filing also suggests where the voting took place: state Senate District 62. In that DFL race to represent south Minneapolis, challenger Omar Fateh topped incumbent Jeff Hayden, and then won the general election in November.  The “agent delivery process” is available to voters in special circumstances who cannot go to their polling place. They may be hospitalized; live in a nursing home, residential treatment center, or group home; or have “incapacitating health reasons or a disability.” These voters can choose someone to pick up and return an absentee ballot for them. That person, or agent, must be at least 18 years old, have a “preexisting relationship” with the voter, and not be a candidate for office. Muse has not, however, been charged with any crimes pertaining to the agent delivery process. Instead, he faces two counts of lying to a grand jury about it. He is the only person who has been charged in connection with this investigation.