| The Trump administration is investigating the nonprofit board that oversees Minnesota high school athletics. It comes after the Minnesota State High School League raised doubt over the ability of President Donald Trump to make it comply with an executive order effectively barring transgender athletes from girls' and womens' sports. The league said it was seeking legal guidance about its ability to let state students continue to participate in sports consistent with their gender identity. That has been league policy since 2015. Republican lawmakers in the Minnesota House said they would push state legislation to mirror Trump's order if the league doesn't fall in line.
A new gun law in Minnesota is being contested in court over the way it was enacted. The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus sued yesterday in Ramsey County District Court over a ban on gun triggers used for rapid firing of rounds. It passed last spring as part of a giant policy and spending bill. The gun rights group says the bill — it labeled it a "Frankenstein's monster of an omnibus tax bill" — that included the trigger ban violates a single-subject rule and the ban should be invalidated on those grounds alone. "To fit so many subjects of legislation into one monster bill, the Jumbo Omnibus Bill had to be massive. And it is — it spans 1,400-plus pages," the lawsuit reads. The title of the bill, basically a statutory rundown of its contents, covers all or parts of eight pages in the lawsuit. Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison and Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans are among the defendants named in the case.
A pair of abortion bills are moving along in the House while Republicans have committee majorities. The bills made it through the House Health Finance and Policy Committee, where the GOP currently has a majority. One addresses medical care that must be provided when a baby is born alive despite an abortion and the other provides grant money to women's centers and maternity homes for those with unplanned pregnancies. Clay Masters reports on the committee hearing Wednesday and the political reality both could face. To become law, both would need to gain 68 House votes and get through a Senate narrowly led by Democrats and the signature of DFL Gov. Tim Walz. A special election in March will determine if Republicans gain a clear majority of 68 seats or if Democrats will tie the chamber at 67 seats for each party.
What Peter Callaghan wrote, Gov. Tim Walz confirmed: Compacts with sovereign tribes to sell cannabis off their reservation land are near. As a refresher: MinnPost's Capitol correspondent got his hands on the draft deals, which could clear the way for tribal cannabis growers, producers and sellers to expand soon. Peter talked to Minnesota Now about it yesterday . Walz told reporters at an event to unveil snowplow names that the pacts could be done soon. The 2023 marijuana legalization law required Walz to pursue compacts with tribes that share geography with Minnesota. Those talks have been occurring in private for many months. Several tribes have on-reservation dispensaries and grow operations already. Compacts would permit operations elsewhere, possibly in exchange for tax revenue they aren't paying for reservation cannabis sales. "We've spent a lot effort in Minnesota on working with our sovereign nations on every single thing. I think there is a lot of trust and a lot of understanding and that's why we're hammering these things out. I think this will be a good model going forward of what these dispensaries will look like," Walz said. Walz said the tribal agreements are "the first step in a much broader market that is going to be big and it's going to shake itself out over time." Other entities will have to wait until after a spring licensing lottery to get cannabis businesses fully launched. Republican Rep. Nolan West, a supporter of legalization, slammed the reported terms of the agreements that he said are "giving the tribes a pseudo-monopoly on Minnesota's cannabis market, jeopardizing hundreds of millions of dollars of investment into our state."
More people rumored to run for governor won't than those who will. Which leads me to Rep. Pete Stauber, who all but ruled it out (that door is open a sliver until filing closes, I suppose) when talking to our Dan Kraker last week. I neglected to put it in print or on the air (sorry Mike Mulcahy) at the time. Dan was talking to the congressman about a bill regarding mining in northeastern Minnesota and that was the news we focused on. Anyway, Dan asked Stauber to address speculation about him running for governor — after similar speculation four years before didn't result in a bid. Stauber said "no" when asked if he's considering a 2026 bid for governor. Asked to elaborate, he said this. "Listen, Dan, I've made the decision. Right now in the House of Representatives, we have the ability to do great things, not only for Minnesota, but the United States of America." Stauber chairs a subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources in the House. Programming note: We'll hear from Stauber on Friday as a "Politics Friday" guest, so tune in for that!
So who is kicking the tires on 2026? Some people we know and some we don't. We know frequent candidate Phillip Parrish is because he's formed a campaign committee. The Star Tribune's Ryan Faircloth (he's on a roll this week) has more on other potential contenders , ranging from Kendall Qualls to Jim Schultz and a possible newcomer in attorney Chris Madel. We don't know about Democrats either. Gov. Tim Walz can run for another term if he wants but a third term is rare in Minnesota. He told me earlier this year that he's eyeing a June decision. If he doesn't run, there will be a stampede on the DFL side of the ballot, too.
There are those who come to the Legislature ready to rumble, looking to snag headlines or with an ambition for higher office, but Bob Kierlin was none of those. The hardware store kid turned Fortune 500 company co-founder made his way to the state Senate as a Winona Republican in the late 1990s and stayed for eight years. He wasn't flashy and he usually brought a sharp eye to tax and budget discussions. Kierlin died at 85 years old this week, as noted in this Star Tribune story recounting the legacy he left on his community even after his time in public service came to an end. His funeral is scheduled for Saturday at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Winona.
Finally, a text message scam telling people they're delinquent on toll lane fees is making the rounds again in Minnesota and other states. The messages claim to be from MnDOT. They point people to a website to pay off what are described as unpaid E-ZPass charges. That's the name of Minnesota's prepaid express lane system. Anne Meyer of MnDOT says the agency has been cautioning people about the scam since last year . She says the agency has noticed it picks up around long weekends or heavy travel periods. "Be alert," Meyer said. "Know we would not reach out to you directly and if you do get this type of text message, do not respond, do not make a payment and report it." Other states are also combatting the scam, and criminal investigators are trying to determine who is behind it. | 
