| President Donald Trump’s remake of the federal government will have some direct and indirect effects on Minnesota’s government, but it’s clear his presence is already being felt in St. Paul. Clay Masters notes that Trump’s name is coming up as legislative leaders discuss the potential spill-down effect on the state budget. And some of his policy proposals are being mirrored in legislation brought forward by Republicans. Immigration, transgender youth participation in sports and his call for no taxes on tipped income are just a few places where bills have cropped up. The budget is the big one, though, and state officials are quietly assessing how much of their program aid could be on the chopping block. Expect that to lead to a theme of caution as lawmakers start writing the next two-year budget.
Minnesota’s U.S. Senate race is officially underway. Three candidates have either declared their candidacies or taken steps in that direction. On Friday, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan filed paperwork to begin raising money toward a 2026 run for the seat that fellow Democrat Sen. Tina Smith will leave after next year. Republicans Andrew Schwarze and Royce White have both said they are running. Schwarze is a retired Navy SEAL who had been considering a congressional bid in the 3rd District. White is a former pro basketball player and conservative podcaster who ran in the 2024 U.S. Senate race and was defeated by Sen. Amy Klobuchar. Many others are in the kick-the-tires phase. That includes U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, a Democrat who issued a statement yesterday saying that she’s giving the race “serious consideration” and plans to make a decision in the “near future.”
In case you missed it, Rep. Pete Stauber was our guest on “Politics Friday.” We asked him about his interest in a possible U.S. Senate run after ruling out a bid for governor. His response wasn’t all that easy to decipher, but we’re throwing him into the “considering it” camp because he didn’t slam the door. He said Republicans will “nominate someone who will fight for Minnesota and our way of life” (That’s his campaign slogan, by the way.) “Time will tell,” Stauber said about his potential bid, adding, “I can neither confirm nor deny.” During the show, Stauber pointed to what he considers problem spending in the federal government. He cited a claim that started its spread last year that $7.5 billion for electric car chargers had led to installation of just 11 of them. We followed up on that and it’s not accurate. The AP wrote this in December: “The $7.5 billion figure refers to the total amount allocated through the 2021 law to build a network of charging stations across the U.S., not the amount that has already been spent. There are currently 214 operational chargers in 12 states that have been funded through the law, with 24,800 projects underway across the country, according to the Federal Highway Administration.”
Gov. Tim Walz’s short trade trip to Europe is close to being over. The governor along with state economic development officials are meeting with Dutch leaders to encourage more trade between Minnesota and the Netherlands. The delegation is set to make stops in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague, among other places. The Netherlands is Minnesota's 10th largest export market. It purchased $614 million in Minnesota goods last year. More than a dozen Dutch companies have operations in Minnesota and more than 30 Minnesota companies have locations in the Netherlands.
The recall court case meter is up to 10. Nine DFLers and one Republican House member have had recall petitions filed and forwarded to the state Supreme Court. That doesn’t mean they’ll move forward to new elections. There are many steps in between. But it is a sign that the early-session boycott will remain a point of contention weeks after its conclusion. The Supreme Court isn’t in much of a hurry here if the first case is an indication. The chief justice gave the party seeking the recall — in this case opponents of GOP Rep. Duane Quam — until Friday to formally serve him with materials in the case. Then Quam gets another week to get his response in. After that, a scheduling order is likely to go out. In other words, session could be far along or almost concluded before the court takes any formal step to dismiss the petition or order a recall case proceed. None of the cases against DFL lawmakers have had dates set for them either.
While we’re not prepared to weigh in on the question about whether love is truly blind, we can report that the latest season of the Netflix show ‘Love is Blind’ features a Minnesota Legislature tie. The Minnesota Reformer’s Michelle Griffith reports that state Rep. Mary Frances Clardy, DFL-Inver Grove Heights, will have a cameo on the program in a set of upcoming episodes. Clardy’s daughter Virginia is a contestant on the dating show that has put the Twin Cities in the spotlight for season 8.
Lastly, some of the most dedicated and underappreciated public officials don’t work out of the U.S. Capitol or the one in St. Paul. Dan Gunderson introduces us to one of those : “Loren Ingebretsen has served as clerk of Morken Township since 1980 — but he didn’t really want the job.” It’s a delightful listen about why Ingebretsen took the job and what’s he has done since to boost civic participation in the rural Clay County township with a population of 151. There are many more like Ingebretsen out there who take on these roles that can be thankless and without much payback. | 
