Capitol View for February 19

It’s an off day for many people in recognition of President's Day. But the Legislature is in session and a search for answers to a Sunday tragedy is ongoing.

Flags have been lowered across Minnesota in honor of three first responders killed in the line of duty early Sunday. The two Burnsville police officers and a firefighter on paramedic duty were shot and killed and another officer was hospitalized. They were responding to a domestic violence call at a home where seven children were also inside. The suspect is dead, with official identification being withheld pending an autopsy. Burnsville leaders spoke with heavy hearts about their fallen colleagues, two of them relatively early in their law enforcement careers. What we know so far is here.

There was a public vigil last night outside city hall for the community, but reflections are coming from places far beyond the suburb’s borders. Gov. Tim Walz said “in a big way, Minnesota is going to mourn and they're going to mourn very publicly.” He called it among the darkest days in law enforcement history in Minnesota. Other state officials from both parties issued statements of sadness and expressions of gratitude for law enforcement. Expect to hear more of that today as the Legislature convenes for floor sessions, with moments of silence also likely to honor the fallen. We'll have more on that at mprnews.org soon.

Law enforcement is central to another debate still unfolding at the Capitol. MPR’s Dana Ferguson reports that there were talks in private planned over the weekend about a law change that could bring school resource officers back in places where they are still on hold. The goal has been to get the measure to final votes as soon as this week, but the situation in Burnsville could affect the timing.

House Speaker Melissa Hortman and House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth both talked about the SRO issue on Politics Friday. They also discussed other plans for the session and themes emerging for the election campaign. If you missed it, you can hear the full program here.

In the presidential race, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin has ruled out a bid of his own on a third-party ticket. The Democratic senator who is often at odds with Biden and Democratic Party leadership said he is leaving Washington as planned after this term. NPR’s writeup is here.

Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips disclosed late Friday that he had laid off "a lot" of his staff.Phillips didn’t say how many people were let go or how many remain. He said he’s having difficulty raising money in his nomination challenge to President Joe Biden. But Phillips said he is remaining in the race and will appear on most state primary ballots. The next state to vote in the Democratic race is Michigan on Feb. 27. Minnesota’s primary is March 5.