Good morning. One week from precinct caucuses, two weeks to the presidential primary.
The man involved in the fatal standoff with Burnsville police had his gun rights revoked. Court records show that the man who fatally shot three first responders and injured a fourth during a standoff at a home in Burnsville was ineligible to own firearms because of a 2008 second-degree felony assault charge. He tried unsuccessfully to regain his gun rights in 2020. Shannon Cortez Gooden, a 38-year-old auto body repair worker, was identified as the heavily-armed man police encountered during the standoff. He also died in the incident. Gooden was also convicted in a 2005 disorderly conduct case stemming from a domestic violence call. He was also cited in separate petitions for orders for protection filed by a former partner in 2020 and another woman in 2017. Police have said seven children were inside the house during the standoff. KARE 11’s Lou Raguse spoke to the mother of some of the children about an abusive relationship she had with Gooden.
The officer injured in the shooting has been released from the hospital. Adam Medlicott, 38, was treated at Hennepin Healthcare’s hospital for his injuries and city officials say he is recovering at home . Medlicott responded to a domestic violence disturbance call Sunday with fellow officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge, and firefighter-paramedic Adam Finseth. They all died from gunshot wounds sustained at the scene. Medlicott joined the Burnsville Police Department in 2014 and became a sergeant in 2022. That same year, he was named Burnsville’s officer of the year.
The Burnsville tragedy has slowed down a piece of legislation that had been under fast consideration. The Senate postponed a planned hearing on a law governing school resource officers and their use of certain restraints. Dana Ferguson reports that a Senate Public Safety Committee was supposed to take up the proposed change to existing law but opted to wait. DFL Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy says law enforcement groups requested a delay after a fatal shooting incident in Burnsville. "The SRO legislation is, you know, a priority for a variety of communities, including law enforcement. But given what we experienced together in Burnsville and what the law enforcement community is experiencing, we thought it was wise to ask if we should pause and they agreed." The committee is expected to debate the bill later this week.
The House overwhelmingly passed a tweak to the state’s tax law yesterday. Lawmakers there voted 128-2 to advance a bill fixing an error that was written into the 2023 tax law. Lawmakers last year failed to properly account for the standard deduction for the next filing cycle — not the one we’re in now. But they need to approve a bill quickly to make sure that won’t impact taxpayers next year. The DFL-led chamber opposed GOP-driven amendments that would have added small business tax credits and exemptions for brewers. They also blocked efforts to make some tax deductions retroactive. That moves next to the Senate for consideration, where it could come up later this week.
A proposed entertainment venue tied to the Minnesota Vikings is the subject of a liquor license proposal before lawmakers. MV Ventures is planning the development of a new venue at the Viking Lakes campus in Eagan, which would be used to host live entertainment, conventions and other events. But under Minnesota Statute, legislative approval would be needed before the City of Eagan may consider a liquor license application. That authorization could determine how soon the project transitions to the development phase. The bill was heard during the Minnesota House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee yesterday afternoon. Eagan Mayor Mike Maguire wrote to the committee and requested the bill be approved. Rep. Bianca Virnig, a sponsor of the bill, said “This is a good bill for business and it’s a good bill for the city of Eagan and for all of the Vikings fans as well.”
The Minnesota candidate approached by national Republicans to run for the U.S. Senate has endorsed former President Donald Trump. Joe Fraser’s decision to back Trump comes after he withheld the nod when he launched his campaign in January. The retired Naval officer had taken a neutral stance on the GOP nomination contest. But now Fraser says Trump is on course to gain the Republican presidential nomination for a third time. “You know he's strong on defense and from a policy perspective, I support that. I can't answer for his behavior and the way that he carries himself as the President of the United States. But he is who he is,” Fraser told Brian on Monday. Fraser is among five Republicans vying to take on Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar. He spoke to MPR News for an extended interview airing on this week’s Politics Friday show.
And some joy to start off your day: A Minnesota Capitol staffer found a hidden talent teaching boxing to children with Down Syndrome and other cognitive disabilities. Jorge Mendoza spends his weeks working as an administrative assistant in the state House of Representatives, and his weekends training kids at Element Boxing through a program with the Down Syndrome Association of Minnesota. Mendoza has spent two hours every Saturday for the past year training about a dozen children with cognitive disabilities, ranging in age from 7 to 16, the basics of the sport. Parents have said it’s one of the few places where their kids don’t feel like the odd ones out. Check out the Star Tribune’s story by Eder Campuzano here. | 