Good morning, and happy Thursday. It's Jan. 6.
In the year since some of former President Donald Trump’s most ardent supporters forced members of Congress into hiding during violence that injured more than 100 police officers and left five dead, the U.S. Justice Department has charged more than 725 people from across the country, in what’s become the largest prosecution in American history. Nearly a quarter have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanors. MPR’s Matt Sepic reportseight Minnesotans are among those charged, and two have been convicted. An attorney for Victoria Charity White of Rochester, says she will plead not guilty to a felony charge of obstructing police and plans to sue Capitol Police for using excessive force. Others are facing accusations of more serious violence. Brian Christopher Mock of Minneapolis is the only Minnesota defendant from the U.S. Capitol riot who remains jailed. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday vowed to hold accountable anyone who was responsible for last year’s insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, whether they were physically there or not.
A year after an angry mob stormed the U.S. Capitol where Congress was certifying the presidential election results, it's notable how much hasn't changed, reports MPR’s Mark Zdechlik. Former President Donald Trump continues to hammer false claims of “massive” election fraud. Many Republican officeholders, including many in Minnesota, won't publicly disagree with him. “I think about how fragile our democracy is, and I hope Minnesotans don't forget that as they look back at what happened that day,” said Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who as chair of the Senate Rules Committee has a key oversight role over security at the Capitol. None of the four Republicans in Minnesota’s House delegation responded to MPR News interview requests regarding the one-year anniversary of the assault on the Capitol. Two of them, Jim Hagedorn from the 1st District and Michelle Fischbach from the 7th, voted against certifying the election results a year ago, even after the mob stormed the Capitol. No Minnesota Republican voted to impeach Trump on the charge of inciting the day's events or to form a bipartisan commission to investigate Jan. 6.
St. Paul and Minneapolis are reinstituting mask mandates for the public, seven months after lifting them,MPR’s Tim Nelson reports . Both mandates go into effect at 5 p.m. Thursday. The mayors of both cities simultaneously announced the mask orders Wednesday afternoon, citing the growing spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus, which has been fueling a surge in cases in the state. “The data is clear. The surging numbers of cases and hospitalizations from the omicron variant demand immediate action to keep our residents healthy while making every effort to allow schools and businesses to remain safe and open,” Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement that accompanied the order. “We have to keep our city healthy and moving. Wearing a mask is an obvious next step to do both.” St. Paul mayor Melvin Carter offered a similar reasoning: “Reinstating the masking requirement is an important step in keeping our communities safe amid the surge of COVID-19 cases in St. Paul.”
Gov. Tim Walz says he will not try to mandate masks statewide . From MPR’s Tim Pugmire: Walz said Wednesday he supports the new indoor mask mandates announced in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and he believes other cities will follow with similar requirements, but the governor stressed that he is not considering a statewide mask mandate. “A lot of places in Greater Minnesota are probably not going to make that decision,” Walz said. “And if even we tried to do that, I’m not sure that folks would comply to the level we need it to.” Walz said while he encourages masks, his focus for now is on increased testing and vaccinations.
Walz is also bringing back an idea he pushed for a couple of years ago. Walz said Wednesday he still wants Minnesotans to be able to buy into a public health insurance plan, and he plans to push again this year to establish the option. Walz mentioned the plan during a roundtable discussion on health care costs. Under the governor’s proposal, people who buy insurance on the individual market would have access to the public option buy-in. Walz said he believes the state’s large budget surplus will improve the chances of getting a bill passed. “This is one that we believe is smart economics. It saves money. It brings affordability to folks, and we know that it’s there and can be implemented,” he said. “The time is now to do that. It’s simply the right thing to do morally and it’s the right thing to do economically.” Human Services Commissioner Jodi Harpstead said the Walz plan would reduce costs by consolidating the purchasing power of state government.
Attorney General Keith Ellison says he has tested positive for COVID-19. Ellison released a statement Wednesday saying he is vaccinated and boosted. He said he was visiting family out of the country and “had no reason to believe I was positive until I took a mandatory COVID test that was required for me to board the plane home. I was surprised to find that it was positive, because up to that point, I had experienced no symptoms. Since then, I have developed mild symptoms but nothing worse than a mild cold. I’m working remotely as normal while isolating in place and will travel home when it’s safe to do so.”
Longtime Minneapolis DFL state Rep. Jim Davnie said Wednesday he will not run for reelection this year. “I thank the residents and families of south Minneapolis for entrusting me with their voices over the past 21 years at the State Capitol,” he said in a statement. “Despite the unquestionable challenges our community has faced since then – locally and nationally – we continue to emerge stronger and more resilient because our neighbors recognize that when we work together, we can all thrive moving forward.” Davnie chairs the education finance committee. Here’s a list of all the lawmakers who are leaving, and the list is expected to grow as the year goes on. | |
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