Good morning, and congratulations for making it to another Friday.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said Thursday he will not appeal a district judge's abortion ruling that invalidated several Minnesota restrictions.MPR’s Brian Bakst and Michelle Wiley have the story: That court decision earlier this month by Ramsey County Judge Thomas Gilligan struck down a 24-hour waiting period, a two-parent notification requirement for minors and hospitalization rules, among other laws. People who disagree with Ellison’s decision say they will explore other legal avenues to counter Gilligan’s ruling. Ellison said he doesn’t believe an appeal would be successful. He said his office has devoted thousands of hours and many dollars defending the laws that were ruled unconstitutional. Gov. Tim Walz and state regulators were listed as defendants in the case, first filed in 2019. “In my view, and in the view of my co-defendants, not appealing the district court’s decision in Doe v. Minnesota is in the public interest and is the right legal decision,” Ellison said in the statement. “It is also the right choice for Minnesota taxpayers and all Minnesotans who need the finality of knowing that they can make intimate decisions about their own bodies free of undue interference by the government.”
More from the story: Endorsed Republican attorney general candidate Jim Schultz reacted to the announcement by calling it a “dereliction of duty.” Schultz tweeted, “These bipartisan statutes are clearly constitutional and Minnesota deserves an attorney general who will stand up to activist judges.” Ellison was asked about those who contend that he put up a lax defense of state laws. "If I didn't put zealousness into defending these statutes, I could have bailed on this three years ago and just simply not defended. But we do believe — I do believe — that Minnesota statutes should be defended by the AG and that's exactly what we did," he said. "Look, it's political season, I expect my opponents to do what politicians sometimes do in campaign season, but we're focused on the law."
U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips says he hopes Joe Biden does not run in 2024. The Democrat who represents Minnesota’s 3rd District was asked by WCCO Radio's Chad Hartmann if he wants Biden to run in 2024. Phillips told Hartmann he has great respect for Biden. "Despite some mistakes and some mishaps, despite his age, I think he's a man of decency, of good principle, of compassion, of empathy and of strength, but to answer your question directly — which I know is quite rare Chad — no, I don't,” Phillips said. “I think the country would be well-served by a new generation of compelling, well-prepared, dynamic democrats to step up." Phillips is the first member of Minnesota's Democratic congressional delegation to say he does not want Biden to run in 2024. Phillips faces Republican Tim Weiler in this year’s election.
The Minnesota State Auditor released a report Thursday concluding that the city of Two Harbors properly handled allegations made against Mayor Chris Swanson. MPR’s Dan Kraker reports Swanson has come under fire for several allegations of conflict of interest, including his involvement in a proposal to build an underwater hotel in Lake Superior. In March, the Two Harbors city attorney issued a memorandum of opinion concluding Swanson used his official position as mayor “for personal benefit or business interests.” Swanson has denied any wrongdoing and has refused to resign, despite calls from the city council. In her investigative report, State Auditor Julie Blaha found that the city acted appropriately in considering whether the Mayor violated the law. She issued several recommendations, including that the city implement the use of economic interest disclosure statements for its elected officials. Swanson's recall election is scheduled for Aug. 9th.
At MinnPost, Walker Orenstein takes a look at why the Legislature didn’t pass a bonding bill this year: More broadly, Bradley Peterson, executive director of the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities, said the “increasing polarization and politicization of every issue” has become a hurdle to the bonding bill in recent years. He also said incentives have changed for legislators. There are fewer swing districts as Democrats concentrate power in the Twin Cities metro and Republicans in Greater Minnesota, and so lawmakers aren’t punished for failing to pass bills like they once were, he said. And Peterson said newer legislators are driven more by ideology than outcomes, a generational break from an older era of Sen. Tom Bakk-style horse-trading and deal-making. Peterson said the Legislature has also become reliant on the concept of a “global deal” where either everything is passed or nothing is passed. “All of these pieces are so tied together,” he said.
Is the United States in a recession?David Gura at NPR takes a look: What's clear to everyone is the economy is slowing, prices are rising at their fastest pace in decades, and the housing market has started cooling as the Fed raises interest rates aggressively. On Thursday, the central bank raised rates by an additional three-quarters of a percentage point. Economists acknowledge the headline number on Thursday — how much the economy grew or shrunk on a percentage basis — is likely to attract the most attention, but they say it is important to dig into the underlying data. "It's the pieces of the puzzle that matter when you're looking at GDP," says Michelle Meyer, U.S. chief economist at the Mastercard Economics Institute. Among other things, we'll see if household spending, which accounts for 70 percent of all economic activity, kept pace with inflation. But as Fed Chair Jerome Powell and other policymakers have acknowledged, at a moment like this, when there is so much uncertainty, and when so many Americans are experiencing economic pain, sentiment and expectations matter and the key for the economy is not to lose too many jobs. "I think a lot of it comes down to jobs," says Meyer. "Whether you have a job. Whether you expect to keep your job. And what that might mean for your future path of income." | 