Good morning. MPR News producer Gretchen Brown put it best: Watching your governor receive national press is like discovering an indie band before they were big.
The Democratic vice presidential field is one smaller this morning. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has taken his name out of consideration for a spot on a ticket led by current Vice President Kamala Harris. Cooper had been seen as someone who could help deliver a southern state that he has won five times (as governor and previously attorney general). Three other governors are getting serious attention: Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro, Kentucky’s Andy Beshear and Minnesota’s Tim Walz. So is Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
President Joe Biden is calling for term limits and enforceable ethic rules for Supreme Court justices. In an op-ed published Monday and later a speech in Texas, Biden called for what would be sweeping changes to the high court and the way it operates. Biden offered his support to a system in which the president would appoint a justice every two years to spend 18 years in active service on the Supreme Court. He also called on Congress to pass binding, enforceable conduct and ethics rules that require justices on the high court to disclose gifts, refrain from public political activity and recuse themselves from cases in which they or their spouses have financial or other conflicts of interest. He also called for a constitutional amendment that would limit the broad immunity presidents now enjoy following a recent Supreme Court decision. Justices currently are appointed to the Court for life and can decide for themselves whether to adhere to the court’s newly adopted ethics rules.
In the 7th Congressional District, it’s a battle for who’s more conservative. Two-term U.S. Representative Michelle Fischbach carved out a solidly conservative reputation at the state Capitol before winning a western Minnesota congressional seat four years ago. Yet some in her party don’t think Fischbach is conservative enough, and they’re backing challenger Steve Boyd in an Aug. 13 primary. The winner will be heavily favored to secure the seat in November. Clay Masters took a look at the race.
Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board commissioners have accused Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan of pressuring management during contract talks. KSTP reports several commissioners were contacted by Flanagan last week as park board management negotiated a new contract with striking park employees. Some commissioners say they felt pressure to settle and reach an agreement. Commissioner Becka Thompson told KSTP they found Flanagan’s positions to be intimidating and threatening by siding with the union and not fully appreciating the park board’s position. Thompson said the lieutenant governor’s position in the disputes undermined the autonomy of the park board. KSTP reporters were not able to reach Flanagan for comment.
Iowa’s new abortion restrictions took effect yesterday. Providers in Minnesota are preparing for an influx of patients. According to the Guttmacher Institute, about 20 percent of patients that received an abortion in Minnesota were from out-of-state in 2023. Minnesota is one of the states most protective of abortion access. Our health reporter Erica Zurek visited Whole Women’s Health , an abortion clinic in Bloomington, to learn how the clinic is preparing for what they expect to be an increase in new patients. In the past year, the clinic has served patients from neighboring Midwestern states, as well as Nebraska, Indiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Florida and Arkansas. During a press conference at the clinic last week, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan emphasized that she wants Iowans to feel like they can come to Minnesota for care if they need it. “If you’re afraid, come to Minnesota, we got you. You are welcomed here,” she said.
Minnesota counties are starting a project to rebuild a critical but mostly invisible infrastructure. Last year, the state legislature approved a grant program to verify the Public Land Survey System, which is the basis for all property lines. But many are not accurately represented in the digital maps on which we all rely. That’s because the property lines in the state are based on markers placed in the ground more than a century ago, and many of those markers are not assigned accurate digital coordinates. But finding those original markers is not a simple process. In fact, surveyors say it’s more like a treasure hunt. Check out Dan Gunderson’s story here. | 