Capitol View for June 24

Good morning! It’s Friday!

Republican candidate for governor Dr. Scott Jensen outlined a plan Thursday that he says would help combat inflation by putting more money in the pockets of Minnesotans.

The proposal includes initiatives aimed at lowering gas prices, reducing state taxes and investigating areas of state government for potential waste, fraud and abuse. Jensen, the presumed GOP nominee to take on DFL incumbent Tim Walz this fall, said during a news conference that his plan includes a proactive approach to energy.

“How are we going to provide a complete electric grid? If we really think that solar and wind and throwing out the use fossil fuels is going to solve the problem, I think we’re kidding ourselves,” Jensen said. “We’ve got to put nuclear energy on the table, and we’ve got to have that discussion, and we can, and we should.”

Jensen criticized Walz throughout the presentation. He said a Walz plan to provide tax rebates to Minnesotans would benefit people who did not contribute to the state budget surplus.

Jensen’s running mate, Matt Birk, said during a news conference that the plan offers long-term, forward-thinking solutions.

“It’s in times like this that it’s incumbent on the state government and its leaders to pull all the levers it can to help our citizens, but also address the underlying policy problems.”

DFL party leaders made their case in Washington yesterday for Minnesota to be an early primary state starting with the 2024 election. They made the pitch to the Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee. Kirsti Marohn reports that if the pitch is successful, Minnesota could become a magnet for presidential candidates.

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan said Minnesota's growing diversity and strong voter turnout gives it an advantage among those competing to be early primary states.

"More than any other state in the nation, Minnesotans show up for their democracy, we tend to it, we care for it, we vote, we volunteer, we produce results in the face of fierce competition."

MPR’s Dan Kraker reports that the U.S. Forest Service released a long-awaited environmental study of copper mining and a proposed 20-year moratorium on federal land. The public now has 30 days to comment.