Good morning and welcome to another hard earned Friday. On the radio today I will talk to House Speaker Melissa Hortman, House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth and Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic in separate interviews. Tune in to MPR News at noon if you can.
Minnesota Democrats have called off a party fundraiser that raised questions about the involvement of top lawmakers in an event soliciting contributions that legislators would be barred from raising on their own. MPR’s Brian Bakst reports: Invitees were told in an email Thursday that the decision to postpone the event was made due to the workload at the Capitol and that it would be rescheduled for later in the year. A DFL Party spokesperson said it would probably be delayed until after the Legislature finishes for the year. “As the pace of work at the Capitol continues to increase, we want to ensure our lawmakers, activists and stakeholders are able to devote their full attention to doing the business of the people of Minnesota,” the email said. The DFL Party fundraiser had been set for March 28 at a hotel in the shadow of the state Capitol. DFL Senate and House leaders, as well as Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, were billed as headliners. State law bars candidates and caucuses from raising money from lobbyists and groups that might have business pending before the Legislature while it is in session. Because the money was going to the state party and the lawmakers weren't considered hosts, the event appeared to circumvent the prohibition. Republicans have already pushed for a law change to close what they see as an influence loophole. A bill to include political parties in the session contribution restrictions was introduced on Thursday.
The House gave final legislative approval to a bill Thursday that will give Minnesota law enforcement new tools to target catalytic converter theft. Minnesota authorities say they’ve generally lacked the power to arrest people caught with stolen converters, and they’ve asked for help preventing downstream transactions. The bill ushers in better tracking of detached devices and requires scrap dealers to be more discerning when buying them. People possessing unmarked converters could face criminal charges up to felonies. Vehicle owners stuck with repair bills would be entitled to restitution for out-of-pocket costs following a conviction. Once the bill is signed by Gov. Tim Walz, it will take effect in August.
Hundreds of people rallied at the Capitol Thursday to all on lawmakers to provide more funding for mental health services, and it looks like the Legislature is poised to respond. The Star Tribune reports in 2022, a year when Minnesota legislators passed little else, Democrats and Republicans agreed to $93 million in mental health spending. But with unrelenting needs and a mammoth estimated budget surplus, legislators are considering an even more expansive slate of mental health bills this year. "I think this is going to be record investments because we're in a record crisis," said Rep. Jess Hanson, DFL-Burnsville, sponsor of a sweeping bill aimed at improving children's access to mental health services and adding more assistance for families. "We hear stories all the time, 'I can't get care for my kid. I sat in the ER for hours.'" Hanson's bill doesn't have a price tag yet. Nor do many of the other proposed mental health measures, which range from simplifying regulations and time-consuming paperwork to expanding mental health professional student loan forgiveness to boosting school support staff.
Minnesota has gained back more than 96 percent of the jobs lost at the beginning of the pandemic, state officials said Thursday. The state released January's economic numbers and long-term data — which give a better look at recovery since the beginning of the pandemic. "Compared to January 2020, three years ago, pre-pandemic unemployment was 3.8 percent,” said Angela Nguyen, director of labor market information for the Department of Employment and Economic Development. “Our January 2023 unemployment rate is almost 1 whole percentage point lower, indicating that we are still looking at a tighter labor market than pre-pandemic. The unemployment rate was 2.9 percent from December to January of this year, and the state gained more than 14,000 jobs last month.
Part of Highway 5 in Chanhassen may soon be named in honor of Prince. MPR’s Tim Nelson reports: The House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee on Thursday approved a bill to officially designate Highway 5 in Chanhassen as the Prince Rogers Nelson Memorial Highway, to honor the Minnesota music icon. Prince died in April 2016, and the memorial designation would include the stretch of highway that runs in front of his home and studio, Paisley Park, where he died of an overdose. “He was not only a prolific artist, he was a humanitarian and a philanthropist — and so in that spirit I think it makes a lot of sense for us to name the highway that leads up to Paisley Park to Prince Rogers Nelson Memorial Highway,” Rep. Lucy Rehm, DFL-Chanhassen, told the committee. The idea has been floating around the Capitol for a while, and faced an administrative hurdle: The highway had already been named after someone else — a former Minnesota House member, no less.
Minnesota’s Republican members of Congress filed a brief this week with the Supreme Court in support of a woman in her dispute with Hennepin County. The case involves Geraldine Tyler, 94, whose condominium was seized because she owed $15,000 in taxes and penalties. The county sold the condo and kept $40,000 earned from the sale. Her lawsuit contends the county took too much money, and she should have gotten the proceeds once the $15,000 debt was recouped. A Hennepin County District Court and the 8th Circuit Court ruled in favor of Hennepin County, but in January 2023 the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case. Oral arguments are scheduled for next month. “Despite the law’s guarantee of just compensation for our property, more than 1,200 Minnesota families have had their home equity stolen by state property seizures like the one Ms. Tyler experienced,” said Rep. Tom Emmer in a statement Thursday. “We are proud to stand against this unconstitutional infringement and fight for the Fifth Amendment rights of every American.” Emmer was joined in the brief by Reps. Brad Finstad, Michelle Fischbach and Pete Stauber.
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