Good morning, and welcome to Wednesday.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar told MPR’s Cathy Wurzer this morning that the Senate will vote any day now on confirming Andrew Luger’s nomination as U.S. Attorney for Minnesota . The confirmation has been held up for months in part because Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said he had questions about a sentence given to a person convicted of setting a fire during the rioting that followed the police killing of George Floyd. Luger had nothing to do with the sentencing.
Minnesota lawmakers are moving to crack down on unruly fans at youth sporting events, MPR’s Brian Bakst reports. A House committee voted 18-0 Tuesday for a bill that would allow fines or other penalties against people who interfere with coaches and players, assault referees or seriously disrupt games. More revisions to the legislation are expected when it heads to another committee. Rep. John Huot, DFL-Rosemount, is a referee in his spare time and said disrespectful behavior is on the rise. “I’m ok with saying ‘bad call ref’ or even a little louder than that,” Huot said. “But what I’m not ok with is when they use profanity and vulgar terms and racial epithets. I just don’t think that’s acceptable.” Huot said he envisions a civil penalty of up to $1,000. Violators could be banned from future events, although bill backers acknowledge enforcement of that provision could be tricky.
Democrats in the Minnesota Senate say campaign-year rhetoric around crime isn’t translating into urgent consideration of proven solutions. They released their own plan for public safety Tuesday that would put $500 million into crime response and prevention. Senate DFL Leader Melisa López Franzen said it’s time for Republicans to advance bills they’ve labeled a session priority. “We’ve heard that call and that urgency in our communities and we can’t leave this Legislature this session without doing something meaningful for public safety, and we can’t wait until the end of session,” she said. Among other things, the DFL proposal calls for spending more on youth intervention and supervision of people on probation. Senators say they’re open to tougher penalties for violent crimes. Republican proposals include money to recruit and retain more law enforcement officers. They also want to reduce sentencing discretion for prosecutors and judges. Sen. Warren Limmer, R-Maple Grove, who chairs the judiciary committee, said Republicans are moving ahead on their plans, and that it’s Democrats who are coming to the issue late. "You don't need a press conference to introduce a bill, but it appears that is what the Senate DFL did today,” Limmer said in a statement. “Three of their four proposals were introduced yesterday, just days before the first committee deadline. It's hard to be an obstructionist to something that didn't exist for the first seven weeks of session."
Only about a third of restaurants say they have recovered from the pandemic, and a big reason is that the industry has lost so many workers.The Star Tribune reports: Higher costs and supply chain challenges remain for the state's hospitality businesses, according to a survey by Hospitality Minnesota, the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and Explore Minnesota that was taken last month. Even as consumers return to restaurants and hotels, managers are less sure they can accommodate demand because the industry has 32,000 less workers than pre-pandemic levels, Hospitality Minnesota reported. "I'm hearing the nervousness about finding the workforce to service the demand," said Ben Wogsland, executive vice president for Hospitality Minnesota, representing restaurants, hotels and campgrounds. "That's the number one thing I'm hearing across all hospitality sectors." One result may be that restaurants continue to operate at reduced hours. Establishments with counter service or that can pivot to a bigger share of takeout have an advantage.
St. Paul public schools will be keeping a mask requirement in place for now, even as most other districts in the state have dropped mandates. MPR’s Tim Nelson reports Superintendent Joe Gothard offered the school board a resolution Tuesday night making masks optional in the district's schools. He told board members dropping masks in schools was not likely to be a major factor in community spread or pressure on the health care system. He laid out a plan to end the requirement on Monday, then watch for any signs of a COVID-19 surge. But board members voted down the measure -- saying vulnerable members of the community remain concerned about COVID risks, and they weren't sure testing or community data would offer enough warning of a surge.
A Byron Public Schools high school teacher was asked to remove a Ukrainian flag from her classroom after students asked her to display it as a show of solidarity with the country, sparking debate among teachers and administrators over which flags or symbols can be displayed at school. MPR’s Catharine Richert reported Superintendent Mike Neubeck said district lawyers are reviewing the school system’s policy covering what can be displayed in classrooms. He said he’s concerned that allowing teachers to hang the Ukrainian flag now could be problematic in the future. "If we have Ukrainian flags hanging up, and someone wants to come and hang a different type of flag, we can't say yes to this group, and no to this group,” he said. Justin Blom, a fifth grade teacher and co-president of the local teacher's union, said in the context of Russia's attacks on Ukraine, displaying the flag isn’t political. "Is this a political and a partisan issue? It's not,” he said. “The U.S. Senate unanimously declared Vladimir Putin a war criminal. You know, how unified can you get when the U.S. Senate actually agrees on something?" | 