Good morning and happy Friday.
Heading into the midterm campaign, a new Minnesota Poll shows fewer than 50 percent of Minnesota voters approve of the jobs being done by both Democratic President Joe Biden and Gov. Tim Walz. Both have their party base locked down but face stiff opposition from Republicans and self-described independents. Biden, who won’t personally be on next year’s ballot, had a higher percentage of people disapprove of his performance -- 51 percent to 47 percent; only 2 percent offered no opinion in the poll conducted for MPR News, the Star Tribune, KARE-11 and FRONTLINE. As he nears a likely re-election announcement, Walz registered approval of 49 percent and disapproval of 44 percent, with 7 percent not sure. That’s notably down from the 57 percent approval this time in 2020. Walz fares best among women and people living in the Twin Cities; he struggles most among men and voters living outside of the metropolitan area, according to the results. Here’s the full story from Brian Bakst.
And speaking of the governor, this morning he’s scheduled to release a relief plan for farmers and livestock producers hit by this year’s drought.
From MPR News reporter Matt Sepic: The 19-year-old woman indicted alongside a former Minnesota Republican Party operative pleaded not guilty Thursday to federal sex trafficking charges. Prosecutors allege Gisela Castro Medina used social media to seek out 15 to 17-year-old girls for Tony Lazzaro, who then allegedly gave them money and gifts in exchange for sex. A grand jury indicted Medina on seven of the 10 counts her co-defendant is facing. Authorities arrested Medina in Florida last month and booked her into the Sherburne County Jail this week. Magistrate Judge Becky Thorson ordered Castro Medina to be detained in a halfway house as the case moves forward. In a separate hearing in late August, a judge ordered Lazzaro to remain jailed. Lazzaro, 30, was a prolific fundraiser for Minnesota Republicans. He was close to former state party chair Jennifer Carnahan, who resigned after his arrest. Lazzaro has also pleaded not guilty.
Nearly 900 people have been arrested during protests against the Line 3 oil pipeline , which is being built in northern Minnesota. Most were cited with misdemeanors, but many have also been charged with gross misdemeanors, and some face felony charges. The number of legal cases is straining resources in the northern Minnesota counties where most of the protests took place. In addition to waiting for months for a public defender, some defendants also argue that the charges they're facing are unfairly severe. Hubbard County Attorney Jonathan Frieden, who’s overseeing prosecution of nearly 500 Line 3 protest cases, disputes that the charges have escalated, or are out of proportion. Frieden said county attorneys make their own charging decisions based on the law and the facts of each case. He said the felony theft cases typically involve people locking themselves to property or equipment, and depriving its owner of using it. The influx of pipeline cases could slow down the courts, which will need to schedule hearings and potentially trials for the hundreds of defendants. Read the whole story from MPR News Reporter Kirsti Marohn.
From MPR Reporter Nina Moini: The State Patrol is disputing testimony from a patrol officer that there was a purge of emails and text messages after the unrest that was sparked by the police killing of George Floyd. As part of a lawsuit filed by the Minnesota ACLU on behalf of a coalition of journalists, Major Joseph Dwyer testified in July that there was a purge of emails and text messages after the unrest. Lawyers for the state this week responded in a motion that those allegations are based on “nothing more than the speculation of one witness,” and that there is no indication there was an intentional effort to destroy evidence to hide the truth. Dwyer had called it standard practice, but the state patrol maintains it saved needed emails and correspondence as lawsuits began to come in over use of force during the riots. FOX 9 has a story too.
MPR News reporter Tim Pugmire sent me this: Minnesota lawmakers have been traveling the state this week to learn about some of the public works construction projects that could be included in a bonding bill next session. Members of the House Capital Investment Committee were scheduled to visit Akeley, Staples, Brainerd and St. Cloud Thursday on the final day of a three-day road trip. The projects range from college building repairs to water infrastructure. Rep. Fue Lee, DFL-Minneapolis, who chairs the committee, said he thinks a borrowing bill of more than $2 billion would be appropriate. “With our current financial situation being in good terms, low interest rates, bond rating, we need to make significant investments throughout the entire state,” Lee said. “And I’m hopeful we can make that happen this upcoming year.” Bonding bills, because they involve borrowing, must originate in the House and require a three-fifths majority to pass. Gov. Tim Walz will make his recommendations in January. Members of the Senate Capital Investment Committee were also on the road this week. Their bonding tour included stops in several northeastern Minnesota cities, including Mountain Iron and Ely. Sen. Tom Bakk, I-Cook, the committee chair, said the in-person visits with local officials are important. “Taking the committee out on the ground and actually looking at projects that potentially we’re going to include in the bill is just very helpful,” Bakk said. “Seeing is kind of believing.”
Have a great weekend, and I'll see you again here Monday. | 
