MPR News PM Update
Capitol View
By David H. Montgomery

Good evening,

In a chaotic scramble, the Minneapolis City Council revised the language for the Department of Public Safety ballot question just minutes ahead of a deadline to send ballots to the printer. The revisions came hours after a judge ruled the original language was "vague, ambiguous and incapable of implementation." [Read more]

The task force charged with deciding how to divvy up $250 million for front-line pandemic workers unsurprisingly missed a Labor Day deadline to issue recommendations. They're continuing to meet, however, with the September special legislative session that was expected to approve the plan also on hold due to turmoil in the Senate. [Read more from Brian Bakst]

A new lawsuit from an underaged girl accuses GOP donor Anton Lazzaro of using her for sex acts and then having attorneys offer the girl's parents $1,000 in exchange for a nondisclosure agreement. [Read more from The Associated Press]

Lazzaro's attorney, in response, said the plaintiffs "showed the public that their true motivation is greed" and accused them of attempting to extort Lazzaro. [ Read more from Brian Bakst]

A note on amounts: Lazzaro made a habit of flaunting his wealth and has donated around $270,000 to various Republicans since 2014, but the best he could offer to head off serious legal jeopardy was $1,000? (The parents rejected this settlement, went to the police, and are now suing.)

Two Senate Democrats are emerging as key candidates for the caucus's new leader: Sen. Melisa López Franzen of Edina and Sen. Nick Frentz of North Mankato. Prior candidate Sen. Scott Dibble withdrew from the race, and Sen. Erin Murphy said she wouldn't run. [ Read more from the Minnesota Reformer's Ricardo Lopez]

A Gov. Tim Walz speech to a DFL fundraiser in Alexandria, Minn., was interrupted Saturday by protesters opposed to the Line 3 oil pipeline. [Read more from Declan Desmond of Bring Me The News]

Rep. Ilhan Omar and other members of the progressive "Squad" traveled to Minnesota over the weekend to oppose Line 3. [ Read more from Matt Sepic and Tim Pugmire]

A group of parents are suing Gov. Tim Walz to try to force a statewide mask mandate for K-12 schools. As part of a deal this summer with the Minnesota Legislature, Walz ended the health emergency that had allowed him to issue prior mask mandates and school closings. Walz has so far declined to issue a new mandate. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday. [Read more]

U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn is being investigated by the House Ethics Committee. It's unclear exactly what he's being investigated for, but a Democrat filed a formal ethics complaint against Hagedorn's campaign spending during last fall's election, which Hagedorn won.

The judges overseeing redistricting lawsuits in Minnesota have asked the parties to see what questions of redistricting they can agree on and what issues remain subject to disputes. The filings are due over the next month and a half, with oral argument on Nov. 3 if necessary.

Something completely different: Actor Michael K. Williams died unexpectedly at age 54 . Williams was most famous for his role as Omar Little on HBO's "The Wire." This is one of Williams' most memorable scenes. [Watch]

Listen: '70s pop group ABBA has reunited, which is as good a prompt as any to revisit their original 1974 Eurovision performance of their hit "Waterloo." [Watch]
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