Good afternoon, Gov. Tim Walz is facing escalating criticism from his left in recent days, especially over law enforcement's response to protests against the killing of Daunte Wright. Tear gas and projectiles have been deployed against protesters (some of whom had thrown objects or launched fireworks at police), and dozens of protesters have been arrested. Some of the criticism has named Walz directly, while others have been more oblique. A few examples:
Minneapolis City Council member Jeremiah Ellison tweeted that "nothing about the response to this protest has been competent, compassionate, or humane" Walz's 2018 primary rival, state Sen. Erin Murphy, tweeted that "the show of force, use of tear gas, and suppression of protestors and press in Brooklyn Center are dangerous and disturbing" Joelle Stangler, the former Bernie Sanders field director in Minnesota, said Walz "has shown us who he is and what he believes," that he's had "plenty of chances 'to be held accountable' and adjust course. He's gotta go."Meanwhile, a coalition of progressive and environmental groups launched a website devoted to grading Walz's performance on environmental issues. Over nine categories, they give Walz two Fs, four Ds, one C, one B, and one "incomplete." [ Read more]
What's unclear is just how potent and lasting this discontent on the left will be for Walz. Social media isn't always representative of broader public opinion — anyone predicting the 2018 primary based on the DFL Twitterverse would have expected Murphy to win in a landslide — and there's a big difference between activists trying to pressure a governor and something more serious, like backing a primary challenger. In the 2018 primary, Walz positioned himself in the middle of the DFL field, with Murphy running to his left and then-Attorney General Lori Swanson to his right. Walz won 41.6 percent of the vote, to 32 percent for Murphy and 24.6 percent for Swanson. It's important context that Walz has never been a favorite of the left wing of the DFL. Incumbent governors usually have an edge in the general election, and an even bigger edge inside their own party. I wasn't able to find any recent data on this point, but a study looking at every gubernatorial election from 1998 to 2010 found 82 percent of incumbent governors who sought another term won, with 13 losing in the general election, three in a primary, and one in a recall. Another study examining races from 1980 to 2000 found "state governors have a strong track record of deterring primary opposition and walking through uncontested party nominations"; about 46 percent of incumbents had no primary opposition at all, with high approval ratings and states with party endorsements associated with lack of serious opposition. There's no recent public polling on Walz's approval in Minnesota, but a September poll found Walz with a 57 percent approval rating vs. 36 percent disapproving. Among Democrats, his approval was 83 percent to 10 percent.
A recent study found police violence undermined not just support for police, but support for local government more broadly. [Read more from Andrea Silva, Diego Esparza and Valerie Martinez-Ebers in the Washington Post] The Minnesota Senate passed a bipartisan "off-ramp" for the state's eviction moratorium. The bill would phase out the Walz-ordered moratorium, first allowing evictions for reasons other than nonpayment of rent, then tenants who are behind on rent but not poor enough to get government assistance. Low-income tenants receiving government assistance would protected from eviction for nonpayment through June 2022. Hundreds of millions of federal rental assistance dollars coming to the state soon would help people behind on their rent catch up, a key factor in the bipartisan buy-in. There remains criticism over provisions in the bill limiting governors' ability to impose future moratoriums, and differences between a more progressive bill in the House will likely have to be settled in a conference committee. [Read more from MinnPost's Peter Callaghan] Everyone loves "infrastructure," which is why America's political class is fiercely battling over what types of spending belong in a pending "infrastructure bill." Roads and bridges, sure, but also child care or paid leave? "Traditional" infrastructure jobs are largely held by men, while jobs in the "care economy" skew female — a aspect of the debate in a country whose politics are increasingly polarized along gender lines. [ Read more from NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben] St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter overruled the city council to permit a new apartment block on the corner of Lexington Parkway and University Avenue. Critics wanted the project to include more affordable units; Carter said blocking the apartment building "create significant challenges to future housing and economic development in our city." [Read more from the Minnesota Reformer's Max Nesterak] Some lawmakers want Minnesota to refinance its debt from the construction of the Vikings stadium, and use surplus money to pay down the debt faster. Walz opposed this plan, preferring to use surplus funds on other programs. [Read more from Brian Bakst] Those stadium surplus funds come from electronic pull-tab gambling. A House bill would rein in "slot-machine"-style electronic pull tabs, which some lawmakers view as too much like conventional casino gambling rather than the narrower niche pull tabs were intended to fill. Critics say the limitation will hurt local charities that rely on gambling for funds. [Read more from Brian Bakst and Tim Nelson] Something completely different: Perhaps the most fitting book I read over the pandemic was Susanna Clarke's Piranesi. The slim 2020 novel is the story of a man living all alone in a strange house, grappling with loneliness, trust, memory, and the power of the written word to combat alienation. Listen: Aesop Rock is famously one of the most verbose rappers out there — seriously, there's studies about it — and "None Shall Pass" is perhaps his signature song. [Listen]
