Lots of stuff going on today, let's dive right in.
Legislative Republicans in Minnesota have been trying for many months to undo Gov. Tim Walz's COVID-19 emergency powers, with no success since the DFL-controlled House hasn't joined the GOP-controlled Senate in voting to end the state of emergency. (Walz says he's happy to transform COVID-19 laws from emergency to statutory authority, but there's been no deal here because Republicans object to both the form and substance of Walz's emergency orders.) Now Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka suggests he'll use the biggest remaining lever at his disposal to repeal Walz's state of emergency: attaching provisions to the must-pass state budget. Budget negotiations were already going to be testy with divided government, but this will amplify things further. [Read more from Brian Bakst]
In one of its odder duties, the full Legislature last night elected four new members to the University of Minnesota's Board of Regents. The freewheeling vote saw two incumbents passed over in favor of four brand-new regents, with several seats filled due to cross-party coalitions. [Read more from the Pioneer Press' Josh Verges]
The Senate approved Deb Haaland as Secretary of the Interior in a 51-40 vote that makes Haaland the first Native American to lead the Interior Department — which includes the Bureau of Indian Affairs, among many other departments. [Read more from NPR News' Nathan Rott]
Learn more: Most Senate Republicans opposed Haaland's nomination on the grounds that her environmental policies were "extreme," but four Republicans ended up voting for her after vigorous support from tribal leaders, including Native Alaskan leaders securing support from both Sen. Lisa Murkowski and (more surprisingly) her fellow Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, despite the prominent role of oil companies in Alaska's economy. [ Read more from Julian Brave Noisecat in Politico Magazine]
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by pharmaceutical companies challenging Minnesota's Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Act, which sets price ceilings on essential insulin supplies for diabetics. The dismissal was without prejudice, though, so this might not be the end of the story. [Read more from MinnPost's Peter Callaghan]
Opposition to Daylight Saving Time (or at least our habit of changing clocks twice per year) is building, with critics in Congress and many state legislatures citing discomfort (especially to parents or pet owners) and increased risks of car crashes, heart attacks and other medical issues after the clock switch. But the Washington Post's Aaron Blake notes that the in the 1970s, the U.S. did exactly what these reforms want, and made Daylight Saving Time permanent — and people hated it. (Specifically, they hated going to work and school in the dark on winter mornings.) [Read more]
A tip: Waiting for your stimulus check? Instead of endlessly refreshing your bank's website, visit the IRS's "Get My Payment" tool. I put in my information and was told my deposit should hit my bank account tomorrow. But: Make sure you're actually on the IRS's website; scammers are active trying to use the stimulus to steal people's identity. When in doubt, start by visiting irs.gov and clicking "Get Coronavirus Tax Relief."
