Author
Flooding news roundup; special legislative session comes into view
Minnesota lawmakers, who adjourned last month, have begun calling for a special legislative session to confront the destruction of rising floodwaters, as residents, businesses and managers of key infrastructure — especially water systems — begin cleaning up while bracing for more. State Sen. Grant Hauschild, a Democrat who represents a northeast swing district that’s been […]
MPD still claiming officers were truthful in Jaleel Stallings case. They weren’t.
An important footnote to the police murder of George Floyd was the infamous press release the Minneapolis Police Department sent out after Floyd’s death. The headline: “Man dies after medical incident during police interaction.” The description was equally brazen in what it left out: “Officers were able to get the suspect into handcuffs and noted […]
The filibuster comes to Minnesota
The Senate filibuster is one of the worst features of modern American governance and a key cause of federal dysfunction. It creates a supermajority requirement that was never intended, thus slowing government to the pace of cold honey. It also eliminates true accountability, as it allows U.S. Senate majorities to throw up their hands and […]
Trump is in town. Here’s just some of what he’s taught us.
The Republican Party of Minnesota is welcoming Donald Trump to headline their annual Lincoln-Reagan dinner, and I’m disappointed I can’t bring my two young sons — it’s after their bedtime — because he has so much to teach. I’ve managed to cobble together some Trump life lessons for my boys and figured I’d share them. Telling the […]
Senators are right to scrutinize UnitedHealth, Minnesota’s most powerful company
I hope Minnesotans read about the testimony of UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty at the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance Wednesday. It’s an eye-opener about the corporate practices of our Eden Prairie health insurance/big data/whatever behemoth. Witty was on the receiving end of scathing comments from a bipartisan group of senators — and justifiably so. […]
Gov. Tim Walz appoints Tikki Brown to head new child-focused agency
Gov. Tim Walz appointed Tikki Brown to be the first commissioner of the Department of Children, Youth, and Families when it is established in July. Brown is currently assistant commissioner of children and family services with the Minnesota Department of Human Services and has been leading the effort to stand up the new agency from […]
To resign or not to resign
Before we get to the matter of state Sen. Nicole Mitchell, DFL-Woodbury, who’s been charged with burglarizing her stepmother’s home, let’s talk about the public’s perception of politicians. Americans generally don’t like or trust them. In Gallup’s poll asking the public about the “honesty and ethical standards” of various professions, members of Congress are near […]
DFL Party disavows machete-wielding candidate for Minnesota House
The state Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party has disavowed a local party unit’s endorsement of Judd Hoff, who is running to unseat longtime Rep. Mary Franson, R-Alexandria, in District 12B. Hoff was convicted of second-degree assault, a felony, in 2021. The charges came after a 2020 confrontation with a man who angrily stole an American flag that Hoff […]
Minnesota Legislature should call a gambling help hotline before betting on mobile sports wagering
The sports betting scandals are piling up like the maxed out credits cards of a gambling addict. Some youth baseball league gadfly tried to wager $100,000 on a University of Alabama baseball game while apparently trading text messages with the Crimson Tide manager, who had inside info on an injury to his starting pitcher. Jacksonville […]
Don’t trust the locals
The Shakopee city administrator had some tough talk in a recent memo to the City Council there: “Local City Governments across the State of Minnesota are under siege.” Well that sounds ominous. What’s the trouble? The memo goes on: “Current legislation being considered by state government seeks to strip basic and fundamental controls cities have used for […]
15 facts about Uber and Lyft and the effort to pay drivers a minimum wage
In the past couple weeks, we’ve had a flurry of news about Uber and Lyft driver pay — a new ordinance, veto and veto override, two studies, a bill at the Legislature — and a fog of war has enveloped the debate. Here’s 15 facts that seem significant: One-third of the drivers provide more than two-thirds […]
Warning to the DFL: Tuesday was a bad night for President Joe Biden
President Joe Biden all but locked down the Democratic nomination Tuesday, but his weakness in Minnesota should serve as flashing red warning lights for Democrats, both here and in the more purple battleground states. Despite no money and a bare-bones, last-minute organization, the “uncommitted” line pulled nearly 19%, as progressive voters sought to send a […]