IOWA: Via Des Moines Register, VERBATIM: “A Republican Iowa senator wants to ‘make Minnesota Iowa again’ by introducing a bill that would allow Iowa to buy nine southern Minnesota counties. Sen. Mike Bousselot, R-Ankeny, announced the proposal to enter into negotiations with Iowa's northern neighbor on Tuesday in remarks at the Land Investment Expo. The text of Bousselot's bill did not appear online Tuesday afternoon, but he said the proposal has support from colleagues in the Iowa House and Senate.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Cdrqi3
MORE: Via CBS 2 Iowa, VERBATIM: “In a post to social media, the Iowa Senator referred to a 2017 "Rocks and Cows" statement by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.” QUOTE: “You see those maps,” Walz said early in his campaign for governor. “Red and blue and there’s all that red across there. And Democrats go into a depression over it. It’s mostly rocks and cows that are in that red area.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42h93Ds
MNLEG: Via Minnesota House, VERBATIM: “On January 14, 2025, the House DFL filed a lawsuit asking the Minnesota Supreme Court to declare that Republicans acted unlawfully when they purported to organize the Minnesota House, elect a Speaker, and took other actions in the absence of a quorum.” QUOTE: “Republicans’ sham session had no legal authority, and the actions they took on January 14 have no legal effect. A 68-member quorum is required to conduct House business, and only 67 members were present,” said DFL Speaker-designate Melissa Hortman. “Democrats are denying quorum to protect the will of the voters in Shakopee and statewide. Republicans have stated their intent to use a two-week, one-seat advantage to kick out duly elected DFL state Representative Brad Tabke. Representative Tabke’s victory was established on election night, confirmed in a recount, and confirmed again in a court ruling in response to Republicans’ election contest lawsuit. Republicans are going to extreme and unprecedented lengths to seize power that the voters did not give them, and Democrats will fight their unlawful, unconstitutional actions every step of the way.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40gf2WI
MORE: Via MN House GOP, from Rep. Lisa Demuth regarding the House DFL lawsuit as well as one filed by Secretary of State Steve Simon. DEMUTH: “Secretary Simon has no authority as a member of the executive branch over proceedings in the House, and his role is strictly ceremonial in nature. There is ample precedent in the Minnesota Supreme Court and from the framers of Minnesota’s constitution regarding quorum. We look forward to defending the House from this attack on our Constitutional separation of powers, and to ensuring the Minnesota House continues its important work on behalf of Minnesotans who elected us to show up and do our jobs.”
MORE: CCX Media’s Kevin Miller talked with two lawmakers, Rep. Huldah Hiltsley (DFL – Brooklyn Park) and Rep. Kristin Robbins (R – Maple Grove), about Tuesday’s first day of the legislative session in which DFLers boycotted in order to prevent a quorum, with Republicans moving ahead, electing a Speaker. HILTSLEY: “I want to remind everybody that, the November election, the people of Minnesota voted in full confidence in a tied House, 67-67,” she said. “We are doing everything we can to make sure that we honor the will of the people that elected us.” ROBBINS: “The reality is, this is a Democrat-created Constitutional crisis,” she said. “They ran a candidate who didn’t live in the Roseville district, and the court refused to let him take the oath of office. So we have 133 members. And a quorum will 67 today … for now, for organizing, we are the majority, and we intend to exercise all the powers of a majority.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4h0LGTd
MORE: morning take had extensive coverage and analysis of yesterday’s developments at the capitol. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3PWRlOt
NOMINEES: From Liam Fellman via WDIO-TV, VERBATIM: “U.S. Congressman Pete Stauber’s Hermantown office was the meeting place for over a dozen concerned citizens on the morning of Tuesday, January 14th. The group brought letters voicing their concerns over four of President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees. Those mentioned in the letters were Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth, FBI Director nominee Kash Patel, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/40lemzh
WILD ABOUT READING: More than 500 Minnesota classrooms and 15,000 students are participating in the “Wild About Reading” program, a partnership with Flint Hills Resources which encourages students to read more using Minnesota Wild-branded posters, reading logs, and bookmarks. Teachers set weekly reading goals and give certificates to students who complete the four-week program. Fun program incentives include classroom visits from the Wild’s mascot, Nordy – and the team dog, Rookie; a pair of tickets to a Wild home game, player signed pucks and photos; and a pizza party for a classroom. LEARN MORE: Wild About Reading SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources
POPULATION: From Kyle Stokes via Axios, VERBATIM: “Get ready for more than half a million new neighbors. Why it matters: The Twin Cities' population will continue to grow over the next 25 years — especially in outer-ring suburbs — according to the latest Metropolitan Council forecast. All these new residents will need housing, transportation, parks and — this is not a joke — functioning toilets. It's the Met Council's job to coordinate plans for all of that.” READ/MAP: https://fluence-media.co/4gUK3Xh
INFLATION: WalletHub compared Consumer Price Index data for 23 major metro areas and ranks the Twin Cities 21st on its list of metros with the biggest inflation problems. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3znuM0n
GROCERIES: Via Morning Consult, from consumer surveys on grocery shopping habits and concerns:
REPORT: https://fluence-media.co/40eEpId
CANCELED: From Dustin Nelson via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Prominent ‘anti-woke’ author and speaker Jordan Peterson has quietly canceled his upcoming event at the Xcel Energy Center. Peterson's ‘An Evening to Transform Your Life’ event in St. Paul on Jan. 27 is one of six dates currently listed as canceled on the Ticketmaster website. However, the conservative speaker has not offered details as to why events have been canceled.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40zkrta
FRESH15: The latest season of Fresh15 includes interviews with new Minnesota House members. So far, five new members have shared their goals, background and fun facts before they take office in a historic session this January.
Rep.-Elect Kari Rehauer
Rep.-Elect Wayne Johnson
Rep. Elect Julie Greene
Rep. Elect Keith Allen
Rep. Elect Peter Johnson
Follow on your favorite podcast platform, or at www.TheDailyAgenda.com/Podcasts. (SPONSORED: Minnesota Telecom Alliance)
BEER: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Chanhassen Brewing Company will close its doors permanently on Saturday, Feb. 1, the brewery's owners announced Tuesday. ‘It’s been an incredible journey, and we are incredibly grateful for the support and loyalty you’ve shown us over the years,’ the closing announcement reads. Husband-and-wife duo Laura and Matthew Rosati opened the brewery in Chanhassen's former Perkins restaurant in April 2021.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fWiuvf
UNITEDHEALTH: Via Reuters, VERBATIM: “Analysts and investors are awaiting details behind UnitedHealth Group's 2025 outlook when it reports quarterly results on Thursday, after its investor day presentations were canceled last month by the murder of executive Brian Thompson outside the New York hotel where the meeting was set to take place . . . The murder unleashed a social media storm of patient dissatisfaction and ire over the health insurance industry's practices that raised questions about whether UnitedHealth would come under pressure to change how it operates.” QUOTE: "I think at one level people are just looking for them to express confidence in the outlook, and what are some of the puts and takes there of significance," said UBS analyst AJ Rice.
"Hearing more about the two challenging areas - Medicare and Medicaid - will be important underpinnings for feeling confident about that outlook." READ: https://fluence-media.co/40JBCbL
BREACH: Via Tech Crunch, VERBATIM: “Change Healthcare, the UnitedHealth-owned healthtech company that lost more than 100 million people's sensitive health data in a ransomware attack last year, said on Tuesday that the company has ‘substantially’ completed notifying affected individuals about the massive data breach.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hf8Ipb
VITAL PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT FUELS THE FUTURE OF THIS WISCONSIN TRIBE - In 2017, one of the “glaring needs” for the Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, in northwest Wisconsin, was an expanded wastewater treatment facility. “It was at capacity. We were not able to expand any of our businesses or facilities,” says Jason, the LCO Band’s Emergency Management Coordinator. With the support of Enbridge and several other partners, the LCO Band quadrupled its wastewater treatment capacity—allowing for creation of a new preschool, fire hall, 40-unit apartment complex, police headquarters and, still to come, health clinic and new residential community. “I’m very grateful for the partnership we’ve developed with Enbridge,” says Jason. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/49v4mHc (SPONSORED: Enbridge)
LAWSUIT: Via news release from the Attorney General, VERBATIM: “Today, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, alongside Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and the Federal Trade Commission, sued agricultural equipment manufacturer Deere & Company (Deere), also known as John Deere, over its use of unfair practices that have driven up equipment repair costs for farmers while also depriving farmers of the ability to make timely repairs on critical farming equipment, including tractors. The complaint alleges that, for decades, Deere’s unlawful practices have limited the ability of farmers and independent repair providers to repair Deere equipment, forcing farmers to instead rely on Deere’s network of authorized dealers for necessary repairs. This unfair steering practice has boosted Deere’s multi-billion-dollar profits on agricultural equipment and parts, growing its repair parts business while burdening farmers with higher repair costs, the complaint alleges.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40lfgvs
DULUTH: From Izabella Zadra via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “There’s a new keeper of the gavel on the Duluth City Council. City Councilor Terese Tomanek was elected council president during Monday night’s meeting. Tomanek has been serving on the council for five years.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/40gxmyP
RED LAKE: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “A $25 million grant will help the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians improve road safety. The grant comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3PBjE4B
THIS WEEK: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “As the frost settles over the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Minnesotans are gearing up for a celebration that transforms snow into stunning artistry. The 4th Annual World Snow Sculpting Championship is set to take center stage in Stillwater, January 15–19, 2025.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Casbs7
SUNDAY: From Macy Harder via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “While January’s frigid winter mornings are tough, you’ll be able to warm up with brunch at Owamni starting this Sunday, Jan. 19.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3WiH16K
NEXT WEEK: Via Twins, VERBATIM: “The 2025 baseball season begins next week, as more than 55 current, former and future Minnesota Twins players and coaches will be in Minneapolis for a trio of TwinsFest events.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3u4WyfK
From yesterday’s Fluence newsletters:
HOSPITALS: From Jonah Kaplan via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “Access to health care when we need it most is something many of us have come to count on, but many communities are seeing cuts to services that limit that access . . . A months-long WCCO investigation found 19 hospitals in Minnesota slashing or relocating services since 2022, and they include everything from obstetrics to surgeries to mental health and beyond.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/409cGsu
ELY: Via Minnesota Senate, VERBATIM: “In a letter sent to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure Tuesday, Senator Grant Hauschild (DFL-Hermantown) and Representative Roger Skraba (R-Ely) urged immediate action to maintain the Critical Access Hospital designation for Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital (EBCH). This designation, which provides additional federal funding and support to EBCH, are essential to the well-being of thousands of people in the Northland.” LETTER: https://fluence-media.co/40dHybf
PARKINSON’S: From the Michael J. Fox Foundation via PRNewswire, a series of events including one taking place in Minneapolis in May. VERBATIM: “This year, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) will engage with thousands of people and families across the United States with its returning ‘Parkinson's IQ + You’ national event series, which serves to educate and empower people and families living with Parkinson's disease (PD). The free event series will offer live panel discussions on building a Parkinson's care team, the latest in Parkinson's research and how to turn education into action.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3CkCFoR
HOCKEY: From Leah Beno via KMSP-TV, VERBATIM: “Coaching for [more] than two decades, and with the Roseville Raiders since 2017, the scoring and stick handling are only part of what coach Mike Nelson and his team are proud of . . . Nelson’s team, and parents work season after season to help some of the most medically fragile kids in the metro who may never lace up a pair of skates. Through the nonprofit Hockey Kids 4 Kids, the Raiders have been surpassing fundraising records year after year for Gillette Children's Hospital.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/40dXoCS
INSTRUMENTS: From Dan Gunderson via MPR, VERBATIM: “Dan Larson loves the stories his handbuilt instruments carry. The wood that becomes a violin, a lute or a baroque guitar holds a story of how it was collected, often decades ago.” QUOTE: “That’s what I find really interesting about it. It’s just the stories that the instruments have, and then they go and they get played by people and then they have other stories that they develop,” said Larson, 70. “And I think that’s cool.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3C3kzrx
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HAWKINS: From Roseville-based Hawkins via Globe Newswire, VERBATIM: “Hawkins, Inc. (Nasdaq: HWKN) announced today that it expects to release financial results for its fiscal 2025 third quarter ended December 29, 2024 after the market closes on January 29, 2025 at approximately 4:10 p.m. Eastern Time.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3E65khT
AMERIPRISE: From Minneapolis-based Ameriprise via Business Wire, VERBATIM: “Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (NYSE: AMP) plans to announce its fourth quarter 2024 financial results on Wednesday, January 29, 2025 after the close of the New York Stock Exchange. The company will host a conference call to discuss the results on Thursday, January 30, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. (ET).” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3E5Veh0
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
SKATING: From Ben Hovland via MPR, VERBATIM: “An anonymous post on an unofficial Instagram page named ‘powderhornskatingclub’ was all it took to coax nearly three dozen intrepid skaters onto the frozen lake at Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis a few days later. ‘That’s right baby. The Powderhorn Skating Championship is back!’ the post said. The origins of speed skating on Powderhorn Lake in Powderhorn Park date back to the 1930s and ‘40s when, according to the Minneapolis Parks website, a local ice track hosted national skating championships and even Olympic trials.” READ/PHOTOS: https://fluence-media.co/42fZJQj
BDAYS: ag leader Colleen Landkamer, think tank guy Dane Smith, lobbyist Theresa Lynch
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