lunch take | MN House GOP's School Safety Agenda, Exoneration in 1998 Murder Case
9.4.25
Gallup has tracked moral acceptability of issues for nearly a quarter century. The biggest gains in acceptance: gay or lesbian relations, having a baby outside of marriage, and divorce. FULL LIST: https://fluence-media.co/45MExmn
The new Drought Monitor out this morning shows our progress has slipped a bit – 13% of the state is now abnormally dry, up from 3% a week ago. MAP: https://fluence-media.co/3PP2Kzy
Today’s WCCO Radio morning take at 6:20 with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3VzhAwU
Sunday Take featured Republicans Kendall Qualls and Rep. Kristin Robbins discussing their campaigns for governor at the State Fair. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4mIGp5F
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Fluence Advisory hosted a cannabis forum on the “State of Cannabis in Minnesota including an interview with Executive Director of the Office of Cannabis Management Eric Taubel.
TORO: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “Toro Co. (TTC) on Thursday reported fiscal third-quarter net income of $53.5 million. On a per-share basis, the Bloomington, Minnesota-based company said it had net income of 54 cents. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs, came to $1.24 per share. The results beat Wall Street expectations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45VpcP2
MORE: Via HBS Dealer, VERBATIM: “Bloomington, Minn.-based Toro Company reported third quarter sales of $1.13 billion, down 2 percent from the same quarter last year. CEO Richard M. Olson pointed to strong momentum in underground construction and golf and grounds. He also pointed to savings from a previously announced productivity program. But the residential segment was challenged.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gblTbm
AUDITOR: From Rep. Dan Wolgamott (DFL-14B) via Instagram, VERBATIM: “I’m proud to announce my candidacy to be Minnesota’s next State Auditor. Over the course of my career, I have delivered big wins for first responders, teachers, and families across Minnesota – and I will continue to do that as our state’s local government watchdog.” POST: https://fluence-media.co/3K5TozJ
MORE: Via news release from the Schierer campaign, VERBATIM: “Ben Schierer today announced his campaign for Minnesota State Auditor. Schierer is a two-term mayor of Fergus Falls and Director of Civic Partnerships at West Central Initiative. He brings 16 years of local elected experience, a record of pragmatic leadership, and a strong commitment to working with Minnesotans across the state.”
ICYMI… morning take reported current State Auditor Julie Blaha has announced she’s not running for a third term. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/45ZSyMh
TODAY: Via news release from Senator Tina Smith’s office, VERBATIM: “Today, Thursday, September 4, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) will deliver speeches on the floor of the United States Senate after the tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic School last week. The Senators will press for Congress to finally take action to address the gun violence epidemic in America. Both speeches will be carried live on C-SPAN 2.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4pePjcT
SCHOOL SAFETY: Via Minnesota House GOP, VERBATIM: “House Republicans released their school safety agenda today, including provisions to protect students as they learn, provide mental health care to those who need it, and to hold violent criminals accountable. House Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, and House GOP Leader Harry Niska, R-Ramsey, released the following statement.” DEMUTH: "Minnesotans deserve real solutions that will meaningfully protect students and actually reduce gun violence. The policies we are proposing will protect students, provide desperately needed mental health care, and hold criminals who commit the vast majority of gun violence accountable." NISKA: "I hope Democrats will join us in supporting these common-sense reforms if the Governor calls a special session." READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mJUbop
HATE CRIME: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Police were still on the scene of the shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church when FBI Director Kash Patel announced that the horrific violence would be investigated as a hate crime against Catholics and an act of domestic terrorism. That rush to judgment has perplexed some legal experts who say we may never know the motivation of Robin Westman, who killed two children and wounded 21 others by shooting through a window of the church, which was holding a mass for the students at its affiliated school. Rachel Carroll Rivas, interim director of the Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit that studies hate crimes and extremism, said a motive ‘may not fit neatly in a box.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3I5hlqo
BROADBAND: Comcast is rewriting the broadband playbook in the Twin Cities. From neighborhood networks to next-gen tech, we’re delivering community-first internet connectivity with no contracts, no surprises. The new Xfinity package means unlimited data, blazing-fast, reliable speeds and a 5-year price guarantee, plus free mobile for a year. It’s not the old Comcast — it’s a bold new era of connection. Let’s power the future, together. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/Comcast2025-1 (SPONSORED: Comcast)
EXONERATED: Via Hennepin County Attorney, VERBATIM: “Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and the Great North Innocence Project (GNIP) announced Thursday that Bryan Hooper, Sr. has been exonerated and is expected to be released from Stillwater Correctional Facility today. In her decision vacating the conviction, Judge Marta Chou found that ‘Mr. Hooper’s conviction was tainted by false evidence and that without this false testimony, the jury might have reached a different conclusion.’ Mr. Hooper has been incarcerated for over 27 years for the 1998 murder of 77-year-old Ann Prazniak.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47to5Zs
CAPTIVE MEETINGS: Via news release from the Attorney General’s office, VERBATIM: “Attorney General Keith Ellison today won the dismissal of a lawsuit challenging Minnesota’s ban on captive audience meetings. The ban on captive audience meetings, passed during the 2023 legislative session, prevents employers from retaliating against workers who refuse to attend meetings hosted by the employer to push their political or religious views or dissuade employees from unionizing. In a 2-1 ruling, the Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit dismissed the challenge to Minnesota’s captive audience meeting ban, overturning a previous District Court ruling declining to dismiss the lawsuit.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4p8QOJw
MORE: Via news release from Rep. Kaela Berg, VERBATIM: “The ban on captive audience meetings, authored by Rep. Kaela Berg (DFL - Burnsville) and passed in 2023, prevents employers from retaliating against workers who refuse to attend meetings hosted by the employer to push their political or religious views or dissuade employees from unionizing.” BERG: “It’s fitting that this pro-worker law was upheld only days after we celebrated Labor Day. Thanks to Attorney General Keith Ellison, we won a tremendous victory in our fight for the rights of workers and the labor movement in Minnesota. While employers and management often hold most of the cards during labor negotiations, this law will help balance the scales back towards workers. There is still more to do to truly make Minnesota a pro-worker state, but this is one less way in which management can abuse their power.”
FED: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The economy does better when Americans trust the Federal Reserve, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis said Wednesday, and that means keeping politics out of the central bank’s work. Speaking at a Minnesota Women’s Economic Roundtable event in Minneapolis, Neel Kashkari said maintaining trust is crucial to keeping the job market healthy and inflation under control. But the historically independent Fed has been facing mounting pressure from President Donald Trump to lower interest rates, including specific social media callouts targeting Chair Jerome Powell.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4m1sTZJ
MORE: Via Minneapolis Fed, the Kashkari Q&A. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3I4oWW3
MINING: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “Northeast Minnesotans were given the opportunity to be heard Wednesday as the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is in the process of reissuing wastewater permits for the Keetac taconite mine in Keewatin. ‘Wild rice is a crop, so it’s going to grow differently in different waters, so trying to have one size fits all doesn’t work,’ said U.S. Steel Senior Environmental Director Chrissy Bartovich. ‘When we look downstream from Keetac, we see healthy rice, and we’ve been discharging there for almost 60 years.’ Since 1973, a Minnesota regulation on sulfate levels in waterways has been in place but unenforced, which concerned some attendees of the public hearing at the Iron Trails Motor Event Center on Wednesday.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4lVRfEh
THIS WEEKEND: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “It doesn’t feel like it just yet, but winter is coming. Since construction workers can’t pour concrete when it's 20-below, they need to get work in before the flakes start flying. MnDOT is closing down portions of well-traveled roadways over the weekend for construction projects ahead of the impending snowy months.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3K6LAxC
CAMERAS: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Bemidji residents have expressed some concerns over the last few months after several cameras were installed on multiple utility poles around the city. On Tuesday, Sergeant David Hart with the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force told the Beltrami County Board that these eight cameras are automated license plate readers (ALPRs) and were installed by the Task Force. ‘I underestimated the public interest in this,’ admitted Hart. ‘These cameras capture images of the vehicle as they’re traveling past in the surrounding area, and then it gets a nice zoomed-in picture of the license plate itself.’ Those images are converted into files that capture data like time, date, and vehicle descriptions that the Task Force stores for use in future investigations if needed.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3V0feXO
CONTRACTOR: Via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “The owner of a Twin Cities roofing company faces felony charges after investigators said he stole an estimated $118,000 in wages from seven workers who replaced roofs and gutters at a public housing project in St. Paul . . . The case is one of the first in Minnesota to use the state’s 2019 wage theft law that made it a felony to steal more than $1,000 in wages, like other forms of theft. While labor experts and law enforcement say wage theft is pervasive, it is seldom prosecuted.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4n7gtQM
ACQUISITION: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “A rally was held on Wednesday by a group speaking out against the possible acquisition of Minnesota Power and Allete . . . The two investors are the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Global Infrastructure Partners. Last month, an administrative law judge recommended that the acquisition be denied. They said the investors did not meet their burden of proof that the transaction would benefit the public.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3VE8wa1
PRODUCING THE FUELS THAT HELP KEEP MINNESOTA MOVING: Flint Hills Resources, one of the Midwest’s leading producers of transportation fuels is hiring! With openings in IT, accounting, engineering, operations, procurement and asset management, Flint Hills Resources’ goal is to match talented individuals with their passions and interests to truly shine. APPLY TODAY: Flint Hills jobs (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
BLAINE: Via AInvest, VERBATIM: “nVent Electric expands its data center solutions manufacturing capacity with a new US production facility in Blaine, MN. The 117,000 sq ft facility will produce liquid cooling solutions and employ over 175 people. This is the second expansion in two years, following the Anoka expansion. nVent's liquid cooling solutions are in high demand due to the growth of AI infrastructure and high-density computing.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47tymoG
FOUNDERS: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “They have families and 401(k)s, mortgages and the occasional backache. They don’t pull all-nighters. Their garages are reserved for cars, not makeshift offices, and their actual offices are air-conditioned and well-appointed. Yet these Minnesotans are starting businesses in their 50s and beyond, and they’re not as unusual as Silicon Valley might have us believe.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nem2Nq
UNDER 40: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “The WAVE Young Professionals Network is getting ready for their annual gala, where they’ll present their Four Under 40 awards. The award recognizes leaders in the Brainerd Lakes Area aged 18 to 39 who excel in professional excellence, leadership, and community involvement, among other criteria.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4nfEzJp
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. Kari Rehrauer
Rep. Wayne Johnson
Rep. Julie Greene
Rep. Keith Allen
Rep. Peter Johnson
Follow on your favorite podcast platform, or at www.TheDailyAgenda.com/Podcasts. (SPONSORED: Minnesota Telecom Alliance)
MAPLE GROVE: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Maple Grove’s largest employer, Boston Scientific, is getting $2.6 million in assistance from the state to help create jobs and expand its existing Weaver Lake Road campus. The Massachusetts-based medical technology company is also getting closer to opening its new 400,000-square-foot Arbor Lakes campus along Interstate 694 in Maple Grove.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4p8dedE
ACQUISITION: Via WealthManagement.com, VERBATIM: “Savant Wealth Management is acquiring a fee-only Minnesota RIA with over $1.2 billion in managed assets, marking the Rockford, Ill.-based firm’s first Minnesota acquisition and fourth deal this year. PrairieView Partners, founded in 2008, is based in St. Paul, Minn., and offers wealth planning services for individuals, trusts and estates, charitable organizations and small businesses.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/469O2Lq
BEMIDJI: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “The Bemidji Tenants Union is looking to help renters negotiate rent prices and have basic maintenance in the buildings where they reside. Fifty-eight percent of the city’s residents are designated as renters. Bemidji Tenants Union co-founder Reed Olson said over the past two years about 150 families have lost their housing due to a multitude of factors, including some apartment buildings being closed by the city.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mJoN9F
NEXT WEEK: Via Minnesota Chamber, VERBATIM: “Join the Minnesota Chamber for our Fall 2025 Women in Business Minnesota: Power and perspective, event on Tuesday, September 9 at Xcel Energy in Minneapolis. Enjoy breakfast and networking followed by a fireside chat with Amanda Rome, Xcel Executive Vice President as she shares her professional journey and perspectives on key topics shaping Minnesota’s economy — including clean energy goals, data center growth and more.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/46kQGz0
(DISCLOSURE: Minnesota Chamber is a Fluence sponsor)
SEP 14: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “For more than a century, Palmer's Bar has stood in Minneapolis' Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. It's welcomed an eclectic mix of live music, hosting brass bands, jazz, blues, folk, and punk groups to its stages. Now, it's preparing for its final act. The bar will close on Sept. 14 with a marathon of live music from groups that have frequently graced its stage (or chairs on the floor in the corner by the piano).” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mOy9RG
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
FIBER ART: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Minneapolis fiber artist Tia Keobounpheng is taking her work to New York’s legendary Armory Show, one of the leading international contemporary art fairs.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/45Npadn
BDAYS: lobbyist Brian Bergson, Commissioner Matt Look, lobbyist Molly Pederson, union guy Kyle Makarios, journalist Tom Horgen
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