FINALLY FRIDAY
Twenty degrees warmer today. Coffee tastes delicious today. It’s been an intense week.
Wild lose. Wolves win. Vikings host Commanders Sunday. Frost in Boston.
Great night last night at Hospitality Minnesota’s Stars of the Industry last night. Congrats to the winners including Hall of Fame inductees Steve Benowitz, John Chiltz and Jason Subbert. David Benowitz was the first honoree for the David Burley Award.
A rare dinosaur fossil was loaned to Winona State for research. PHOTOS: https://fluence-media.co/4rDr5tX
Just 17% of Americans now say they trust the government in Washington to do what is right “just about always” (2%) or “most of the time” (15%). PEW: https://fluence-media.co/4oFLNH1
Fox 9 at 7:45 Sunday, and Sunday Take is at 9AM on Sunday morning on WCCO. Tune-in.
Today’s National Bartender Day – tip them well.
Blois - tips: bloisolson@gmail.com
Sunday Take on WCCO Radio this week was a recap of Thanksgiving week and previews what to watch this holiday season and into 2026. And a replay the recent interview he had with the new Saint Paul Mayor - elect Kaohly Her. The take focuses on how to revitalize our urban neighborhoods – especially St. Paul. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4pa02oi
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The latest insight from Fluence Advisory on the loss of institutional knowledge from the Minnesota Legislature. READ:https://fluence-advisory.com/insights/
BUDGET
FORECAST: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “A new economic forecast [shows] a surplus in the current budget of almost $2.5 billion but a shortfall that could approach $3 billion by 2029. The precarious nature could force a standpat session. … State leaders say rising health care costs and federal policy changes to social service programs play a factor [in the shortfall]. … Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy said Minnesota lawmakers are probably on their own [addressing] it. MURPHY: ‘We need help from the federal government, and I don’t know that we’re going to get it.’ … Speaker Lisa Demuth [said] the projected deficit and what might have contributed to it are what matter most. DEMUTH: ‘We have both a spending problem and a fraud problem, and we will be addressing it when we return to session.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3METU98
MORE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The nearly $3 billion shortfall [is] smaller than what officials had predicted in March, when the deficit was projected to hit $6 billion. But it’s larger than lawmakers had hoped it would be after working together last session to reduce spending. … Gov. Tim Walz and Democrats blamed President Donald Trump’s tariffs and policy changes, [including] significant cuts to federal health care funding. … But Minnesota Republicans blamed the DFL, saying recent tax increases drove the short-term surplus. … Walz said he will recommend more spending cuts as part of a new budget proposal he’ll put forward.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3KDUgfL
EXPENSES: via House Session Daily, VERBATIM: “MMB officials say total basic [health] care spending is projected to be about $1 billion higher per biennium than previous estimates. E-12 spending is projected to be $115 million higher in the current biennium than initially planned and $288 million higher in the 28-29 biennium. For property tax aids and credits, those numbers are $84 million and $116 million, respectively.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pkrlwh
REACTIONS: Numerous organizations responded to the budget forecast.
Via MN Assoc. of Counties, STATEMENT: “While the state’s long term budget outlook remains a concern, local governments need resources now. Counties in particular are dealing with a variety of state and federal policy changes that are driving up costs, resulting in historic property levy increases. The state should use these resources to immediately update archaic technology systems that counties are required to use. … The state can start with one-time spending to update these outdated systems.”
Via Kurt Zellers at the MN Business Partnership, VERBATIM: “While the current biennium shows a $2.5 billion surplus, the structural deficit projected for FY 2028-29 has grown to nearly $3 billion, more than double the $1.1 billion lawmakers anticipated after June’s special session. Rising health care costs and sluggish economic growth are outpacing revenues, and these pressures won’t resolve themselves.” (DISCLOSURE: MN Business Partnership is a client of Fluence Advisory)
via the Minnesota Hospital Association, VERBTATIM: “Today’s forecast puts Minnesota at a clear crossroads. We urge state leaders to work alongside us in the coming session to strengthen — not further strain — the health care ecosystem that keeps care within reach for all Minnesotans. Alongside today’s projections, Minnesotans face another looming challenge, as federal policy changes could leave tens of thousands without affordable coverage or Medical Assistance by 2027.”
Via Doug Loon, Minnesota Chamber CEO, LOON: “Minnesota’s growing deficit signals an economy being outpaced by other states – a clear warning of the economic imperative we can no longer ignore. Policymakers should act now to reshape decisions that directly affect Minnesotans’ livelihoods and restore stronger economic growth.”
ICYMI: Yesterday’s lunch take had additional coverage of the budget forecast, job numbers and early reactions. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qamo9B
TAKE: The forecast has improved; however the future deficit will give enough substance for the 2026 to be a debatable topic going forward. The driving factors are Minnesota’s overall economic growth, which is the symptom creating the problem. Most revealing yesterday was that budget officials couldn’t answer how much fraud may impact the budget. The question is – what would the surplus be if not for fraud? The DFLers clear strategy to focus on the ICE actions and Trump words gave them a distraction from deeper analysis of the budget. Meanwhile Republicans clearly can’t criticize Trump’s rhetoric or they fear the base. Predictably partisan.
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2026
13A: via St. Cloud Live, VERBATIM: “Another candidate has officially thrown her hat in the ring to succeed Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, in representing District 13A. … Tanja Goering, of Richmond, announced her campaign in a Facebook post. … Goering has previously served as the St. Cloud Chamber Board Chair and is a graduate of the College of St. Benedict. She is the second candidate to announce that they are seeking the Republican nomination to run for the seat.” GOERING: “I invite you to support my campaign as we work together to address heavy taxes, regulatory challenges and efforts to combat fraud in Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3MHFsgD
SD48: via Kessler for Senate, VERBATIM: “Today, Dr. Dan Kessler announced his campaign for Minnesota Senate District 48 [as a DFLer]. He released the following statement.” KESSLER: “I am a cancer survivor, a healthcare professional, and a small business owner. Right now, too many families are feeling the pinch from ballooning groceries bills or unexpected healthcare needs. We need to do better for Carver County families. It’s why I hope to earn your support in the next year as we work to flip this district.” WEBSITE: https://fluence-media.co/3KyBshO
SD60: DFL Sen. Doron Clark is running for reelection in Senate District 60 after winning a special election earlier this year. Via his announcement, CLARK: “I was honored by my colleagues’ early trust through my election to campaign leadership and committee appointments, and I’m asking for my neighbors’ support to continue that work in the next term.”
CD6: via MPR, VERBATIM: “A primary challenger has filed campaign forms to take on GOP U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer in the state’s 6th Congressional District. Mike Foley of Elk River filed paperwork with the [FEC] as a Republican.”DETAILS
SOMALI-AMERICANS
WALZ: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Gov. Tim Walz on Thursday sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s recent disparaging statements about Somali immigrants, calling the remarks ‘vile, racist lies and slander towards our fellow Minnesotans.’ … [But] Republican lawmakers [carefully] fielded questions about Trump’s remarks. … Speaker Lisa Demuth avoided condemning them. DEMUTH: ‘What we need to do is hold the fraudsters in any community accountable [because] there is not an entire community that is bad and there’s not an entire community that is good.’ … Senator Eric Pratt, a Republican seeking a suburban congressional seat, went further in distancing himself from the Trump remarks. PRATT: ‘It wasn’t said the way that I would have said it. We should never be condemning a community in its entirety.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rEgVsR
MORE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “A broad swath of religious leaders packed into a south Minneapolis mosque on Thursday to show solidarity and condemn ongoing attacks from President Donald Trump against Minnesota’s Somali community. The crowd of more than 50 inside of Umatul Islam Center consisted of imams, pastors, rabbis and leaders from other religions. … Mayor Jacob Frey said at the event [that] he’s spoken with Somali families about their fears and offered his support.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YabJzu
EMMER: via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “Rep. Tom Emmer cited false statistics about the percentage of crimes committed by Somali-Americans on Fox Business Wednesday, joining a wave of Republicans engaging in anti-Somali rhetoric. … ‘80% of the crimes being committed in the Twin Cities Minnesota are being committed by Somalis,’ Emmer said. That is false. … A state crime dashboard, filtered for crimes in the seven-county metro area, shows that 37% of people arrested since 2021 were Black. Somali-Americans comprise just a portion of the total Black population, which means Emmer’s claim is significantly off.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rFszDX
CLEAN | RELIABLE | AFFORDABLE: via Xcel Energy, VERBATIM: “We’re powering the Upper Midwest with clean, reliable, and affordable nuclear energy. For more than 50 years, our Prairie Island Nuclear Plant, located near Red Wing, MN, has been a workhorse of reliable, carbon-free energy. With two pressurized water reactors producing about 1,100 megawatts, Prairie Island generates enough electricity to power 1.5 million homes across the Upper Midwest. Unlike sources that depend on weather, nuclear energy delivers 24/7 reliability — providing the power we need today while protecting the environment for tomorrow.” LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4oCHdK9 (SPONSORED: Xcel Energy)
CONGRESS
CDL: via Rep. Pete Stauber advisory, VERBATIM: “Today, the Minnesota Republicans and several other members of Congress sent a letter to Governor Tim Walz demanding immediate action to revoke a substantial number of illegally issued non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) in Minnesota, a failure exposed by a recent federal audit by the Department of Transportation.” LETTER: https://fluence-media.co/48RJkUW
POT: via Rep. Ilhan Omar advisory, VERBATIM: “Today, Congresswomen Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and [other] leaders in the Congressional Cannabis Caucus introduced the Realizing Equitable & Sustainable Participation in Emerging Cannabis Trades (RESPECT) Resolution. This sense of Congress acknowledges steps and practices to create an equitable cannabis industry that addresses, reverses, and repairs the consequences of the failed ‘War on Drugs.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4izZfuk
MCCOLLUM: via a Rep. Betty McCollum statement, McCOLLUM: “The footage of the September 2nd boat strike in the Caribbean was deeply alarming and calls into question the Trump Administration’s respect for the laws of armed conflict. … Congress has a responsibility to fully investigate not only the September 2nd strike but the Trump Administration’s entire operation in the Caribbean.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44Pb3TM
LAW + ORDER
FEED FRAUD: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Federal prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota estimate they have recovered more than $60 million of the $250 million stolen from taxpayers in fraud connected to Feeding Our Future. … But investigators also say a large portion of the proceeds from the sprawling meal program fraud are tied up in real estate, cars and other property. Court records reveal the government has targeted many of those properties for forfeiture, but long after some defendants were charged, convicted and – in one case – sentenced, 5 INVESTIGATES found they are still the official owners of houses purchased with stolen money.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4ah0s83
ICE: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed at least 12 individuals were taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in Minneapolis since December 1. The list includes five men from Somalia, six from Mexico and one from El Salvador. Half of the men have been convicted of a crime, according to a release from DHS. The agency also named the recent surge of immigration agents to the Twin Cities as ‘Operation Metro Surge.’” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/49UbhfW
MORE: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “The St. Paul City Council continues to seek an investigation of police use of force during last week’s federal immigration operation and now plans a resolution on the topic for next week’s council meeting. … The city council [previously] planned to formally initiate action at their regular Wednesday meeting. ‘We are finalizing the language of that resolution, and really want to make sure that we get it right,’ City Council President Rebecca Noecker said at Wednesday’s council meeting.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/448A7Fb
LODGE FIRE: via Patch News, VERBATIM: “The owner of the historic Lutsen Resort Lodge has been arrested and charged with multiple felony counts of arson and insurance fraud in connection with the February 2024 fire that destroyed the North Shore landmark, state officials announced Wednesday. Bryce James Campbell, 41, of Two Harbors, was taken into custody Dec. 3. … Investigators concluded that Campbell intentionally set the fire ‘with the intent to defraud,’ according to the criminal complaint. BCA financial crimes agents determined he was experiencing significant debt.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44D4lQQ
BUSINESS EXCELLENCE: Flint Hills Resources was just awarded the 2025 Large Business of the Year award from the Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce at their annual Business Excellence Awards celebration. The award celebrates the outstanding achievements of businesses that exemplify the thriving and growing spirit of Dakota County. The businesses honored make an impact and contribute to the continued success of our community. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/46lTpIs (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
ECONOMIC DEV
META: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “The parent company of Facebook and Instagram has amassed a significant chunk of Rosemount land in recent years and has acquired another recent addition. In the midst of building its $800 million data center, Meta Platforms Inc. recently closed on 14 acres of land north of Dakota County Road 42 along Blaine Avenue East for $5 million in cash, according to records filed with the Minnesota Department of Revenue.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4oMIApa
GRANTS: via DEED advisory, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) today announced $1.4 million for three business expansion projects [expected] to create 86 new jobs and leverage more than $20 million in private investment.” The projects are Zero Zone Refrigeration in Ramsey, Winnebago Manufacturing Company in Blue Earth, and Rolls-Royce Solutions America in Mankato. READ: https://fluence-media.co/48Yot1p
MOVE: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “Erin Sexton, Mayo Clinic’s senior director of external relations, has been named the University of Minnesota’s vice president for government and community relations, the school announced Thursday. … Sexton will begin work at the university Jan. 5, 2026, pending approval by the Board of Regents.”
METRO + GREATERMN
MPLS: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “The City of Minneapolis has adopted a new policy intended to curb Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity amid reports of a new federal crackdown on the Somali community in the Twin Cities. Mayor Jacob Frey announced [this week] that he signed an executive order prohibiting federal, state or local agencies from using city-owned infrastructure — including parking lots, ramps and garages — to stage immigration enforcement operations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pdQ0CG
SPPS: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “When the St. Paul Public Schools levy referendum approved by voters last month is factored in, property owners will be looking at a 15% levy increase on their property taxes next year if the district’s annual levy is approved later this month. … The school board [previously] set its annual property tax levy at 2% less than the one a year ago. … [But] with the voter approved special levy increase, [an] owner of a median-value home of $289,200 in St. Paul would see a $291 per year property tax increase.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rzSrBf
RAMSEY CTY: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Ramsey County is considering a 9.75% levy increase for next year, [but] residents [questioned] why the county needs more money after they learned the county has $250 million in its reserve. The topic came up at the board of commissioners meeting [this week]. Deputy County Manager Alex Kotze said the $250 million in the ‘unassigned fund balance’ comes out to nearly four months of expenditures for the county. … The state auditor’s office recommends counties keep four to six months’ worth of expenditures in those ‘unrestricted fund balances.’” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3MI7yIA
LAKEVILLE: Lakeville Mayor Luke Hellier shared a statement on social media addressing “aggressive” comments after the city approved the construction of its first mosque last month. HELLIER: “My council colleagues and I have received a number of aggressive phone calls and emails regarding the recent approval of a mosque at the former school district office building. Some of these messages have come from Lakeville residents, while many have not. I want to be absolutely clear: Lakeville will always be a community that welcomes people of faith. Period.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3KdZqPx
MANKATO: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The largest campus in Minnesota’s state university system prepared a welcome for dozens of international students expected to arrive late this fall because of visa issues. But after a wave of visa denials that officials called ‘astounding,’ only four international students were in Mankato for a special mid-semester program meant for 40 to 60. ‘We were bracing for a much larger cohort,’ said Will Coghill-Behrends, dean of global education at Minnesota State University, Mankato. … The smaller-than-expected turnout illustrates how the Trump Administration’s increased vetting of student visas is proving disruptive for higher learning institutions in Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48lOtVi
WAITE PARK: via St. Cloud Live, VERBATIM: “After months of planning, District 742 Superintendent Laurie Putnam and Assistant Superintendent of E-5 Learning Nikki Hansen presented the school board with the proposed 2026-27 elementary school boundary changes. … The redesign process began in July and has gone through multiple rounds of input from district administration, staff and families. … According to the district, redesigning the boundaries would address overcrowding in some schools and underuse in others. … [But] not all the parents who spoke during the public access period agreed.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Mkxw4T
ALEXANDRIA: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Hundreds of people just outside Alexandria [went] without heat on Thursday following a car crash that led to a natural gas leak. … A suspected drunk driver struck an above-ground natural gas overflow pipe along County Road 42 near Carlos, prompting the evacuation of nearby homes and a power shutoff. The gas leak has since been resolved, but the outage continues to impact about 525 homes in the area. … The outage [was] on a night that temperatures plunged into double-figures below zero in west-central Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48RP8hc
NEXT…
TODAY: The Minneapolis City Council will begin voting on 38 proposed city budget amendments at 10:00 a.m.
MONDAY: Nine Republican candidates for governor are scheduled to appear at a forum in Marshall on Monday, Dec. 8 at 6:00 p.m. The invited candidates are Chris Madel, Lisa Demuth, Kristin Robbins, Scott Jensen, Kendall Qualls, Jeff Johnson, Brad Kohler, Patrick Knight and Phillip Parrish. Lyon County Republicans plan to livestream the event on Facebook.
DEC 12: via Minneapolis Fed, VERBATIM: “Twice a year, regional economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis survey construction firms to gauge the sector’s performance and overall outlook. Join Regional Outreach Director Erick Garcia Luna to discuss these and other results from the fall survey of construction firms across the Ninth District.” The virtual event is at 9:00 a.m.
BDAYS: Rep. Josh Heintzeman. SAT: United Heroes leader Shane Hudella, operative Allyssa Helgason, Care Providers lobbyist Kyle Berndt SUN: Comms pro Colin Cox, financial planner Alex Kronick
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IN MEMORIAM: morning take from now to the future is in memory of Melissa Hortman her accessibility, leadership and commitment to public service.
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