Rock Chalk Weekend.
Wild win. Timberwolves win.
Gopher FB at Rutgers. Vikings should win at Jacksonville.
The Minnesota Frost unveiled their new uniforms for the upcoming PWHL season. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3O12vAs
WWE announced it will host a “Deadline” event on Dec. 7 at The Armory in Minneapolis.
Colgate starts ECAC play this weekend.
The MUST read SportsTake came out yesterday. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hHXpqK
The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate by a quarter-point. FOX: https://fluence-media.co/3YB8LnD
On WalletHub’s list of the best places for veterans to live, Minneapolis ranked 24th and St. Paul ranked 55th. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/3sVz8oG
Sunday Take will include conversations with Speaker Melissa Hortman and House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth. Tune-in to WCCO Radio on 9AM on Sunday. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/WCCOLive
Best of luck for those participating in the deer opener.
Happy National Cappuccino Day!
Blois
Tips: bloisolson@gmail.com
If you’re looking for a speaker to synthesize the election results and the upcoming legislative session email bloisolson@gmail.com
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CONGRESS: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “It wasn’t that long ago when in any given election year, Minnesota would have up to four of its eight congressional districts considered competitive races. After the 2024 elections, that number might have dwindled to zero. All eight districts were won by double-digit margins ranging from 14% to 49%. … Democrat Angie Craig [won] her third reelection bid by her widest margin yet since first winning the seat in 2018. … She outperformed Kamala Harris, who won the district 52% to 46% this year over President-elect Donald Trump. … As recently as 2018, Minnesota had four competitive congressional races. Spending on those races by outside special interests totaled $46 million in 2018. In 2024, the total was down to $3.3 million.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/40E78bb
FUTURE: Rep. Angie Craig is a name that DFLers are buzzing about if the Governor’s seat is open in 2026 that she would be a leading candidate. Craig has won Minnesota’s most competitive Congressional district, and held it with strong victories. Craig’s authentic style is an asset that while she sometimes plays it too safe, is as good one-on-one or in neutral territory as any recent Minnesota politico. Her business background, and straight talking style may be a refreshing moderate
DNC: via Reuters, VERBATIM: “Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison is not expected to seek renomination when the party holds a leadership vote early next year, according to two sources familiar with his thinking. Harrison, who was criticized for strongly backing Joe Biden's effort to stay in the 2024 race before he dropped out in July, signaled his plans to leave the position before Tuesday’s disappointing results for Democrats. … Potential successors to Harrison include governors Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Phil Murphy of New Jersey, along with Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams and Ken Martin, who runs the state party in Minnesota, the sources told Reuters.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YGJFU7
MN SENATE: via a Senate GOP advisory, VERBATIM: “Today, Senate Republicans selected their leadership team to guide the caucus in [the] upcoming biennium. Senator Mark Johnson was re-elected as Minority Leader while Senators Julia Coleman, Gary Dahms, Karin Housley, John Jasinski, and Michael Kreun, and Jordan Rasmusson filled out the rest of the leadership team. Sen. Johnson released the following statement.” JOHNSON: “We selected a great team today, and they are ready to work. Minnesotans elected the most balanced legislature possible: a one vote difference in the Senate, and a tie in the House. They expect us to have compromise and bipartisanship, and this leadership team is already planning for a great session to begin in January.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Yx7Cxi
MN HOUSE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Two districts are heading to an automatic recount. Detailed precinct maps of each district, 14B in St. Cloud and 54A in Shakopee, show where each candidate had strength and where they were close to tying. … [14B] saw 19,486 votes cast across 20 precincts. DFL Rep. Dan Wolgamott leads GOP challenger Sue Ek by 28 votes before the recount. Wolgamott’s support and largest margins came in the area near downtown St. Cloud. … In [54A], the race was even tighter. Just 13 votes separate DFL Rep. Brad Tabke and Republican challenger Aaron Paul here, where 21,895 votes were cast in 13 precincts. While Paul won in many precincts, his margins were small. … In one precinct near Canterbury Park, the two candidates were separated by a single vote.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3AzZQuC
ANALYSIS: via WCCO Radio, VERBATIM: “WCCO political analyst Blois Olson says the governor will have his hands full this session, which comes with the added challenge of having to pass a budget. But before that can happen, deciding who is the next Speaker of the House will take some serious negotiating behind the scenes. QUOTE: ‘Now, behind the scenes Speaker [Melissa] Hortman and Leader [Lisa] Demuth will start to negotiate a kind of operating agreement…[but] they will also have to sell that operating agreement with their caucuses.’ … Olson says there will certainly be a lot of jockeying within those caucuses before an agreement is reached. He adds that in the interim, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, a Democrat, will serve as the Speaker Pro Tempore.” READ/LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3CfdROG
MORE: WCCO-TV interviewed longtime reporter Pat Kessler, who covered the Minnesota House during its previous tie in 1979, to discuss how the divided chamber functioned and whether or not such a plan would work today. READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/40C8lzO
MNLEG: The list of bills that won’t be a factor with the Minnesota House being tied is long including many of Gov. Tim Walz previous priorites..
IMMIGRATION: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Immigration experts and advocates in Minnesota are both preparing for and wondering what changes may happen to an already complex immigration system under another Donald Trump administration. Julia Decker, policy director with the Immigrant Law Center in St. Paul, says while it is still uncertain what may happen under a Trump presidency, she wonders about changes to programs like Temporary Protected Status [and] DACA. … Jane Graupman, executive director of the International Institute of Minnesota, expressed concerns about the potential effects of new policies on legal immigration pathways and the country’s refugee program, which she notes has been crucial for many immigrants, including in Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NZSYK7
HEALTHCARE: The Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom, a St. Paul-based think tank, has issued an open letter to President-elect Donald Trump requesting a 15-minute meeting to discuss “seven steps he could take to restore patient and doctor freedom.” The letter only specifies what one of the seven “steps” is, but it broadly calls for moving American healthcare “away from socialism and back to freedom.” EXCERPT: “Among the recommendations is the reissue of the October 2019 Medicare Executive Order, which includes a provision giving senior citizens the right to opt out of Medicare without losing their Social Security benefits, an executive order which CCHF worked with the Trump administration to secure.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4er9Xjc
WALZ: A fundraising text attributed to Gov. Tim Walz has been released by the Kamala Harris campaign following their electoral defeat. VERBATIM: “I think we’re all feeling a little bit of sadness right now…but that is exactly why I am texting you today. Look, there are very important Senate races where ballots are still being counted in Arizona and Nevada. … Will you chip in $40 to support our Harris Fight Fund program? Whatever you give will ensure every vote is counted in these final Senate races across the country.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fBOYv7
MORE: On social media, Rep. Tom Emmer (R-6th) posted three laughing emojis in response to the news that Gov. Tim Walz and Vice Pres. Kamala Harris lost in Blue Earth County by 1.2%. The county seat is Mankato, where Walz lived for decades before becoming governor. TWEET: https://fluence-media.co/48Nzou7
MORE: via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “Hamline University professor and political expert David Schultz told WCCO he believes not only has Gov. Tim Walz’s path for national politics most likely ended, but his path in Minnesota politics is also ‘just about coming to an end.’ At the state level, Walz's prospects of winning a third term as governor don't look promising. … At a national level, Schultz said [that] several vice presidents have eventually run for president — like Minnesota's Walter Mondale and Hubert Humphrey — but that's after they have already been part of a winning ticket on the national level.” SCHULTZ: “With the exception of Rudy Perpich, no governor in Minnesota since post-WWII has successfully run and been elected to a third term as governor. The chances of him deciding to run and win become complicated for him.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3YV5n8d
SRO: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “After months of discussion and even a change in the law, police officers in Minnesota schools now have new rules for interacting with students. … On Thursday, a state board overseeing police training and licensing made clarifications and changes to how SROs do their job. The Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board adopted the new policy after making some tweaks based on feedback from police and insurance lobbying groups. … State law requires police agencies with school resource officers to adopt the new changes, but that doesn’t mean it’s set in stone. Many members of the board said on Thursday they were willing to see how the new policy works and change it if they hear from their communities.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3UH6eqE
SPORTSBETS: via WCCO Radio, VERBATIM: “Sports betting appears to be back on the table in the next legislative session now that a Minnesota horse track is on board with it as well. Taro Ito is President and CEO of Running Aces in Blaine, Minnesota, and says there's been a misconception about this bill. … ‘We're not opposed to sports betting in Minnesota,’ says Ito. ‘We are not the obstacle in this process. All we want is to be treated fairly.’ They also want a license. … Ito is optimistic a deal can be brokered, and so is Senator Matt Klein (DFL- Mendota Heights).” KLEIN: “In the Senate, it's got to get through, I think, five committees or six committees — and I'll be presenting it in each one of those committees. We'll try to get it scheduled early in session and move quickly through that process.” READ/LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4fe6sxK (DISCLOSURE: The Sports Betting Alliance is a client of Fluence)
TURNOUT: via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “Minnesota voter turnout fell in 2024 from the record high levels set in 2020…[but] as usual, Minnesota’s turnout was far higher in 2024 than the national average, and the Minnesota decline mirrors preliminary estimates of the national turnout drop. But Minnesota’s turnout decline was not evenly distributed, according to a Reformer analysis of voting returns. Turnout dropped sharply in Democratic strongholds like the Twin Cities and Rochester. And in many of the deeply conservative rural areas of the state, turnout actually rose.” READ/MAPS: https://fluence-media.co/3YDgEZC
REFERENDUMS: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Various local referendums across the state were in front of Minnesota voters Tuesday. Some significant ballot measures passed, including one in St. Paul that will switch local odd-year elections to even years and a Minneapolis Public Schools technology levy increase. Meanwhile, St. Paul voters shot down a child care tax proposal that the city’s mayor strongly opposed, saying it over-promised and would have under-delivered. … There were 54 referendums by state school districts asking voters to increase funding by approving local tax levies or increased tax levies. Of those, 31 passed and 23 failed.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3UIC1Yn
MORE: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “Passing [school referendum] funding was crucial given many of those districts are facing unprecedented budget shortfalls. In the immediate metro area alone, data from the Association of Metropolitan School Districts (AMSD) shows most schools having to combat a $300 million deficit combined. More cuts are likely from staff to programming, especially where the referendums failed [like] Lakeville, Farmington, Rockford and Prior Lake-Savage (PLSAS).” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/48IqcXL
‘MY WHOLE LIFE CHANGED’ — EMPOWERMENT TRAINING OPENS PATHWAY INTO THE TRADES: Since 2019, a partnership between Five Skies Empowerment Training and Enbridge has broadened as unions, contractors and other groups look to connect Native American job seekers to meaningful careers. “They’re gonna open the door for you,” says Joel, a program graduate. “Before the 5 Skies program, I wasn’t aware there were so many opportunities,” explains Ashley. “My whole life changed,” says Melissa. Click here to submit an application, and find out more on upcoming training. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3XoPg0D (SPONSORED: Enbridge)
MPLS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has found money to avoid cutting $350,000 from the North Commons Park renovation, which was in jeopardy after the City Council voted to make midyear budget cuts to save a downtown homeless shelter. The council voted in September to cut $1.5 million from various city departments’ remaining 2024 operating budgets to help fund repairs to a homeless shelter. The Frey administration responded by saying their decision would require the city to make cuts…but he has since found another alternative. Frey emailed City Council members Aisha Chughtai and Emily Koski Monday laying out a plan to spend down remaining federal pandemic aid approved by Congress in 2021.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Cjbzye
MORE: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “The city of Minneapolis has taken one more step toward shutting down the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) trash incinerator. Mayor Jacob Frey signed a resolution calling for it to be closed by the end of 2027 on Thursday morning at city hall. The city council approved the plan last week, and officials say the incinerator – located in the North Loop – is one of the biggest sources of air pollution in Minneapolis, adding it burns nearly 365,000 tons of waste each year.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/40E3bUe
LABOR: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “The Minneapolis City Council has shared its plan for a labor standards board — an advisory committee that would make recommendations to the council for labor policies. A council committee considered the potential board at a meeting Wednesday, and voted to send the resolution to the full council for consideration. … [It] calls for a 15-seat board, with five seats each for employers, employees and community stakeholders. Council Vice President Aisha Chughtai [said] the goal is to give workers and employers a seat at the table. … Opponents say they worry that new regulations from the board will create costs for small businesses. … Mayor Jacob Frey has also called for a labor standards board, but he said in a statement that he disagrees with parts of the council’s plan.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NXFwX1
RESPONSE: via a joint statement from the Minneapolis Works Together business coalition, VERBATIM: “The proposed Minneapolis Labor Standards Board (MLSB) has been developed – and now, for the first time, advanced – through a process that has lacked transparency as well as a clear process for input, and has been unresponsive to conversations with the business community. … Our organizations are united in saying this: Minneapolis deserves straightforward, accountable leadership. We will not be participating in the MLSB, should this proposal move forward.”
PERMITTING REFORM FOR RESPONSIBLE INDUSTRIES: Jobs for Minnesotans is committed to advancing responsible industrial projects through a predictable, timely and transparent permitting process. Broad permitting reform for all responsible industries is essential to strengthening Minnesota’s communities and advancing our state’s clean energy future. (SPONSORED: Jobs for Minnesotans)
RED FLAG: via FOX 9, VERBATIM: “Ramsey County authorities on Thursday spoke to the public about the state's Extreme Risk Protect Order (ERPO), or “Red Flag” law, that gives citizens the tools to obtain a court-ordered firearms surrender in life-threatening situations. … The Ramsey County Attorney's Office has convened ‘150 stakeholders on new county-wide protocols, procedures, and staff investments to maximize use’ of the Minnesota Red Flag law. … Ramsey County Attorney John Choi spoke about the importance of community cooperation when it comes to implementing Red Flag orders. … Choi added there have been ‘a little over 100’ ERPOs across the state since the law passed on Jan. 1, 2024, with most happening in greater Minnesota.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4fAjYLY
MAYORS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Two mayors in south-central Minnesota will return to office after winning their races this week, after both recently submitted guilty pleas to gross misdemeanor charges in separate cases. Randy Zimmerman of Waseca [won by] about 750 votes. Zimmerman, 49, pleaded guilty to perjury under oath in October. … Robert John Anderson, the mayor of Good Thunder since 1992, also won re-election this week. Anderson, 68, pleaded guilty to a gross misdemeanor conflict-of-interest charge in October.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4efEjVO
WALLEYE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “After years of contemplating a reduction in Minnesota’s longtime six-walleye daily bag limit, the Department of Natural Resources is moving to lower it to four. State Fisheries Chief Brad Parsons [said] the shift will take place in 2026 unless agency leaders change their minds during an upcoming public comment period. There’s no plan to involve the state Legislature, he said.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hDvBn4
MOVE: Nina Moini is taking over as a Minnesota Now host on MPR from Cathy Wurzer.
ECONOMICDEVELOPMENT: From Grand Rapids, a conversation about opportunities and challenges to economic growth in Greater Minnesota with Tuleah Palmer, CEO of the Blandin Foundation, Roy Smith of the IRRRB and Steve Loney from Kiesler Wellness Center. From workforce to energy costs, a thoughtful conversation on how leaders are working together to push the region’s economy forward. Mainstreet Minnesota is presented by Compeer Financial. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/MainstreetMN2
RAMSEY CTY: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “A candidate for the District 7 Ramsey County Board race will request a recount in a race in which her opponent won by only 28 votes. With a total of 15,437 votes, Kelly Miller had a lead over Sarah K. Yang, who received 15,409 votes. Yang said Thursday that she plans to request a recount. … The race is close enough to call for a publicly-funded recount, county officials said Wednesday. A recount for the district race is estimated to cost $5,000 to $7,000.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YMbg6K
MOWER CTY: via Austin Daily Herald, VERBATIM: “A technical issue encountered during the upload of General Election results from Mower County late Tuesday have led to some incorrect reported totals, though the problem has since been corrected and do not change any of the race results related to winners and losers. After the final ballots had been counted Tuesday night, the Elections Office began having issues due to a hardware/software issue when uploading to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office according to a statement on the Mower County website.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3AABsZL
ROCHESTER: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “Faith in Minnesota, a progressive political organization, scored an impressive clean sweep in Tuesday’s elections. … All three Rochester City Council candidates endorsed by the left-leaning group won seats on the council. And a $194 million Rochester Public Schools referendum supported by Faith in Minnesota passed. … Advocates call it a grassroots effort focused on raising awareness on issues important to the community such as affordable housing and creating strong schools and vibrant neighborhoods. Critics called the DFL-aligned group an out-of-town interloper that was injecting politics into what are supposed to be non-partisan races.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40CQiJJ
ST CLOUD: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “St. Cloud Mayor-elect Jake Anderson says he hopes to hit the ground running when he takes office in January. Anderson, an IT project manager for Stearns County, edged out his opponent, Mike Conway, in Tuesday’s election with about 51 percent of the vote. Both are current members of the St. Cloud City Council. Anderson will replace longtime mayor Dave Kleis. … Anderson thinks his campaign, focused on local issues such as public safety, infrastructure, improving public spaces and bringing pride back to the city, struck a chord with voters. … A key priority, Anderson said, will be St. Cloud rebooting its vision for revitalizing the city’s downtown. That could include revisiting an effort to establish a business improvement district to help pay for improvements or asking the Legislature for bonding money, he said.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Cm6FAv
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT: Flint Hills Resources makes fuels and other products people need and use every day — products that help keep Minnesota moving. The company does this while prioritizing safety and environmental stewardship and contributing meaningfully to the community. That’s Stewardship with a Purpose. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3ALNT4U (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
From yesterday’s Fluence newsletters:
RIGHT SHIFT: via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “The average Minnesota legislative district swung two points to the right in 2024, a sign of voter discontent with the status quo under the Democratic Farmer-Labor Party’s trifecta in St. Paul . . . Previous contests have often been a story of geographic sorting, with DFL gains in urban districts offsetting losses in greater Minnesota. But in 2024 DFL margins shrunk almost everywhere, from the Twin Cities’ urban core to the farthest reaches of the Arrowhead. DFL candidate vote shares shrunk in 82 of the 112 House districts that had two major party candidates running in both 2022 and 2024.” READ/MAP: https://fluence-media.co/4hRwngH
FIRSTS: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “With the 2024 presidential race called, new faces have emerged out of local races, marking several historic firsts in Minnesota. That includes electing a majority of women to Minnesota’s congressional delegation and Rochester’s first openly-gay city council president. But there were also some potential firsts that never came to be.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4elV95B
IRON RANGE: via Iron Range Today, VERBATIM: “Republicans colored the Iron Range political map a deep shade of red Tuesday, flipping the long-coveted House District 7B seat by a double-digit margin and sending a clear referendum on the [DFL’s] control. The decades-old political shift became a complete political realignment, one that seems unlikely to change course for at least a generation or two of voters, continuing a trend seen across rural parts of the nation and Minnesota in recent years.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fmz8ET
MORE TAKES: Every day, we’re sharing significant political, business and other news in additional newsletters. If you love morning take, sign up for the other Fluence tip sheets HERE: fluence-newsletters.com
TODAY: Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan will travel to Sandstone, Minnesota, to kick off the 2024 Minnesota Governor’s Deer Hunting Opener at a community celebration with hunters from across the state. (Notable that Gov. Walz isn’t attending)
TODAY: via City of Minneapolis, VERBATIM: “The Minneapolis City Council authors of the Labor Standards Board (LSB) and other council members will visit a local childcare center to stand with workers, business owners and community members Friday morning.” The event is at 9:00 a.m.
TUESDAY: On Tuesday, Nov. 12, Citizens League is hosting a “Mind Opener” discussion panel on geographic disparities in Minnesota’s healthcare system. DFL Sen. Grant Hauschild and GOP Sen. Jordan Rasmusson will be two of the panelists. The event is at 12:00 noon.
WEDNESDAY: via an AARP advisory, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s Secure Choice Retirement Program is a new state-sponsored plan designed to help small businesses offer employees an easy way to save for their future, set to launch after January 2025. … Join AARP Minnesota and the Minneapolis Regional Chamber for an insightful conversation on Secure Choice. This is a great opportunity to get your questions answered and to learn how Secure Choice can benefit your business.” The online event is at 12:00 noon. REGISTER: https://fluence-media.co/3O3aVas (SPONSORED: AARP Minnesota)
BDAYS: Fluence’s Bruce Gordon, fmr. Sen. candidate Kathleen Fowke, lobbyist Chas Anderson, Intl. Paper’s Gretchen Spear, Fox 9’s Amy Hockert, communications pro Allison Fraillich , Actino 4 Liberty’s Jake Duesenberg SAT: Blue Plate’s David Burley, Senate DFL’s Marc Kimball, communication vet Sam McCullough, SUN: Brooklyn Park Mayor Hollie Winston, Anoka County’s Julie Jeppson
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TIPS: How do we get the best news and most buzzed about stories? Send us your tips at BloisOlson@gmail.com
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