TENSE TUESDAY RETURN
The Twins win…in front of a tiny crowd. Michigan wins the National Championship in MBB. UCLA in WBB. A good year for the Big 10.
Wild host Seattle tonight. Wolves at Indiana.
As the legislature returns there is an escalation in partisan attacks in the House. The stripping of committees for Reps. Elliot Engen and Walter Hudson is countered with an Alpha News story about Rep. Alex Falconer carrying legislation for his employer.
Each side says ethics complaints are coming…the chances of a devolution of session may begin, and the odds of nothing getting done rise.
In Minneapolis, a hearing on decriminalizing drug paraphernalia today – because there are no other critical issues in the city.
A woman arrested for protesting outside a St. Paul church had her charges dropped. MPR: https://fluence-media.co/4dwxMJN
Artemis II set a new record for the greatest distance humans have ever been from Earth. AXIOS: https://fluence-media.co/4sRkr3j
It’s National Beer Day…and National Coffee Cake Day. What a country.
Blois - tips: bloisolson@gmail.com
On Sunday Take, GOP Floor Leader Harry Niska and DFL Rep. Matt Norris discussed what the Legislature did on break and what they expect to get done this session. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3O830wr
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DRIVING BACK TO SESSION
TODAY: The Minnesota Legislature is back to work today after a holiday break. Contentious hearings are expected from the taxes committee, which will debate a wealth tax, and the fraud committee, which has a hearing on alleged kickbacks.
Dueling news releases about filing ethics complaints yesterday, leads us to a new tension in the tied House…and likely some grumbling within the House Republican caucus …COMMITTEES: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Two Republicans in the Minnesota House will be stripped of their committee assignments for the remainder of this year’s legislative session. … Reps. Elliott Engen, R-Lino Lakes, and Walter Hudson, R-Albertville, will no longer serve on the House public safety, judiciary and education finance committees. … Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, also planned to strip Engen of his position as co-vice chair on the House rules committee, [while] Hudson will lose his position on the House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee. … House Democrats said Monday evening they plan to file an official ethics complaint against Engen and Hudson.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4toCfCW
RESPONSE: via statement from House DFL leader Zach Stephenson, VERBATIM: “House Committees will only meet for eight more days this session. This isn’t even a slap on the wrist. Reps. Engen and Hudson didn’t want to be in committee in the first place; they wanted to go to the bar. On March 25, Reps. Engen and Hudson even voted to end the entire legislative session early, effectively saying they don’t want anything to get done this year. They wanted to pack it up and go home. They’re clearly not interested in doing their jobs. Removing them from committees effectively gives them what they want…It has been more than a week since Rep. Engen was arrested, and we still have more questions than answers.”
CONFLICT: via Alpha News, VERBATIM: “A Minnesota state lawmaker carried legislation backed by an environmental lobbyist group the same year he was employed by the group, according to public records…Rep. Alex Falconer was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in November of 2024.…Under state law, candidates for the Minnesota Legislature are required to file an economic interest statement (EIS) with the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board. An EIS discloses the candidate’s employer, income, securities, property ownership, and other items…As a candidate for office, Falconer filed an EIS on June 4, 2024, which disclosed that he was employed by Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness (NMW) as a “Campaign Manager.”… On Jan. 27, 2026, Falconer filed a new economic interest statement which described his occupation as “senior advisor” to NMW. The Campaign Finance Board told Alpha News the EIS retrospectively covers 2025. That EIS notes that he or his wife received income from the environmental group during 2025.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4vfBfCP
COURT: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s top judge is retiring in September, giving Gov. Tim Walz another opportunity to shape the state Supreme Court. … Chief Justice Natalie Hudson will step down as she approaches the mandatory retirement age for judges; she turns 70 in January. … Four of the seven justices on the Supreme Court were put there by Walz. … It’s possible that Walz will choose from within the court for a new chief, which would also give him another associate justice position to backfill. That’s what happened when he tapped Hudson for the job in 2023 after she had been on the court since 2015.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3O0QBuf
MORE: Gov. Tim Walz’s office announced that details are “forthcoming” on the selection of a successor to Chief Justice Natalie Hudson. Via a statement, WALZ: “Chief Justice Hudson stands among the giants of Minnesota history. She will be remembered not only for the glass ceilings she shattered but for a lifetime of service. … The rule of law is stronger than ever in Minnesota.”
BIZ GRANTS: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “The $100 million grant program intended to help Minnesota small businesses is facing renewed scrutiny after 5 INVESTIGATES identified grant recipients that may not have been eligible for the money. … Several recipients appear to be operating miles outside of eligible neighborhoods, and other businesses may not be operating at all. … Rep. Dave Baker, chair of the Minnesota House jobs committee, said the findings raise serious concerns about vetting and oversight. … ‘There’s no reason why this should not be just immediately suspended,’ he said. … He said he intends to raise these new findings at a hearing this session.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3OmwpTG
A new level of insight and information….
BILLS
HCMC: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “As a dire financial outlook has pushed Minneapolis’ Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) to the brink of closure, health care workers and union leaders are calling for legislative action, which could be introduced at the state Capitol as soon as Tuesday. … The hospital can’t even make its $33 million biweekly payroll and must rely on the county to cover the overdraft, Hennepin County Commissioner Jeffrey Lunde told MinnPost. … Lunde said that without action from lawmakers, [HCMC] would begin closing in June.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cf2G73
MORE: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “The future of [HCMC] is a statewide priority to some. … ‘I don’t want to call it too big to fail, but maybe I do,’ said Rep. Greg Davids, R-Preston. … Davids and Sen. Liz Boldon, DFL-Rochester, both told the Post Bulletin that keeping HCMC open is a nonpartisan issue. ‘I do think there is bipartisan recognition that action needs to happen,’ Boldon said. It is a Greater Minnesota issue, too, lawmakers say. HCMC [is] a regional referral center for serious injuries, strokes and severe burns.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dDa66B
FOR RURAL HOSPITALS, 340B ISN’T A WINDFALL — IT’S A LIFELINE: 30% of Minnesota hospitals are operating in the red. Savings from the 340B Drug Pricing Program help keep the doors open for safety-net hospitals that serve the most rural and underserved populations. Legislators can support access to local, high-quality care in their districts by strengthening the 340B program this session. READ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4uPSZV1 (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)
EMAILS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Gov. Tim Walz [says] legislators’ emails should be open to the public. … Walz’s own emails are subject to disclosure, and he thinks legislators’ should be too in the name of transparency. … But getting Minnesota legislators to amend state law to open their emails to public scrutiny is easier said than done. … There are no bills on the topic before the Legislature this year. And the idea lands with a thud when you ask lawmakers, no matter their party, who argue they have sensitive communications with constituents that must be protected.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bVCtLT
ENDING: Via House Session Daily, an explainer on why the session is unlikely to end early this year. VERBATIM: “Rep. Ron Kresha (R-Little Falls) was ready to end the session March 25, making the motion to adjourn sine die. But not enough of his colleagues shared that sentiment, defeating the attempt to adjourn on a 72-58 vote. If the House had called it quits for 2026…it would have been the earliest end to a regular session [since] 1986. … But the last time the Legislature adjourned earlier than May was in 1998.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41Vc8aM
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)
HEALTH
FAIRVIEW: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Attorney General Keith Ellison is voicing frustration with the University of Minnesota over a blown March 31 deadline for a new agreement to fund the state’s largest medical school. … Ellison said the university has been using consultants for more than a year to develop strategies that would grab more power for the U in the three-way partnership with Fairview Health Services and University of Minnesota Physicians. … The attorney general’s statement on Monday called for all parties to get to work on finishing the agreements, while also hinting at intransigence by the U.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4t6X5qs
COVID: via Forum News Service, VERBATIM: “In a letter last month urging federal officials to fund research into ‘long COVID,’ U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber revealed he dealt for years with the chronic condition, which can leave patients with debilitating symptoms well after a coronavirus infection. … The northeastern Minnesota Republican said he struggled with symptoms like vertigo, carpal tunnel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, hearing and sight deterioration before a diagnosis of long COVID. But a treatment protocol that followed helped symptoms subside within six weeks, he said. … Now, he’s urging the NIH to continue funding research and trials into long COVID and its potential treatments.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41QfOut
LGBTQ: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Children’s Minnesota announced Monday that it has resumed all services in its Gender Health program, some of which had been temporarily paused on Feb. 27. The decision follows a federal court ruling in March that overturned a previous attempt to restrict gender-affirming care. This ruling, resulting from a lawsuit filed by Minnesota and a coalition of states, blocks the Trump Administration from limiting access to such care.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47MAlDJ
REJECT 340B EXPANSION: A new Minnesota Department of Health report shows hospitals made at least $1 billion dollars from a federal drug discount program known as 340B. The program should help patients, but experts say there is little accountability for where the money goes. The report was delayed and only recently released, showing the program isn’t working as intended. But Minnesota politicians are fast tracking a bill to expand the 340B program anyway. Lawmakers: reject House File 3609 / Senate File 3769. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4uUobCQ (SPONSORED: Community Action for Responsible Hospitals)
ICE + MN
IMPACT: via North Star Policy Action, VERBATIM: “New analysis by North Star Policy Action on data from [DEED] shows that Operation Metro Surge had a measurable and damaging impact on Minnesota’s economy, particularly for workers and businesses in the Twin Cities. … Average weekly hours fell to 32.1 hours, the lowest level recorded since 2007, [with] an estimated $106 million in lost wages.” REPORT: https://fluence-media.co/4snQJSH
EVIDENCE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The City of Minneapolis on Monday released video of the January [non-fatal] shooting of a man by ICE agents on the North Side that contradicts the version of events federal officials initially provided. … The nine-minute video captures roughly 12 seconds of struggling between the agent and two men. … Minnesota’s top federal prosecutor, Daniel Rosen, asked a judge to dismiss criminal charges [after] it became clear that the federal agents involved lied during sworn testimony.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dyfcAR
340B HOSPITAL MARKUPS HURT PATIENTS: Minnesota’s latest 340B report shows covered entities generated $1.34 billion IN PROFIT in 2024, including an estimated $261 million from Medicaid prescriptions. Independent research finds the program raises costs for patients, taxpayers, and employers statewide. Minnesota should sunset the 340B mandate and Congress should fix the federal 340B program, so it actually helps patients. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3OLZOGG(SPONSORED: PhRMA)
MISC
24B: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “John Michael Ajouri has announced his candidacy for the Minnesota House of Representatives in District 24B, the seat currently held by Rep. Tina Liebling. He recently received the endorsement of the Republican Party. … He plans his campaign to focus on lowering the tax burden on families and small businesses, fighting government waste, and supporting local business growth.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sWI2Q8
FED FUNDS: via Sen. Amy Klobuchar advisory, VERBATIM: “U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) are calling on the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to approve the use of Project Labor Agreements for five projects that have been awarded federal funds to St. Louis County.” LETTER: https://fluence-media.co/4t6Zr8M
HABITAT RESTORATION: Flint Hills Resources has earned Tandem Global WHC Gold Certification for habitat restoration at its Cottage Grove fuel terminal. The certification comes after two years of work in partnership with Friends of the Mississippi River to implement a restoration and monitoring plan to re-establish the 6.5-acre site’s natural prairie and savannah. Flint Hills has held gold certification for its work done with community partners over the past 25 years to restore more than 200 acres of the Pine Bend Bluffs, a critical natural area along the Mississippi River that is adjacent to Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery. This makes two Flint Hills gold certified sites in Minnesota and the first two gold-certified sites ever in the Twin Cities. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3VASKg4 (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
HIGHER ED
MACALESTER: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Christine Grady will deliver Macalester College’s keynote address for the class of 2026’s commencement ceremony May 16. … Fauci, a key member of the White House’s COVID-19 response during the pandemic, and Grady, a bioethicist, are married. The couple also will receive honorary degrees from the college.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mkbPjy
SCHOLASTICA: via Duluth News Tribune, VERBATIM: “The College of St. Scholastica is facing a significant budget deficit, which has already led to the layoff of several faculty members at the private college. In a series of internal emails obtained by the News Tribune, St. Scholastica administrators identified a $5.6 million budget gap that the college is attempting to close for the 2027 fiscal year. … While St. Scholastica declined to comment on how many positions would be impacted, sources within the college identified at least six faculty members who received contract nonrenewal notices in March.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cpy3Nv
A MUST ATTEND EVENT!….It’s BACK! The TwinWest Legislative Breakfast is on April 17, featuring Senate Min. Ldr. Mark Johnson, House DFL Flr. Ldr. Jamie Long, Senate Asst. Maj. Ldr. Nick Frentz and House GOP Flr. Ldr. Harry Niska in a mid-session discussion moderated by Blois Olson and presented by Fluence Advisory. REGISTER: https://fluence-media.co/4lWWmFM
STATE NEWS
MPLS: via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “Since 1913, St. Clement Catholic Church has stood the test of time in Minneapolis’ Northeast Arts District. It’s served as a social hub for countless community members. … But the church’s future is uncertain. This may very likely be the last Easter celebration, church leaders said. … Aaron Stockton, a trustee for the church, said a piece of equipment as old as the church itself is to blame: [the] boiler. … He said a fix would cost roughly $150,000. The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis is set to help with fundraising, Stockton said, but their campaign doesn’t kick off until next January — so the money would come too late.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4shpUPM
BURNSVILLE: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “A vending machine inside Burnhaven Library [is] part of the city’s growing effort to reduce harm from opioid use. It’s stocked with free Narcan, drug testing strips, and basic care kits with items like food, tissues and hygiene supplies. … The idea was first proposed by Burnsville police officer Sgt. Max Yakovlev and is now funded through the city’s share of national opioid settlements. Burnsville expects to receive nearly $2 million from those settlements to support prevention efforts like this one.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/41lWtRN
ST CLOUD: via St. Cloud Live, VERBATIM: “St. Cloud Mayor Jake Anderson had anything but a routine first year as the city’s top official. … He entered with priorities such as improving quality of life, enhancing aesthetics, and strengthening ties with St. Cloud State University. … Instead, he was handed a budget with a shortfall of more than $3 million, and what he hoped to be a quiet winter was thrown into turmoil by Operation Metro Surge. … Anderson, who will host a State of the City address on April 7, also gave St. Cloud LIVE a sneak peek of what to expect in his second year.” ANDERSON: “I want to turn the onus back onto the people. … I’ll focus on a few things that I plan, but I don’t want to over-promise on anything, because we have so much uncertainty in certain areas.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41lWzsD
ROCHESTER: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “Plans for 56 acres of roughly 345 acres owned by Lennar Homebuilders are moving forward as a development agreement for the overall northwest Rochester site is finalized. The Rochester City Council voted unanimously Monday to approve a final plat for 56 acres with plans to construct 108 for-sale homes on the site as an extension of the existing Pebble Creek development.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4e3AXbV
PRODUCTIVE FARMS, STEWARDSHIP GO HAND IN HAND: via Minnesota Corn, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Corn farmers are demonstrating that productive agriculture and environmental stewardship go hand in hand. Through widespread adoption of practices such as reduced tillage, cover crops, crop rotations, and targeted nutrient management, farmers have improved soil health, reduced erosion, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and protected water quality across millions of acres in Minnesota. That’s all while implementing advances in seed genetics, fertility management, and precision technology that have improved on-farm productivity.” LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4stHjG5 (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn)
AHEAD
SESSION: House floor session at 12:15 p.m. Senate floor session at 11:00 a.m. HOUSE: Commerce hears a requirement for data brokers to register with the attorney general. Taxes will hear a wealth tax and an increase to the child tax credit amount. Public Safety hears a bill for a victims of crime account. Fraud Prevention hears about kickback allegations. Ways & Means will hear increased penalties for impersonating an officer. SENATE: Higher Education hears changes to the North Star Promise program. CALENDAR: https://fluence-media.co/41RRiJq
TODAY: Xcel Energy CEO Bob Frenzel will speak at a “1st Tuesday” forum to discuss how AI and data centers are changing the electric grid, what the future of nuclear energy looks like and more. The event is at 11:30 a.m. (DISCLOSURE: Xcel Energy is a Fluence sponsor)
TODAY: Governor Tim Walz will visit a Latino-owned restaurant in Saint Paul to meet with members of the community and attend the investiture ceremony for Judge Lisa Beane.
TODAY: People Not Polluters will host a press conference at 2:00 p.m. to advocate against “polluter capture,” which they define as “when polluting companies exert too much influence over how our Minnesota state government agencies do, or do not, enforce the law,” per a release.
TOMORROW: Lawmakers and housing advocates will host a press conference to push for “providing $40 million in flexible funding to stabilize supportive housing programs and protect Minnesota’s homelessness response system,” per a release. The event is at 10:30 a.m.
TOMORROW: via Essentia advisory, VERBATIM: “On Wednesday, April 8, Essentia Health-Fosston will break ground on a new emergency department. Essentia Health leaders and staff will be joined by project leaders from Kraus-Anderson to celebrate the start of construction.” The event is at 1:30 p.m.
(DISCLOSURE: Essentia is a Fluence sponsor)
NEXT WEEK: The Center of the American Experiment is hosting a “School Choice Rally” to support private school voucher legislation at the MN Capitol on Tuesday, April 14 at 12:00 noon. The event is advertised as a response to the No Kings rallies, saying in a release: “They had ‘No Kings.’ Now it’s our turn.”
NEXT WEEK: The FEC deadline for Q1 campaign finance reports is on Wednesday, April 15. Quarterly fundraising totals for Minnesota candidates will trickle in over the following few days.
APRIL 22: Attorney General Keith Ellison is hosting a town hall in Minneapolis with the attorneys general of Illinois and Oregon on Wednesday, April 22. The group will be discussing their “work to uphold the rule of law and protect democracy,” per Ellison. The event is at 6:00 p.m. DETAILS: https://fluence-media.co/4tyqMRj
APRIL 28: Gov. Tim Walz will deliver his final State of the State address before a joint session of the Minnesota Legislature on Tuesday, April 28 at 7:00 p.m.
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IN MEMORIAM: morning take is dedicated in memory of Melissa Hortman.