Vikings win. Wild lost in OT. Wolves lose.
Yellowstone is back.
If you’re a college basketball fan, find your way to Allen Fieldhouse for a game. Top 5 sports experience.
Gallup’s key U.S. political and economic indicators signaled that the nation’s mood strongly favored the Republicans in 2024. GALLUP: https://fluence-media.co/4fgfz0W
Compared to 2020, Donald Trump improved his margins in 84 of Minnesota’s 87 counties. FORUM: https://fluence-media.co/40C3ejh
Yesterday, Leaders Melissa Hortman and Lisa Demuth on Sunday Take READ/LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3ABO3Mf
Thank you to all who served – we honor you on this Veterans Day!
Blois
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RECOUNTS: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “A narrow winning margin for the DFL candidate for a St. Cloud-area seat in the Minnesota House has widened. Election night returns showed DFL state Rep. Dan Wolgamott defeating Republican challenger Sue Ek by 28 votes in District 14B. … [But] on Friday morning, Sherburne County announced that election staff identified some mail-in absentee ballots that were not included in the unofficial totals on election night. Those additional ballots gave Wolgamott a larger vote edge, which would put the race outside the margin for an automatic recount. … County Administrator Bruce Messelt [said] ‘they were actually counted on Election Day, they just did not get updated to the website for public viewing.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fGmTma
RESPONSE: via a Minnesota GOP Chair David Hann statement, HANN: “The current discrepancies and additional votes being added to the HD 14B counts in the last few days destroys the trust Minnesotans have in the election process and raises serious questions. Secretary [Steve] Simon must restore confidence in Minnesota’s elections process by calling for and providing funds for a recount in 14B immediately.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eojLug
MORE: via Sherburne County officials, STATEMENT: “Sherburne County intends to conduct hand recounts of votes in select races, at the County’s expense, to confirm the accuracy of election results. … To ensure public transparency, the County has asked the Secretary of State for permission to conduct public recounts. … The County has received preliminary approval to recount select races, if requested by a candidate, that no longer fall within the threshold for a mandatory publicly funded recount.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3UH7bQ0
54A: The Star Tribune reports that Scott County officials confirmed the race in House District 54A between DFL Rep. Brad Tabke and Republican Aaron Paul is still within the margin for a state-funded recount despite Friday’s updated vote totals. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fxFSQc
MORE: via Scott County, VERBATIM: “Scott County Administrator Lezlie Vermillion announced this afternoon that, due to a single ballot distribution error on Monday, November 4 at the Public Works facility and a subsequent ballot scanning machine malfunction, Scott County will be re-scanning the proper ballots beginning at 4 PM today (Friday, November 8)…All potentially affected candidates have been updated on the situation, which may or may not still result in a recount…“But it’s important to reiterate that this is why our system has so many checks, balances, backstops, and safeguards in place – to quickly identify any potential errors and correct them well before the unofficial results are presented to the Canvassing Board for certification. Simply put, the system works as it was intended and designed,” continued Administrator Vermillion.
TAKE: Conspiracy theories are dangerous, and institutional trust is at an all-time low. That’s a scary combination that isn’t helped by the vote shifts and “irregularities” that we are seeing in Scott and Sherburne counties after results are reported and “all precincts are in”. They line-up with the two closest House races gives conservative conspiracy theorists fresh ammunition. It’s reasonable to ask serious questions about the issues, and perhaps a deeper audit of the process is in order. Perhaps the answer is that just as there is a deadline for ballots to be submitted, there needs to be a deadline for votes to be counted or they don’t’ qualify for the final total. Either way, if Minnesota is going to claim exceptionalism on voting and democracy, our election officials need fewer flubs going forward.
SHIFT: The Star Tribune has an extensive data analysis of how Minnesota counties have changed their voting habits over time. DATA: https://fluence-media.co/4fFvV33
WALZ: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “[On] Friday, Tim Walz gave the last speech of his 2024 campaign for vice president and the first speech of the remainder of his second term as Minnesota governor. … The DFL governor tried to keep his supporters inspired — despite the disappointment [last] week — and offered a hand to the people who voted against Vice President Kamala Harris and him. … Walz [made] no specific reference to the tied House of Representatives that ended the DFL governing trifecta. But he also said he will attempt to be more open minded with political opponents. … First Lady Gwen Walz, who spent many days on the campaign trail as well, introduced her husband with a speech that urged those in the room to keep fighting for their issues.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3O2yznF
MORE: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “[Gov. Tim Walz] told the assembled Democratic leaders, Minnesota agency heads and other supporters that the result of the election wasn’t what he expected, but he pledged to fuel his energy into maintaining a raft of policies that lawmakers approved on his watch.” WALZ: “The other side spent a lot of time campaigning and talking about and promising that they would leave things up to the states, [and] I'm willing to take them at their word for that. But the moment they try and bring a hateful agenda in this state, I’m going to stand ready to stand up and fight.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fxEq0c
ICYMI: A final special edition of Walz Watch featured extensive coverage of Gov. Tim Walz’s Friday speech. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3UG4Hkz
WATCH: Gov. Tim Walz tone and level of engagement with the media, and the divided legislature will be the most telling example of his sincere interest in “One Minnesota” which he resurrected in his Friday speech.
CD3: Representative-elect Kelly Morrison spoke to KSTP about the 3rd Congressional District’s history of moderate politicians and why she wants to be a bipartisan legislator. Morrison will replace outgoing DFL Rep. Dean Phillips after he chose not to run for reelection. MORRISON: “Beginning with Bill Frenzel, Jim Ramstad, Erik Paulsen too…and of course Dean Phillips, regardless of party affiliation, they all worked really hard to represent everyone in the district. And I think that’s so important, now more than ever. … I have big shoes to fill and I will endeavor to continue that tradition. … I happen to think purple districts are healthy for our country, and I do think it’s not great we do have this movement across the country with people who live only around people who think like they do.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3ACzf04
MORE: via WCCO Radio, VERBATIM: “Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), who ran for the Democratic presidential nominee earlier this year, saying that President Joe Biden wasn’t the best option for the party, [was] speaking out about how he was ‘ignored’ [during] an appearance on ‘Fox News Sunday.’” PHILLIPS: “My voice, yes, was ignored, but tens of millions of Americans’ voices were ignored and suppressed and disenfranchised. … I think it is that culture of silence and pervasive incentives in our political system that is really costing our country, and it’s not unique to one party or the other. … I’m one of those getting sick and tired of it, trying to represent what I call the exhausted majority — center-right, center-left Americans who deserve better.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40KbopJ WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4fmU7r7
MN HOUSE: via House Session Daily, VERBATIM: “House DFLers have again chosen current House Speaker Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) to lead their caucus amid uncertainty in the aftermath of Tuesday’s election that may have left the Minnesota House of Representatives evenly divided. … The caucus also elected an organizational team of Rep. Jamie Long (DFL-Mpls), Rep. Athena Hollins (DFL-St. Paul), and Rep. Liish Kozlowski (DFL-Duluth) to support the speaker-designate. … [Meanwhile], current House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring) is officially the Republican speaker-designate. … House Republicans selected Demuth Friday at a lengthy caucus gathering. … Additionally, the caucus selected Rep. Harry Niska (R-Ramsey) as deputy leader.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YHuqKP https://fluence-media.co/4fkY7si
MORE: Speaker Melissa Hortman and Leader Lisa Demuth were both guests on Sunday Take to discuss their expectations for a divided Minnesota House this session.
HORTMAN: “If no one party has a majority of the committee, then everything that comes to the floor will be bipartisan at the outset. … I think that the amount of change that got pushed through in 2023 was the result of a lot of gridlock for the prior ten years. So since we broke through that gridlock, it’s maybe okay that we have a slower pace here for two years.”
DEMUTH: “Everything to have a fair negotiation is on the table right now. And it’s very, very important for people to remember that we are going into this as equals. … We’re [focused on cutting] increases to state spending over the last two years. … We have to get a hold of what is actually going on in the agencies and the state budget. So that’s going to be top of mind.”
WCCO Radio has more details, including the full episode of Sunday Take. READ/LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3ABO3Mf
MN GOP: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Minnesota House Republicans raised more money than ever before, targeted their spending on a narrower list of races and made a concerted effort to get conservatives to vote early. It paid off. Republicans put an end to the DFL’s trifecta control of government [last] week by bringing the state House to a rare 67-67 tie. … It’s not exactly the control Republicans had hoped for, but a tied House will provide a check on the agenda of Democrats who still hold the state Senate and governor’s office. … Republicans won six of their top 10 targeted House races. [Minority Leader Lisa Demuth] said House Republicans were more disciplined this year, not spending on less competitive races that could have diluted their resources. They also had a strong ground game, she said, knocking on more than 422,000 doors.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YLEx10
MORE: According to the HRCC, Republicans running for Minnesota House seats outperformed President-elect Donald Trump by 3.2% on average, which helped them flip several seats even though Vice Pres. Kamala Harris won the state by 4.2%. By contrast, some states saw downballot GOP candidates have less success than Minnesota Republicans because of Trump supporters who seemingly voted for few, if any, other candidates. For example, in Wisconsin, Sen. Tammy Baldwin won with 4,537 more votes than Harris, while her opponent Eric Hovde received 53,996 fewer votes than Trump. DATA: https://fluence-media.co/40EHK5e
SHIFT: via Axios Twin Cities, VERBATIM: “Overall, Donald Trump’s performance in Minneapolis and St. Paul was about the same in 2020 and 2024. Vice President Kamala Harris carried the cities by a 4-to-1 margin, and also won Twin Cities suburbs by 15 points. [But] Trump improved in some precincts with large Black, Latino, Asian and immigrant populations. … Election data also show some usually reliable Democratic voters simply stayed home. In two precincts around the University of Minnesota, Harris received fewer votes than President Joe Biden in 2020.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3CiPOym
TURNOUT: via Forum News Service, VERBATIM: “Minnesota came out of Tuesday’s general election with an estimated voter turnout of 75.9%, higher than initial reports and projections from every other state, [meaning] Minnesota could take the No. 1 spot for voter turnout once again. … If estimates hold after results are made official, it will mark Minnesota’s fifth general election at No. 1. The usual states that compete with Minnesota for voter turnout — Wisconsin, Oregon, Washington, Maine, Colorado and New Hampshire — have not reached the same 75.9% mark, but several are projected to be within a few percentage points.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40ILWkq
IMMIGRANTS: via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “Twin Cities immigrant rights and legal groups [said] they’ve been flooded with calls since Donald Trump’s re-election. During his campaign, Trump promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history, put an end to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and curtail the use of temporary protected status. … Minnesota immigrant rights groups say they plan to push back on the anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies they fear are coming. They have already swung into action, educating immigrants about their rights, forming crisis legal teams to halt deportations, helping undocumented immigrants get driver’s licenses, and pushing for state action, like passage of the North Star Act.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fjdlOw
WOMEN: via Forum News Service, VERBATIM: “Of the 10 representatives Minnesota is sending to Congress, seven will be women and six will be DFL women. Before the election, there were four male and six female lawmakers from Minnesota in Congress. … In 2001, Rep. Betty McCollum was the only woman serving in the 10-seat delegation.” This is the first time Minnesota’s House delegation has ever had a female majority. READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ANh47I
BRINGING SAFETY TO ‘THE NEXT LEVEL’: As part of Enbridge’s work on the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation in northern Minnesota, Enbridge has brought in family-owned and Indigenous-owned Northern Lights Family Outfitters to fully outfit project workers right on the job site with personal protective equipment (PPE) from its 48-foot mobile trailer. “Enbridge really brings safety to the next level,” says Patti, a project liaison for Enbridge and the Fond du Lac Band. “It’s really helpful to have a mobile unit, especially for this kind of work.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3OQYmjn (SPONSORED: Enbridge)
MPLS: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “Minneapolis City Council member Andrea Jenkins led a community town hall meeting Thursday evening to address ongoing problems with homeless encampments across the city. The meeting was not open to the public but some residents and guests invited by the city were in attendance. … Council Member Jason Chavez said council members are exploring two new ordinances modeled on success in other cities including Duluth and Denver. According to Chavez, a Safe Parking Ordinance would provide a safe location for people to park and sleep in their vehicles overnight. A Safe Outdoor Space ordinance creates a location designated as a safe outdoor shelter site designated by the city.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/48I013G
ST PAUL: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “On Tuesday, St. Paul voters approved a referendum that will switch local odd-year elections to even years. … Opponents of the change, however, claim it means ranked-choice voting could now be eliminated for those local races. … With local elections moved to even years, election officials will either have to produce two sets of ballots or a single ballot that contains both traditional voting for one set of candidates and ranked choice voting for others. … Because of conflicting state laws, it is unclear if the city could have two second-page ballots. Peter Butler, a longtime advocate for St. Paul elections moving to even years, said there is no law ‘expressly’ prohibiting ranked-choice voting on even-year elections, though the ‘laws are a little inconsistent and in conflict.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fqMZdy
HENN CTY: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “State officials say Hennepin County has failed to meet minimum staffing requirements and created conditions that pose an ‘imminent risk of life-threatening harm or serious physical injury’ to inmates at its jails. … Since an inspection two years ago, the corrections department says seven inmates have died at the jails because staff failed to conduct mandatory well-being checks every 30 minutes. … The corrections department has ordered Hennepin County to reduce its jail population by more than 100 inmates, [meaning] Sheriff Dawanna Witt has until noon on Thursday to reduce the jail population to 600. … Witt says the jail intends to appeal the department’s order.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hL14Ur
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)
BIRTH RATE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Minnesota appears stuck in a vortex of declining births. The 61,715 children born in the state last year represent a 16% decline from a peak of 73,735 births in 2007, according to birth data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And the state may see another drop in 2024. The pattern of declining births is consistent across racial and ethnic groups, and it’s visible everywhere from the state’s urban core to its rural corners.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hH7bsS
SETTLEMENT: via Office of the Atty. General, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison today announced that he has reached a settlement with Urban Advantage Services (UAS), a Minnesota nonprofit corporation, requiring it to dissolve due to multiple governance violations. As a part of this dissolution, UAS will be transferring its remaining assets to organizations with a similar charitable purpose. In an Assurance of Discontinuance filed in Ramsey County, Attorney General Ellison alleges that UAS failed to employ a treasurer, maintain a registered address, maintain adequate books and financial records, and abandoned its corporate purpose.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fi0ITN
DEER: via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “Hunters in Hastings made stops at a chronic wasting disease (CWD) testing site after each successful kill on Saturday, the opening day of Minnesota's deer firearm season. It's an extra step, but one the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says is necessary. The site is one of several statewide where testing is mandatory on opening weekend, with many sites located in the southeast portion of the state. CWD is fatal for deer, but its impact on humans is still unknown.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3YJEFyd
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
ITASCA CTY: via Bring Me The News, VERBAITM: “Voters in Itasca County voted overwhelmingly this week to re-elect a county commissioner who has been dead since September. Itasca County Commissioner Burl Ives was re-elected to the position with more than 72% of the vote, defeating opponent Brian Oftelie. Burl had previously served two terms as commissioner [and] died at the age of 57 on Sept. 11. … The county will now certify the election before declaring a vacancy, which will trigger a special election. The special election is expected to take place in the spring with a primary in February.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Z3KDvq
ROCHESTER: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “A proposal to use what remains from $5.3 million in 2023 state public safety support will be reviewed Wednesday. The Rochester City Council will receive details [on] plans for the nearly $900,000 remaining from the one-time state allocation. The funds must be spent on local public safety programs. Earlier this year, the council approved spending $4.4 million on 11 initiatives, ranging from supporting staff in the city attorney’s office to funding training and equipment purchases in the city’s fire and police departments. The proposal for the remaining funds would continue some fire and police equipment purchases, while also supporting renovations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3AwwTzL
NEW HOPE: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “The man who led the Minneapolis Police Department's (MPD) press office [following] the murder of George Floyd in 2020 has been elected mayor of New Hope. … John Elder, who has been a member of New Hope's City Council since 2008, was declared the winner Tuesday after beating fellow councilor Jonathan London by over 1,600 votes. … The publication notes that a special election will now be required to fill his council seat. Elder will replace current mayor Kathi Hemken.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hJskCY
PEACE: Thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of civic leader Chris Crutchfield who passed away last week.
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 Friday’s Fluence newsletters:
DRIVE-THRUS: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Saint Paul faces a drive-thru dilemma. The City Council is deciding whether new food and beverage businesses should be allowed to have them. ‘Drive-thrus are very intense uses with regards to cars, especially at peak times, people come in and out of them really quickly,’ said Bill Dermody, the city planner, during Wednesday’s meeting. He explained the convenient option has raised concerns about vehicle backups, pedestrian and biker safety, litter and pollution. There are about 80 drive-thrus city-wide.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3Z0dfWl
TARIFFS: via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “The return of Donald Trump to the White House has some in agriculture concerned tariffs will be a part of the incoming administration’s trade approach. Compeer Financial vice president of legislative affairs Perry Aasness says President Trump has a track record of using tariffs, but it’s unclear if that tactic will be used again.” AASNESS: “He’s made the point that tariffs can be a great negotiating tool for trade agreements. If that’s the approach, if that’s the ultimate goal, great. If we’re looking at a situation where massive tariffs are going to be placed on the economy, we know from historical past that oftentimes agriculture is the one that gets the brunt of it in the U.S.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/40FJGui
(DISCLOSURE: Compeer is a sponsor of Fluence Media)
AMENDMENT: via Public News Service, VERBATIM: “Minnesota voters this week signed off on giving a longer shelf life to a funding tool helping protect the state's natural resources and its backers see more room for making farmland climate resilient. Nearly 78% of Minnesota voters said yes to Amendment 1, a 25-year extension of a constitutional amendment dedicating 40% of lottery proceeds to the Environment and Natural Resources Fund. Theresa Keaveny, Minnesota state policy lead for the group Climate Land Leaders, said the program has already helped spur adoption of practices such as managed grazing of farm animals to help restore the health of some landscapes. She argued smaller family farms need more support to embrace conservation.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YF8nV8
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: Via his public schedule, Gov. Tim Walz will attend the State of Minnesota Veterans Day Celebration at 10:00 a.m. Later, at 2:00 p.m. he will attend a Veterans Day event at the Minneapolis Veterans Home.
TOMORROW: 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: GOP communication pro Christine Snell, hockey guy Pete Waggoner, Farmer’s Union lobbyist Stuart Lourey, attorney and bubble lover Abou Amara, nonprofit leader Jeff Johnson, retired commissioner Linda Higgins, communications pro Ashley Aram
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