RIP Gene Hackman.
Wild at Utah. Wolves at Lakers. Gopher WBB loses.
Hibbing is going back to the state hockey tournament.
Full Swing Season 3 has started at this house. Suits LA can be cancelled after one episode.
Gov. Tim Walz opened the Jim Gaffigan show in Minneapolis last night. VIDEO: https://fluence-media.co/3D09RTc
The 31 semifinalists for the “Minnesota Teacher of the Year” award have been revealed. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/4bqFjGY
The Catholic Church is considering two Minnesotans for sainthood. KARE: https://fluence-media.co/4bfK2uV
Americans trust in media is at the lowest level ever. GALLUP: https://fluence-media.co/4gZFv0P
Happy National Chili Day!
Blois
tips/feedback bloisolson@gmail.com
Today’s WCCO Radio morning take with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3XjQons
DFL Sen. Judy Seeberger was on Sunday Take to discuss Minnesota’s current needs, the race for an open Senate seat, pushback against DFLers and more. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4idQkxd
Sponsorships available – to reach over 25,000 readers per day on Fluence’s tip sheet and website www.TheDailyAgenda.com – email BloisOlson@gmail.com
RESPONSIBLE GAMING: Legal sports betting platforms offer responsible game tools that offshore and illegal sports betting don’t offer. In fact, age verification is not required with most offshore providers. Learn more about why legalized sports betting is more responsible. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4kgJoS4 (SPONSORED: Sports Betting Alliance)
MN HOUSE: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “As Minnesota House Republicans roll out their top priorities this year, much of the focus is on what’s in the rearview mirror, [addressing] laws passed under full DFL control the prior two years. … A special election on March 11 could reset political control. But for now, GOP leaders say it’s important to air their ideas. … Rep. Jim Nash, R-Waconia, said Democrats overstepped when they had full control. Now, he said, Republicans are attempting a redo. … Rep. Melissa Hortman, who leads the DFL caucus, [said] lawmakers could make better use of their time working on bipartisan proposals.” HORTMAN: “They are sending things to the floor which they cannot then pass. I wish that we were spending this time getting ready to do the budget together, but they are getting some things out of their system.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4biF0O9
POT: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “The frustrating delays with Minnesota’s new cannabis industry have resulted in hundreds of would-be entrepreneurs getting out of the business before it even gets off the ground. New data obtained by 5 INVESTIGATES shows that more than 400 people requested refunds of their application fees from the state after it called off the pre-approval license lottery late last year. Those refunded fees totaled more than $1.5 million. … Some industry experts say that even if state-regulated businesses do open up this year, the supply will be limited because of how long it takes to grow the plant.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3DlBo1j
2026: Following his announcement yesterday that he will not run for Senate in 2026, Gov. Tim Walz spoke to MPR News about the decision and clarified that, like Sen. Tina Smith, he will not endorse a candidate in the DFL primary. Walz also said he’s still undecided about a third term as governor. WALZ: “I don't want to have my thumb on the scale in any way, and [I’m] not so certain people care, necessarily. … I just know we've got a deep bench. … Looking at [the governor race], I think having served as governor and seeing the effectiveness we can have, also understanding it over the next four years, it's going to be really important to have states standing up [to the White House].” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4h3Psua
MORE: Star Tribune’s Ryan Faircloth reported that David Hann, the former Minnesota GOP chair ousted by Alex Plechash, is open to running for governor in 2026, saying “people have asked him about running for governor” and he’s “talking to possible candidates and considering a run himself.” HANN: “I think that there’s an opportunity for Republicans to govern the state…and we need to find the best candidate possible. I haven’t ruled it out.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/43aHaO1
MORE: MPR News reported yesterday that Dave Wellstone, the son of former Democratic Sen. Paul Wellstone, is also “considering a run” for the open Senate seat in 2026. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4h3Psua
GENDERSPORTS: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “On Wednesday, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi sent letters to state officials in Minnesota, California and Maine warning each to comply with the federal executive order that prohibits trans athletes from competing in women’s sports or face legal repercussions, saying that ‘Minnesota should be on notice.’ … [In] the letter, Bondi mentions the possibility of Minnesota losing federal funding or being sued by the Department of Justice for not complying with federal law. … However, the Minnesota Human Rights Act is an anti-discrimination law that protects various groups of people, including transgender athletes in school. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) have already said they would follow the state law and not the federal one.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4hXhSHC
MORE: via a House GOP advisory, VERBATIM: “Riley Gaines, a 12-time NCAA All-American swimmer, girls' sports advocate, and Vice Chair of Athletes for America with the America First Policy Institute will join House Speaker Lisa Demuth and others on March 3 to rally in support of girls' sports ahead of a vote on HF 12. The visit includes a public rally on the MN Capitol Mall at 11:00 AM, as well as a livestreamed roundtable discussion at 1:00 PM.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41y0kfh
ESSENTIA HEALTH NURSES ARE A VALUED PART OF OUR PATIENT CARE: Acute care nurses in the Duluth area earn $100,000 on average, working just four days a week. In fact, 94% of these nurses choose to work part-time because Essentia Health offers full benefits starting at 24 hours a week. Our nurses overwhelmingly choose to remain at Essentia Health, bucking national turnover trends. To join our team at Essentia Health, search for openings HERE: https://fluence-media.co/3D5rO2s (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)
MEDICAID: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a budget framework that could bring massive tax savings that favor the wealthiest Americans and huge reductions in federal spending that could result in cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. … The New York Times reports that the $2 trillion in federal spending cuts ‘almost certainly could not be reached without reducing spending’ on Medicaid. … The Center for American Progress claims that based on the funding reductions passed in the budget resolution, around 197,000 Minnesotans on MA (Minnesota Medical Assistance) or CHIPs (the Children's Health Insurance Program) could lose their coverage.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ijAK3w
MORE: via Forum News Service, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s Republican congressional delegation all voted to approve the U.S. House’s budget proposal Tuesday night, a vote some state Republican legislators attempted to [influence] when they urged their federal colleagues to consider the expected harm to Minnesota from Medicaid cuts. … Last week, more than a dozen state Republican legislators sent a letter to the Republican congressional delegation…[saying] state Republicans would not be able to make up for the proposed cuts in the state’s budget.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Xj4yFl
TAKE: The Medicaid division among Republicans in Minnesota is an early look at how 2026 could be a challenge for Republicans running for the Legislature. As you look ahead to the budget forecast next week, and the impact on Medicaid cuts on the state budget access to health care or the financial stability of health care providers – is likely to be an issue. Republican legislators will be left answering questions, and it will be a theme of the Governor and Senate races. One of the most notable areas Medicaid cuts will hit is rural health care, the very geography that Republicans have come to dominate.
IMMIGRATION: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “The White House called out St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and other city leaders in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles this week for immigrant-friendly policies. … Carter responded Wednesday by announcing that St. Paul will join a lawsuit against the Trump Administration [that] accuses the White House of an unconstitutional attempt to commandeer city services. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said his city would also join the lawsuit. … Carter said St. Paul stands to lose as much as $260 million in federal funding as a result of Trump’s recent executive order…which the mayor said illegally threatens to hold critical taxpayer dollars ‘hostage’ unless cities allow the federal government to coerce them into executing federal duties.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41AaTOU
MORE: COPAL MN released a statement in response to the news, seen in yesterday’s morning take, that several people detained in Rochester by immigration authorities were released on bond. STATEMENT: “[They] were released on bond after it was confirmed that they had no criminal records. This fact reaffirms what our communities have long known: these raids are not targeting violent criminals, as the administration claims, but rather hardworking, honest individuals who contribute daily to our economy. … COPAL MN strongly condemns these unjustified attacks on immigrant families.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3XIijO7
ELECTIONS: via CBS News, VERBATIM: “Over the last month, the U.S. government has worked quickly to pause, disband and dismantle the U.S. effort to fight foreign meddling in elections, raising concern among federal lawmakers and election officials across the country who rely on the federal cybersecurity agency and its counterparts to warn them about attacks on election systems. … SIMON: ‘In 2016, a foreign government — Russia — tried to tamper with our stuff,’ Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon told CBS News. ‘They tried to physically hack into election systems,’ he added, noting Minnesota was just one of 21 states targeted, setting into motion a January 2017 designation of elections as critical infrastructure.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4biFl3n
DEMUTH: MPR News spoke to Speaker Lisa Demuth as part of their “Out to Lunch” interview series. They discussed Demuth’s early life, her motivation to become a politician, what she thinks about her biracial identity and what it’s like to lead the Republican caucus. QUOTE: “[Identity politics] causes more division. That’s not where we need to be as a state or as a country. I am qualified to be the Speaker of the House, I have been elected to do that. I am qualified, but it’s not because I fit a category as a Black woman. It’s because I have the qualifications to lead the state of Minnesota in the House of Representatives right now.” READ/LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4ijb0En
EMERGENCIES: via House Session Daily, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s top elected official has the authority to declare a peacetime or national security emergency…[but] a move is afoot to diminish that authority. Calling it the ‘Never Again Act,’ Rep. Drew Roach (R-Farmington) sponsors HF26, which would bestow the power to call a peacetime emergency with the Legislature, not the governor. … The House Veterans and Military Affairs Division laid the bill over, as amended, Wednesday.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3CZMQ2K
ABUSE: via FOX 9, VERBATIM: “An emotional Rep. Nolan West made the case Wednesday for a bill springing from his experience as the father of a toddler abused at daycare. His daughter is one of at least 12 kids parents have identified as victims at Small World Learning Center in Blaine. Two teachers are facing five felony charges. West's bill would require that new parents get educational materials helping them recognize signs of abuse.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/41w8ll8
CLEAN CARS: via House Session Daily, VERBATIM: “When it comes to setting automotive emissions standards, each state has the right to choose whether they want to go with the federal standard or the more stringent rules that California put in place in 2012 called ‘Advanced Clean Cars I.’ … Minnesota chose in 2021 to go with the California standards…but Rep. Tom Murphy (R-Underwood) [is] sponsoring HF376, a six-line bill that would repeal that set of rules. On Wednesday, the House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee approved the bill on a voice vote and referred it to the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4igaSWa
SCHOOLS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that public schools can be held liable for their hiring practices after a Minneapolis charter school didn’t perform a thorough background check and hired a teacher and sports instructor with a history of sexual assault allegations. … [Lower] courts ruled that the charter school was protected because school hiring decisions are immune from liability under state law. The state Supreme Court overturned that precedent, with Justice Paul Thissen writing in his 36-page opinion that the court refused to concur that all hiring decisions are protected and said the protection from liability must be ‘contextual and circumstances-specific.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41gwRFw
BIRD FLU: via House Session Daily, VERBATIM: “Avian influenza [is] infecting Minnesota’s meat birds, breeder turkeys, egg layer chickens, and, since October 2023, cattle herds. Minnesota farmers need to be prepared to face these and future agricultural emergencies, says Rep. Paul Anderson (R-Starbuck), chair of the House Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee and sponsor of HF1101. The bill would make a one-time $1.5 million appropriation in fiscal year 2026 from the General Fund to the agricultural emergency account. … The committee laid over HF1101 for possible inclusion into the committee’s budget bill.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QxH2AC
EXPUNGEMENTS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Minnesotans expecting to have a clean slate by Jan. 1 — when the process was expected to start for expunging records for some minor and nonviolent crimes — were already disappointed when state officials acknowledged a likely delay to mid-May. But now it’s unlikely to happen by then, either, said Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). The result is that an estimated 500,000 Minnesotans who qualify to have their criminal records automatically expunged will likely see those records showing up on criminal background checks for months to come.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/419ZmVi
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)
FOOD BANKS: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “The Food Group, an anti-hunger nonprofit that is currently dealing with a freeze in its federal funding, said that food shelf visits across Minnesota reached record-breaking numbers for the fourth consecutive year. The data from the organization's 2024 annual report, shared in a virtual press conference on Wednesday, shows nearly 9 million visits by Minnesotans to food shelves last year. It's up 1.4 million from 2023 and two-and-a-half times higher than 2019. … Executive director Sophia Lenarz-Coy [said] food shelf visits have increased to five times the rate that was seen in 2004.” QUOTE: “While food shelf visits continue to rise statewide, the good news is they aren’t rising as quickly as 2022 and 2023. … [But] looking forward, the anti-hunger sector is facing significant challenges and threats. It’s unclear whether federal funding for anti-hunger efforts will remain accessible.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4h0AViM
EVICTIONS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Eviction filings surged at the start of 2025 to levels not seen in some Minnesota communities since before the coronavirus pandemic, leaving housing advocates scrambling to keep people in their homes. … In January, the five core metro counties saw as many as double the number of eviction cases filed than the monthly average in 2024. There were more than 2,100 cases filed in January statewide. … The surge comes as money available to low-income residents for emergency rental assistance has declined dramatically from post-pandemic highs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kf8FMl
MPLS: via Axios Twin Cities, VERBATIM: “Nearly three quarters of Minneapolis hotels want to start an improvement district that would tax room bookings to help pay for tourism efforts. … Officials hope that the funds [will] eventually hit $6 million to $7 million annually. … Meet Minneapolis — the city's convention and visitors bureau — needs 51% of hotels to opt in, per state legislation that passed in 2023. CEO Melvin Tennant said 73% are on board. … The improvement district would also need City Council approval. Tennant said Meet Minneapolis is looking at a 2% surcharge on bookings. The legislation requires the money to go toward new programs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4h2KGNJ
MORE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “In 10 years' time, Minneapolis tourism officials want the city to be known for vibrant nightlife, a bustling riverfront, a modernized convention center, as a women’s sports epicenter and as a social justice capital. These lofty goals and more come from Meet Minneapolis, the city’s convention and visitors bureau, and its 39-page destination master plan that aims ‘to optimize Minneapolis’ visitor economy to ensure year-round vibrancy.’ … The document is the latest in a string of plans to help Minneapolis — especially downtown — continue to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gZbe2c
ST PAUL: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “With Ward 4 council member Mitra Jalali officially leaving city employment on March 8, the St. Paul City Council is accepting applications to fill her seat on an interim basis. Interested applicants must live in the ward…and are expected to agree not to run for the seat in the next election, which will likely be held in August. … The council will appoint an interim council member March 26. The winner of the August contest would serve through 2028.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4icsq5k
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)
WOLVES: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Wolf attacks on livestock climbed to a new high in Minnesota as ranchers reported losing more calves, cows and other animals to the predators in 2024 than any other year since records began in the 1980s. Ranchers made 252 claims of wolves killing livestock last year, compared to the 10-year average of 174 claims a year. … Wolves are federally protected in Minnesota and listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Lawmakers and presidential administrations from both parties have tried to de-list wolves in Minnesota for more than two decades but have been blocked by judges. Minnesota has the highest wolf population in the lower 48 [states].” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Dcvrnt
BENEFITS: via a Rep. Angie Craig press release, VERBATIM: “Representatives Angie Craig (D-MN) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) re-introduced the bipartisan Leveraging Integrity and Verification of Eligibility for (LIVE) Beneficiaries Act to prevent payments for deceased beneficiaries. According to a recent U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General report, an audit of just 14 states found more than $249 million – and $3.7 million in Minnesota – in improper Medicaid capitation payments were made to Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) on behalf of deceased enrollees. This commonsense legislation would address this problem by requiring states to check the Social Security Administration’s Death Master File database on a quarterly basis and verify that Medicaid patients are not deceased.”
RURAL HEALTH: via a Sen. Amy Klobuchar press release, VERBATIM: “U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Susan Collins (R-ME), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Thom Tillis (R-NC) reintroduced their bipartisan legislation to increase the number of doctors working in rural and medically underserved areas. The Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act would reauthorize the Conrad 30 programs, which allows international doctors who have completed their residency training in the U.S. to remain in the country under the condition that they practice in areas experiencing physician shortages. Companion legislation in the House of Representatives was reintroduced.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41kyO3T
MOVE: Today, Majority Whip Tom Emmer (MN-06) named Jen Niska Minnesota Executive Director of his campaign, Emmer for Congress. With nearly two decades of experience in politics, public affairs, and business outreach, Niska brings a wealth of expertise to Whip Emmer’s operation. Her extensive background in congressional, Senate, and gubernatorial campaigns, along with her strong political activism in CD6, will be invaluable as Whip Emmer prepares for re-election. NOTE: Jen is the wife of House member Rep. Harry Niska.
APPOINTMENT: via Office of the Governor, VERBATIM: “Governor Tim Walz today announced the appointment of Beverly Luther Quast as a judge of the Minnesota Tax Court for a six-year term. … Beverly Luther Quast is a vice president of tax planning at U.S. Bank, where she advises on tax aspects of business transactions, mergers, and acquisitions.”
FRESH15: The latest season of Fresh15 includes interviews with new Minnesota House members. So far, five new members have shared their goals, background and fun facts before they take office in a historic session this January.
Rep.-Elect Kari Rehauer
Rep.-Elect Wayne Johnson
Rep. Elect Julie Greene
Rep. Elect Keith Allen
Rep. Elect Peter Johnson
Follow on your favorite podcast platform, or at www.TheDailyAgenda.com/Podcasts. (SPONSORED: Minnesota Telecom Alliance)
RED WING: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The Red Wing School District has canceled a Black History Month event featuring Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison due to ‘concerns over significant disruptions.’ Superintendent Bob Jaszczak announced the move in a letter to parents and faculty Wednesday. He did not elaborate on what disruptions were anticipated. … Ellison, who has been outspoken about his opposition to President Donald Trump’s initiatives regarding deportations and transgender athletes, was set to speak at Red Wing High School on Thursday in an optional assembly for students.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hTH01P
ROCHESTER: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “The Rochester chapter of Indivisible.org, a grassroots organization with a nationwide reach, will host a rally at noon [today] at the Rochester office of [Brad] Finstad, the 1st Congressional District representative and Republican who represents southern Minnesota. This is the second rally within the last two weeks that will occur at Finstad's office in Rochester. On Feb. 18, a group organized by ISAIAH, visited Finstad's office with the message ‘Medicaid Matters.’ … One of the organizers of Thursday's event said while Finstad won't be in Rochester, he hopes the congressman will hear the concerns of people in Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ibNyZm
ST CLOUD: via St. Cloud Live, VERBATIM: “Mayor Jake Anderson said a new St. Cloud city administrator is expected to be hired by the end of March. The new hire would replace longtime city administrator Matt Staehling, who was hired for the same position earlier this year in Duluth. Anderson in late January appointed Fire Chief Matt Love as interim St. Cloud city administrator. The city has received eight applicants, and is identifying three or four candidates to interview, Anderson said.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43d1RIW
WILD ABOUT READING: More than 500 Minnesota classrooms and 15,000 students are participating in the “Wild About Reading” program, a partnership with Flint Hills Resources which encourages students to read more using Minnesota Wild-branded posters, reading logs, and bookmarks. Teachers set weekly reading goals and give certificates to students who complete the four-week program. Fun program incentives include classroom visits from the Wild’s mascot, Nordy – and the team dog, Rookie; a pair of tickets to a Wild home game, player signed pucks and photos; and a pizza party for a classroom. LEARN MORE: Wild About Reading SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources
From yesterday’s Fluence newsletters:
SCHOOL MEALS: via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “Nearly three quarters of Minnesota school districts will see a reduction in funding to support low-income students next year because of a wrinkle in Minnesota’s free school meals law — unless the Legislature acts this session. … Starting next year, only students counted through direct certification will be tallied when it’s time to give districts with more low-income students extra instructional money. The idea was to make it easier for school districts, which would no longer need to collect paper forms. But the end of paper forms could be costly for districts that still rely on them. Nearly 13% of all students eligible for free meals were certified through paper forms in 2022. For reduced price meals, almost 40% of eligible students are certified this way.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ij31al
SNAP: via Roll Call, VERBATIM: “House Agriculture Committee ranking member Angie Craig, with one eye on a Senate run in 2026, faces a daunting task in delivering legislative benefits to her constituents in the next two years. Craig, D-Minn., became the panel’s top Democrat just as the majority Republicans began looking at steep cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as part of the budget reconciliation process. Those cuts, in turn, would make drafting a bipartisan farm bill a much bigger lift for the committee. Both issues fall squarely into House Agriculture’s jurisdiction. And cuts to food stamps and the absence of a farm bill would give Democrats little to take to voters in the fall of 2026.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41kDIhd
LIGHT RAIL: via Axios Twin Cities, VERBATIM: “The Green Line extension to the southwest metro, already nearly $1 billion over budget, now faces another question: Will the federal government send the remaining $234 million it awarded the project in 2020? After many delays and cost increases, the multibillion dollar, 14.5-mile project is more than 80% complete and supposed to begin service in 2027. But President Donald Trump’s attempt to halt federal grants raises questions about the final phases.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QCnWt4
WORKFORCE: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “President Donald Trump and multibillionaire Elon Musk are behind the drive to shed thousands and thousands of federal workers. … While Minnesota doesn’t have as large of a federal workforce as some other states, the reductions have unleashed an unsettling fog of uncertainty about the labor market and the local economy’s health. How bad could the job market get? The extent of the negative impact on the national economy and Minnesota partly depends on how deep the DOGE cuts are and how widespread the ripple effects on private and nonprofit employment.” READ/LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4igmUi9
THEDAILYAGENDA: Every day, we’re sharing significant political, business and other news in your inbox and on our new website, The Daily Agenda. If you love morning take, sign up for the other Fluence tip sheets and share our web content with your friends. SIGNUP: https://fluence-media.co/4eZwLa7
SESSION: House floor session at 3:30 p.m. Senate floor session at 11:00 a.m. HOUSE: Human Services will hear a repeal of the Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board and changes to elderly waiver rates. State Govt. hears a Bipartisan Redistricting Commission bill, cybersecurity funding and required lawmaker observation of teachers and law enforcement. Workforce, Labor & Econ. Dev. hears permitting reform. Judiciary & Civil Law hears the OIG creation bill. SENATE: Finance hears a presentation from MMB on how federal cuts will affect the state budget. Taxes will hear credit increases for sustainable aviation fuel. Housing & Homelessness will hear five bills on manufactured home parks. Elections will hear temporary bans on public officials lobbying after leaving office. Higher Education hears a requirement for public schools to participate in direct admissions. CALENDAR: https://fluence-media.co/4bmjY1q
TODAY: Governor Tim Walz will meet with leadership from the six statewide Crime Victim Services Coalitions and speak at an International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Union event. Later, he will discuss his plan to help keep health care costs down by making health insurance companies pay their fair share and speak at the History Makers Event Series.
MORE: via Office of the Governor, VERBATIM: “as President Donald Trump threatens to take away health care for over a million Minnesotans, Governor Tim Walz will discuss his plan to help keep costs down by making health insurance companies pay their fair share.” Minnesota Department of Commerce Commissioner Grace Arnold will attend. The event is at 2:00 p.m.
TODAY: The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy announced they will hold a press conference today for a “letter to Minnesota legislators on the risks that unchecked hyper-scale data centers pose to Minnesota…featuring reaction to the legislative committee hearings on bills HF 28/SF 1393 and HF1277/SF 769.” The event is at 9:00 a.m.
TODAY: via a House GOP press release, VERBATIM: “Rep. Kristin Robbins, R-Maple Grove, Rep. Elliot Engen, R-White Bear Township, Rep. Duane Quam, R-Byron, and House Republicans [will host a] press conference on HF 21, HF 72, and HF 289, which will be voted on during Thursday’s House session.” The event is at 12:00 noon.
MARCH 3: The House GOP announced they will be hosting the “Preserve Girls’ Sports Rally” at the Capitol on Monday to advocate against allowing transgender students to participate in girls’ academic sports. Speaker Lisa Demuth, Rep. Peggy Scott and Sen. Julia Coleman are among the attendees, as is former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines. The event is at 11:00 a.m. DETAILS: https://fluence-media.co/43eedAF
MARCH 3: via an ISAIAH press release, VERBATIM: “Hundreds of childcare providers, parents, teachers and community members across Minnesota will be hosting or participating in Day Without Childcare events on Monday, March 3 to demonstrate how many people truly rely on childcare in our state. Several childcare centers that serve hundreds of children and families across the state will be closed to elevate the need to fund childcare and early learning.” Centers in Virginia, Bemidji, Duluth, St. Paul and Rochester, and Elk River will participate.
MARCH 4: Minnesota Citizens for the Arts will host Arts Advocacy Day in the state capitol on Tuesday, March 4. Events include a rally in the rotunda at 10:00 a.m. and meetings with legislators from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
MARCH 6: Minnesota Management and Budget announced that the next state budget forecast will be released on Thursday, March 6. In a press release, MMB said “the February forecast announcement is scheduled about a week later than usual this year due to a later-than-usual release of key federal employment data.”
APRIL 10: Citizens League will honor Peter Bell, former Metropolitan Council chair, and Sharon McMahon at the 2025 Civic Celebration. The annual Civic Celebration is an inspiring evening, gathering hundreds of Minnesotans from diverse backgrounds, parties and ideologies to celebrate our state’s enduring civic culture, leadership, and commitment to public service. REGISTER: https://fluence-media.co/3EKmNge (SPONSORED: Citizens League)
BDAYS: lobbyist Jill Sims, financial advisor Joe Pitzl, journalist Kevin Featherly, civic stalwart Chuck Slocum, retired lobbyist Kathy Hahne
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