Wolves win lead the series 3-1. Twins at Baltimore tonight.
A pickleball ban in Maple Grove? Time for a protest. WCCO: https://fluence-media.co/3H520Fi
Farm Aid coming to Huntington Bank Stadium on Sept. 20th.
Gov. Walz has activated the National Guard as a third fire is forcing evacuations in the Arrowhead. DNT: https://fluence-media.co/42WDVt1
A shake-up at United Health. STRIB: https://fluence-media.co/4dfnGKT
Tariffs on Chinese imports will be temporarily reduced to 30% starting tomorrow as retailers begin purchasing their holiday stock. NYT: https://fluence-media.co/4j2QtDH
A Minnesota teenager is starring in A24’s next horror film. STRIB: https://fluence-media.co/43aAbmr
Blois
TIPS: BloisOlson@gmail.com
GOP Senate Leader Mark Johnson and DFL Sen. Judy Seeberger were on Sunday Take to discuss the final days of the 2025 legislative session. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/42RrXkj
Sponsorships available – to reach over 25,000 readers per day on Fluence’s tip sheet and website www.TheDailyAgenda.com – email BloisOlson@gmail.com
MN GOP: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Hundreds of conservatives across Minnesota gathered in Bloomington on Monday evening for one of the state Republican Party’s biggest fundraising events of the year. But none of the state‘s highest-ranking Republicans attended the event amid disagreements with the direction the party is going under the leadership of its new chairman Alex Plechash. … It’s a stark contrast from last year, when President Donald Trump headlined the fundraiser and the state‘s highest-ranking GOP Rep. Tom Emmer [offered] $100,000 to the party. … Plechash denied that there‘s friction between the state party and congressional delegation, [but] Republican sources say the congressional delegation is refusing to help the party financially until it stops its affiliation with Action 4 Liberty and gets rid of party officials they believe are too closely affiliated with the group.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43AEE2f
MORE: Last night at the Lincoln-Reagan dinner the MNGOP the party announced that its new Pulsar voter contact system is fully funded through the 2026 election. The MN GOP will start engaging in CD2 and continue throughout the state. The Pulsar system was recently used in two Minnesota special elections.
TAKE: The factions of the Minnesota Republican party create distractions and divisions that impact the success of their candidates – especially in statewide elections. The pressure this week will be on Republican legislators to stay strong in negotiations with the Governor and DFLers. Afterall, there could be primaries for anyone who crosses over to support a compromise budget. Action 4 Liberty is effective at creating chaos, but some of their candidates lack mainstream appeal. Mainstream appeal is what the Minnesota GOP will need in the US Senate, Governor’s race and the CD2 open seat. If Action 4 Liberty and the MN GOP can’t nominate candidates that can stay disciplined and appeal to independents the 2026 election will look like the past few in Minnesota. T
WALZ: via The Hill, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) will speak at the Democratic state conventions in South Carolina and California at the end of this month. … The two states are particularly notable as South Carolina is the first state in the Democratic [presidential] primary process and California has a larger number of Democrats than any other state. Both events will take place on May 31.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dfQ4ga
NOTE: Well-known Minnesota organizer Kyrstin Schuette is in Iowa working for Pete Buttigieg.
PHILLIPS: Former Rep. Dean Phillips spoke to WCCO-TV about his failed 2024 presidential run and future plans now that he is out of Congress. When asked if he will ever run for office again, Phillips said it’s possible, but not his focus. QUOTE: “I served six years. I think service should be somewhat temporary. I never say never, but I am more focused now on reforming the system.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4dfsZdu
CD2: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “The race for U.S. Rep. Angie Craig’s 2nd District seat is in its early stages…[but] Craig’s decision to run for retiring U.S. Sen. Tina Smith’s seat prompted the Cook Political Report to change its rating of the 2nd District seat from ‘safe Democrat’ to ‘likely Democrat.’ … Erin Covey of the Cook Political Report said the 2nd District race was downgraded a bit for Democrats because an open seat, by definition, is more competitive than one held by an incumbent. She said Democrats will continue to have a strong advantage. But others [disagree]. … ‘I think it’s going to be a very close general election,’ said Hamline University political science professor David Schultz.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3S1uWR6
LIFELINE OF RURAL HEALTH CARE — WHY LOCAL PHARMACIES MATTER IN 340B: In the heart of Greater Minnesota, access to local 24/7 health care services isn’t just a necessity – it’s the cornerstone to vibrant rural communities. The 340B Drug Pricing Program has been instrumental in enabling nonprofit hospitals like Essentia Health to provide comprehensive, high-quality care to the state’s rural and underserved communities. Unfortunately, out-of-state pharmaceutical companies continue to blatantly ignore Minnesota’s law that protects safety net providers’ access to 340B discounted drugs. Legislators should stand up to these drug manufacturers and protect the 340B Program, ensuring that Minnesota’s rural communities continue to have access to life-saving — and community sustaining — health care services. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/42D8kLo (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)
TODAY: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “A number of special elections for vacant seats and ballot questions are happening across Minnesota [today]. Elections will be held for races in Orono, Traverse County and Mora schools. Referendums are being held in Slayton and Unorganized Township 63-17 in St. Louis County, as well as school districts in Cedar Mountain, Chisago Lakes, Fulda, Kingsland and Windom.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4klF96Z
MEDICAID: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “House Republicans have targeted ‘blue’ states that provide health care to undocumented immigrants by cutting Medicaid payments to those states in an effort to shrink the government health plan. … Legislation released by the House Energy and Commerce Committee late Sunday would cut the share the federal government gives Minnesota and 13 other states [from] 90% to 80% because these states offer health care coverage to undocumented immigrants. This cut in federal money, and other new restrictions proposed by the panel as part of a mega-budget bill, will likely force states like Minnesota to revamp how they fund the joint federal-state Medicaid program or cut benefits. … The reduction in the federal matching rate [could] cost Minnesota more than $325 million a year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YHno9O
IMMIGRANTS: via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “Kevin Kinney, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis, joined Minnesota Catholics Monday at the Capitol, urging state lawmakers to keep a program that allows undocumented people to receive free or discounted health insurance. … Jason Adkins, executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference, [said] the MCC has met with Republican leaders on the issue, but they ‘haven’t seen a lot of policy movement.’ … Kinney said that the immigration system needs to be fixed at the federal level, but until then, Minnesotans can take steps to ensure all people, regardless of their immigration status, can have access to health care.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3GR7Iul
WILDFIRE: via Office of the Governor, VERBATIM: “Governor Tim Walz today authorized the Minnesota National Guard to provide emergency assistance to help fight the Camp House wildfire in northern Minnesota. Executive Order 25-04 directs the National Guard to assist the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center with fire suppression efforts and assets. … The Minnesota National Guard will provide personnel, assistance, and resources to support wildfire suppression efforts alongside the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center, and local agencies.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3SwgCQv
MEDICAID SUPPORTS HEALTH CARE FOR ALL OF US: Medicaid keeps Minnesota’s hospitals strong and ensures communities across the state have access to care. Policymakers must protect Medicaid so every Minnesotan — regardless of income or health status — can get the care they need, when they need it. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3FtrCuH (SPONSORED: Minnesota Hospital Association)
NEGOTIATIONS: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Governor Tim Walz and Minnesota legislative leaders have met for more than 13 hours over several sessions on Sunday and Monday, but still, no substantial progress on the state budget has been reported. ‘There’s no doubt we’re at the 11th hour here,’ Walz said Monday morning. … Lawmakers shuttled in and out of the governor’s office all day, carrying binders full of spreadsheets and accompanied by lawmakers and staff with expertise in various areas of the budget. … DFL Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy [said] one area of disagreement appears to have been worked out. The Senate and governor will likely prevail in seeking a balanced budget over four years instead of just the next two years, as the House proposed.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/454BB4w
TAKE: Governor Walz and legislative leaders have put on happy faces about negotiations which is presents a cooperative face on negotiations, however sources say both sides are still very far apart. Budget targets and a budgets is the bare minimum, however policy and bonding add complications to the larger budget deal. One Senate DFLer said that the DFL Senate Caucus is polarized which is very different than two years ago. House Republicans have the most to gain and lose in the negotiations. Republican legislators know that if the midterm’s are trending against President Trump, this may be their only chance to pushback against the DFL trifecta.
For deeper insight from Fluence Advisory, please email bolson@fluence-advisory.com for our end of session memo.
HEALTH: via House Session Daily, VERBATIM: “The omnibus health and children and families bill…would appropriate more than $3 billion in the 2026-27 biennium for payments to hospitals, public health initiatives, child-care providers and other programs. Sponsored by Rep. Robert Bierman (DFL-Apple Valley), the House passed HF2435, which provides funding for the Department of Health, Department of Human Services and relatively new Department of Children, Youth, and Families. Following the 95-38 vote, the bill goes to the Senate.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/438KSpx
GOOGLE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Google has ramped up a lobbying offensive in Minnesota to influence tax breaks and regulations for data centers, according to three state lawmakers. … Google representatives have met with lawmakers, environmental groups and consumer advocates. Rep. Greg Davids, a Republican from Preston and co-chair of the House taxes committee, said the company is calling for more favorable tax breaks. Two DFL lawmakers said Google is part of negotiations on other controversial issues, such as proposals that would regulate the water and energy use of data centers and make companies release more information about their operations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4j0bnn5
JUSTICE: via House Session Daily, VERBATIM: “Rep. Sandra Feist (DFL-New Brighton) wants to give victims more options when seeking accountability. Feist sponsors HF104/SF2200* to establish confidentiality for statements made in a restorative justice program, making them inadmissible in court, similar to the practice that already exists for alternative dispute resolution. … The House passed the bill 98-36 Monday. The Senate passed it 64-0 April 25 and it now goes to the governor. The bill was championed by sexual assault survivors.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3F6lb0T
CELL PHONES: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Minnesota has moved toward building policy around cell phones in schools, starting last year. A new law required all schools in the state to have a cell phone policy in place by March 15. But legislators are going further and considering a cell phone ban [to] prohibit cell phones in K-8 schools and restrict screens in high school classrooms. … The initial bill did not make it far, but the proposed ban was included in an omnibus education policy bill, [so] it is not yet clear if the ban will survive negotiations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4j19UwT
Governor Walz Wants to Double Tax Minnesota Consumers & Businesses: Governor Walz’s Minnesota Insurance Coverage Tax would double tax Minnesota families, seniors, businesses and consumers, raising the cost of non-medical insurance products including dental, vision, private paid family leave, long-term care, and wage replacement insurance. His plan not only forces Minnesotans buying one type of insurance to subsidize another, but it also gives the Department of Commerce unchecked power to set and raise the tax with no legislative oversight. Learn More: ProtectOurCoverage.com (SPONSORED: Minnesota Insurance and Financial Services Council)
MPLS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Three Minneapolis City Council members have proposed a new 2% fee on hotel rooms that would be used to promote tourism. A tourism improvement district would be created and the roughly $6 million in revenue would pay for marketing, special projects and workforce development and training. It would be similar to Minneapolis’ downtown improvement district, except the revenue would be managed by a committee of hoteliers who would decide how to use the money. … If passed, the new fee would begin in September. The business housing and zoning committee will hold a public hearing on the proposal at 1:30 p.m. on May 20.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42YHPBK
MORE: via a Shaffer for City Council press release, VERBATIM: “Elizabeth Shaffer, Minneapolis Park Commissioner and candidate for Minneapolis City Council in Ward 7, earned the endorsement of the Minneapolis Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party at Saturday’s Ward 7 Convention. Shaffer secured endorsement by earning 60.5% of the vote.” SHAFFER: “I take this endorsement quite seriously. Ward 7 DFLers have made it clear – we deserve a responsive Minneapolis City Council member who will be a voice for all of Ward 7.”
MPS: via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “Over the past two years, [several] parents who have experienced homelessness in Minneapolis Public Schools have banded together to form a parent advisory council. They provide input to the district on resources for homeless families and have created professional development training for staff. They’ve spoken at school board meetings, presented at conferences, and met with legislators. … But now, they worry their work will lose momentum. As part of its budget-cutting process, Minneapolis Public Schools plans to split the department serving homeless and highly mobile students in two and eliminate the position of the director leading the department.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3SCMRNW
ST PAUL: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “When a sinkhole all but shut down a section of West Seventh Street last Thursday evening, St. Paul Public Works officials soon discovered they had their work cut out for them. … The hole is some 35 feet deep, and repairs could take up to two months. Contractors will dig more than 30 feet through sandstone and limestone, assess the extent of the damage and then rebuild the sanitary sewer tunnel. The work, which got underway Monday, also will entail installing new utility connections for surrounding businesses.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3GQrI0p
BETTING POLL: Support is surging among Minnesotans who want legal wagering on sporting events. New polling by the Sports Betting Alliance of Minnesota indicates 60% of voters in the state support the legalization of sports betting. The survey of 1,000 Minnesota voters also revealed overwhelming support for legal wagering among 18–29-year-olds, with 75% of females and 73% of males in favor of allowing sports betting in Minnesota — something that is available in 39 states. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/49uj4OF (SPONSORED: Sports Betting Alliance)
CHILDCARE: via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “Teachers and advocates for Head Start, the federal program that provides subsidized child care to low-income families, gathered at the Capitol Monday — with hundreds of preschoolers in tow — to protest proposed Head Start cuts and the lack of state action to counteract them. More than 12,000 Minnesota children could lose their care if Head Start funding expires at the end of September. Advocates with Kids Count On Us — a child care advocacy group affiliated with the religious organization ISAIAH — rallied for state and federal spending on child care in conjunction with National Day Without Child Care events around the country.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mhZlbK
TARIFFS: via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “A Minnesota small business owner is getting a brief reprieve thanks to a 90-day tariff pause between the United States and China, but the long-term outlook remains uncertain. Beth Benike, a mother and veteran who started her business to stop babies from dropping their toys, says the temporary reduction in tariffs has given her a critical lifeline…[but] the uncertainty remains a major challenge.” BENIKE: “That's going to give us about three more months of runway to figure out what to do next…[but] who knows what’s going to happen after 90 days? I don’t trust that the 90 days is actually 90 days. So many things change so rapidly.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4jURyiq
REAL ESTATE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Twin Cities homebuilders are bracing for the sting of tariffs on lumber and other materials at a time when new construction sales are on the rise, defying a national slump. Those homebuilders offering steep discounts helped boost March sales in the area by 2.2% from the same time last year. … Yet those in the industry expect tariffs will make new houses more expensive, which could erase the recent bump. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) said tariffs could increase the average cost of a home by at least $10,900.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42T6aZy
IT’S POSSIBLE TO SIMULTANEOUSLY UPHOLD ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY AND GROW OUR ECONOMY: Minnesota’s lengthy and uncertain permitting process has frustrated businesses for decades. A recent report found that air permitting in Minnesota can take up to six times longer than comparable states. A coalition of business and labor groups are advocating for reform that will shorten timelines and increase certainty while maintaining our strong environmental standards. Contact your legislators and tell them to support streamlining the permitting process. CONTACT: https://fluence-media.co/3Ea5Tbe (SPONSORED: Minnesota Chamber of Commerce)
TUNION: via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “Nearly 1,000 resident physicians at the University of Minnesota are officially unionized with SEIU Committee of Interns and Residents after a state labor board certified [last week] that a majority of residents signed union cards. The certification comes on the heels of more than 200 resident physicians at Hennepin Healthcare achieving certification last month as the first union of resident physicians in Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4j3odkl
CRASH: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “A fatal drunken-driving crash in Minneapolis allegedly caused by an Ecuadorian national has drawn indignation from the White House over his immigration status and questions from a Hennepin County judge about what took so long to file criminal vehicular homicide charges. … It took nearly nine months for charges to be filed. … Senior Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Judith Cole said [yesterday] the state was concerned there was ‘significant risk the federal government may take’ [the suspect] if he is released from jail.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mf7U72
JUDGES: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Fellow judges have elected Judge Christopher Jon Lehmann to serve as chief judge of Minnesota’s First Judicial District for a two-year term, the Minnesota Judicial Branch announced on Monday. Lehmann, who currently is assistant chief judge of the district, will begin serving as chief judge on July 1. Judge Charles Webber was elected to serve as assistant chief judge, also beginning July 1.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3S12leE
SUPPORT SF 2929 AND HF 2677: Third-party lawsuit funding (TPLF) — or “lawsuit lending” — is a growing and extremely concerning trend in courts across the state and throughout the country that encourages frivolous lawsuits and threatens to drive up the costs of products, services, and insurance for Minnesota consumers. Fortunately, lawmakers are considering legislation — the Consumers in Crisis Protection Act (SF 2929 & HF 2677) — to increase transparency around this highly secretive practice and reasonably regulate third-party lawsuit funders to protect consumers and help keep premiums low. MORE INFO: https://fluence-media.co/4jivOfT (SPONSORED: ASPCIA)
GREAT LAKES: via AP News, VERBATIM: “A stalemate between President Donald Trump and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker that threatened a $1.2 billion plan to keep invasive carp from reaching the Great Lakes appears to have been settled after the Trump Administration offered assurances it will cover its share of the costs. After a delay that has stretched on since February, Illinois officials are set to resume closing on property they need to continue work on a project that will generate vast bubble curtains to deter the carp. … The White House issued a memo late Friday saying the Trump Administration recognized the threat invasive carp pose to Great Lakes recreation and fishing.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YHqeM0
WATER: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “53 Minnesota communities have elevated levels of the chemical element manganese in their drinking water, according to the latest data from state health officials. It’s an improvement from the 67 communities whose test results showed high levels two years ago…[but] Dave Hokanson, assistant manager for MDH’s Drinking Water Protection Section, said ‘that number could go up’ as additional systems implement testing for manganese.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/456d0MA
PUSH BACK AGAINST TAX BREAKS FOR BIG TECH DATA CENTERS: Our tax money should be going to essential services for Minnesotans, like education, health care, and infrastructure — not subsidies for billionaire owned data centers. The current tax credit has already cost our state an estimated $5 million a year since 2011. In 2025 it will be over $100 million. It’s time to stop these skyrocketing numbers. Tell your legislators, ‘No big tax breaks for Big Tech.’ LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3ErmQh8 (SPONSORED: Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy)
LITTLE FALLS: via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “The Little Falls community is urging school administrators to reconsider closing one of the district's three elementary schools. It's the latest example of how budget shortfalls are plaguing school districts across the state. … According to administrators at Little Falls Community Schools, it's been long days and nights grappling with what Superintendent Greg Johnson warns could be a $1 million shortfall in the next few years. … The issue isn't COVID money drying up, it's falling enrollment. There are 1,000 fewer students in the district now than there were 30 years ago, with the same amount of schools.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/43saQFV
COTTAGE GROVE: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “The Park Grove Library in Cottage Grove is closing next year to get a $13.5 million makeover and will reopen to the public in early 2027. The redesign of the library at 7300 Hemingway Ave. S. is necessary because access to the building, including visibility and parking, is challenging because it is tucked into a neighborhood behind several multi-story apartment buildings, said Mandy Leonard, project manager. The majority of the existing building structure will remain, but Washington County officials plan to reconstruct the front entrance.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3EPSvcF
BROOKLYN PARK: via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “Crowds of cars packing parking lots and making noise at night [is] a trend that's hit several suburbs this spring. One police department wants to put the brakes on big gatherings before anyone gets hurt. Brooklyn Park Inspector Matt Rabe says a few people admiring their cars in a parking lot isn't a problem. It's when hundreds get together and things get out of control.” RABE: “Sometimes we can have 400, 500 cars all showing up at the same place, late into the evening. They are loud, revving their engines, sometimes driving erratically and recklessly. It can be quite dangerous.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/43eMHl5
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. Kari Rehrauer
Rep. Wayne Johnson
Rep. Julie Greene
Rep. Keith Allen
Rep. Peter Johnson
Follow on your favorite podcast platform, or at www.TheDailyAgenda.com/Podcasts. (SPONSORED: Minnesota Telecom Alliance)
ST CLOUD: via St. Cloud Live, VERBATIM: “Don't plan on catching a ball game in downtown St. Cloud any time soon. At his final State of the City address on Jan. 7, longtime St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis presented a graphic showing a large baseball stadium. … The announcement surprised many, including Jake Anderson, St. Cloud's current mayor who initially said he was open to discussion about building a downtown baseball stadium. However, that's no longer true. … ‘I would say the baseball stadium is not going to happen,’ Anderson [said]. Anderson believes the area would be best for mixed-use development, meaning a combination of housing, retail and recreation. Now, city staff is pursuing those other options as they work to finalize the upcoming comprehensive plan, Anderson said.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44vsv0v
ROCHESTER: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “Amenah Alasadi anticipates the need for more flexibility in helping Rochester-area families if a proposed change to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program occurs. … During a roundtable discussion on Monday morning, [she pointed] to a need for SNAP support, [citing] increased costs for a variety of necessities. … In Olmsted County, 709 families received benefits in March this year, with census data pointing to 6% to 8% of local households relying on the support at some point in recent years. Federal lawmakers have been working on Farm Bill revisions that could shift some of the cost to states.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43bwSvb
DULUTH: via Duluth News Tribune, VERBATIM: “Duluth School Board incumbent Jill Lofald announced Monday she will seek her third term. Lofald has served on the board since 2017 as the representative for District 4. … Lofald served as the board chair for five years and was elected vice chair in 2024. She sits on the board's Policy Committee, the Education Equity Advisory Committee and the Fond du Lac Tribal Council, among others. Lofald is also a member of the city of Duluth’s Parks and Recreation Committee and the Duluth Playhouse Board of Directors.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3S1EgEs
FREE AND LOW-COST FAMILY FUN: The beloved Flint Hills Family Festival is celebrating 25 years in downtown Saint Paul, May 30-31. This year’s festival, presented by the Ordway and Flint Hills Resources, welcomes outstanding headliners, including Grammy winners Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band and Ada Twist, Scientist, as well as the returning NOOMA, an Opera for Babies. Bring kids of all ages to enjoy free outdoor entertainment and activities, visit food trucks and take in an indoor show where tickets start at just $8. GET TICKETS: https://fluence-media.co/FHFestival (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
From yesterday’s Fluence newsletters:
MNLEG: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “With the sun setting soon on the Minnesota legislative session, there’s plenty of work to do. The regular session will end in a week, on May 19. Rumblings of the need for a potential special session have started to pick up. That’s because as of this Monday morning, Gov. Tim Walz and the Legislature still haven’t completed the budget framework that will guide completion of the two-year spending plan. Without those numbers in hand, conference committees can’t fully negotiate to bring their bills into alignment.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jJmJwW
TARIFFS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Minnesotan businesses and farmers expressed relief Monday over the temporary pause in the trade war between the U.S. and China, with some small firms working to get their products onto ships as soon as possible. … Across Greater Minnesota, the news was most welcome in farm fields, where producers were planting soybeans. Soybeans, a staple for livestock diets, is the state’s largest export, and China is the largest destination.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dhtdAX
REMAINS: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “During an annual update to the University of Minnesota Board of Regents, senior advisor to the president on Native American affairs Karen Diver said the repatriation of the Mimbres collection could begin in October. ‘We anticipate working with the Hopi as the lead tribe to repatriate their ancestors and funerary objects in the fall,’ said Diver. Anthropologists at the university excavated more than 150 ancestral remains and thousands of Mimbres cultural items from the ancestral gravesites of Indigenous people in the southwest during digs that took place between 1928 and 1931.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44ulrkI
SESSION: House floor session at 11:00 a.m. Senate floor session at 11:00 a.m. FLOOR: The House floor will hear bills on taxes and replacing a statue. CONFERENCE: Conference committees will hear omnibus bills for human services; state and local government and elections; higher education; and judiciary, public safety and corrections. HOUSE: Rules & Legislative Admin. will meet with a TBD agenda. SENATE: No Senate committee meetings. CALENDAR: https://fluence-media.co/3GMZYtD
TODAY: At 10 AM, Governor Tim Walz will meet with legislative leaders.
TODAY: via Unlock Minnesota, VERBATIM: “Representatives from a broad coalition of Minnesota industries—include housing, labor, construction, manufacturing, retail, outdoor recreation, and the security industry—will hold a press conference urging immediate legislative action to fix the 2023 Minnesota law making it illegal to sell, replace, and distribute keys Minnesotans rely on every day.” The event is at 10:00 a.m.
TODAY: via Habitat for Humanity, VERBATIM: “More than 150 housing advocates will rally together at the Minnesota State Capitol to participate in Habitat on the Hill, an advocacy day co-presented by Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity and Habitat for Humanity of Minnesota. The event will include a rally in the Capitol Rotunda, advocacy training, and legislator visits.” Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, DFL Sen. Lindsey Port, DFL Rep. Michael Howard, and GOP Rep. Spencer Igo have been invited. The event is at 10:30 a.m.
TODAY: via Allina Health, VERBATIM: “Allina Health, in partnership with Mortenson, will host a ‘topping off’ ceremony at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at Abbott Northwestern Hospital [in Minneapolis]. … There will be a steel beam signing to signify the project has reached its full height and the structure is now complete. The beam will be placed at a later date.” The event is at 11:00 a.m.
TODAY: via an AFL-CIO advisory, VERBATIM: “From 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., unions and working people from across the state will gather at the State Capitol for a rally and picket line to tell President [Donald] Trump and Elon Musk: ‘Hands off our critical services!’ There will be a short rally highlighting why working people are fighting back to protect Medicaid, immigrants, our environment, public schools and to stop attacks on workers. After the rally, the crowd will work to form Minnesota's largest picket line.”
TMRW: via news advisory, VERBATIM: “U.S. Senate candidate and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan will take her Kitchen Table Conversations Tour to Cannon Falls. Prior to this conversation, Peggy will spend the afternoon meeting with local farmers and veterans to discuss the impact of Trump’s tariff tax on their work and lives.”
TMRW: via a Senate Democrats advisory, VERBATIM: “U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)…will convene a Rules Committee Democrats spotlight hearing titled ‘Protecting the Future of American Democracy: An Examination of Trump and Partisan Attacks on Voting and Elections.’ Members will hear from election officials and voter advocates.” Sec. Steve Simon will attend in Washington, D.C. The event is at 1:00 p.m. central.
FRIDAY: Via his office, Sec. Steve Simon will travel to south central Minnesota on Friday, May 16. Simon will meet with county auditors in McLeod, Chippewa, Renville, and Sibley Counties.
JUNE 13: The MN DFL announced its annual Humphrey-Mondale Dinner will be held on Friday, June 13 with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker as the keynote speaker. DETAILS: https://fluence-media.co/4iiEa5R
JULY 12: Gov. Tim Walz will be the keynote speaker at the South Dakota Democratic Party’s annual McGovern Day dinner on July 12 in Sioux Falls, SD.
BDAYS: radio guy Brian Oake, attorney Jeffrey O’Brien, Minneapolis’ leader Don Samuels
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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