FRIDAY EVE
Wolves lose. Twins win.
Masters and Frozen Four weekend, the couch is calling.
I’ll be the guest of the Economic Club of Minnesota today to have a conversation about trade with Mari Pangestu to discuss global trade. A timely and urgent topic.
The State Patrol and others providing security at the Capitol are doing a great job – but next session there should be more screened entry points, including a group entrance and another for pre-screened non-government employees.
GOP Gov. candidate Mike Lindell will have a town hall in Chaska tonight – measuring the crowd will be a signal of his level of support and impact on the GOP
The Strait of Hormuz is closed again after Iran accused the U.S. of violating its ceasefire agreement. CBS: https://fluence-media.co/4vjyQHa
The Federal Reserve may consider interest rate hikes in response to the Iran war. AXIOS: https://fluence-media.co/3Qty7mI
Pope Leo XIV has reportedly decided to avoid visiting the U.S. for now, following a contentious meeting between the Pentagon and a Vatican official. INDEPENDENT: https://fluence-media.co/4t2egtu
Two tickets to Morgan Wallen tmrw night if you’re interested – shoot me a note.
Today is National Unicorn Day.
Blois - tips: bloisolson@gmail.com
On Sunday Take, GOP Floor Leader Harry Niska and DFL Rep. Matt Norris discussed what the Legislature did on break and what they expect to get done this session. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3O830wr
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WAYMO IS READY FOR MINNESOTA: With 13x fewer injury-causing collisions compared to humans, Waymo is already making roads safer in major U.S. cities where we operate — from multi-lane expressways to dense city streets, including the demands of winter weather. We are ready to bring these safety benefits to Minnesota, and look forward to working with the state legislature to pass a law that allows us to provide rides in the state. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/waymo (SPONSORED: Waymo)
THE OPENER
All the Michelin news is good - but the sliver of hospitality it represents isn’t significant economically. A guide isn’t going to save us, it’s a shiny object - we have a structural economic, reputation and regulation challenge that makes the Twin Cities and Minnesota an outlier.
If you want actual data about the State of Hospitality report released yesterday by Fluence Advisory client Hospitality Minnesota has it. VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s hospitality industry is on the brink of no return. The current economic environment in Minnesota is not sustainable.” REPORT: https://fluence-media.co/4sWaIsx
As an optimist it’s hard to look at the trends in health care, agriculture, hospitality, job growth and investment in the state and not be concerned. Fluence will be launching more economic dashboards in the coming months, and there is plenty of analysis to be done on the campaign dynamics of the year, and how we got here. Stay tuned.
REALITY CHECK…
RELIEF: via House Session Daily, VERBATIM: “HF4477, as amended, would establish a small-business relief fund for Minnesota business owners that experienced significant financial losses during ‘federal enforcement activity.’ … Sponsored by Rep. Cedrick Frazier (DFL-New Hope), the bill would provide grants between $5,000 to $25,000 to businesses with less than $3 million annual revenue that experienced a 20% or more drop in business. … The bill, which includes fraud-investigation authority for the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, does not specify an appropriation, though $100 million has been suggested. No committee action was taken.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cyHNoE
KICKBACKS: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “A possible gap in its own administrative rules could be preventing the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) from stopping payments to social safety-net service providers while they’re under investigation for alleged kickback schemes. … Deputy Legislative Auditor Katherine Theisen [said] the word ‘kickbacks’ is not included in DHS’s definition of fraud, and as a result, the state ‘could be required’ to keep paying providers while those investigations continue. … Rep. Patti Anderson, R-Dellwood, [said] several bills include the definition change, [but] no fraud prevention proposal has passed both chambers so far. … Rep. Kristin Robbins, R-Maple Grove, requested that DHS begin the rule-change process even as lawmakers work on legislation.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3QtyJJ2
SCHOOLS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The Rocori High School shooting in 2003 — one of Minnesota’s first — left two teenagers dead and rattled the small city of Cold Spring in central Minnesota, where [Lisa] Demuth and her family lived. More than 20 years later, Demuth now has a pivotal role in how Minnesota responds to the mass shooting at Annunciation. … That Demuth had four children on the Rocori campus during the 2003 shooting is not widely known, but it has helped shape her response to Annunciation. The debate over how to respond is expected to dominate the final weeks of the legislative session. … She said addressing school safety is a ‘must’ at the Legislature this year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4spLkKW
MORE: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “There’s cutting-edge technology on the market that schools can use to detect potential weapons threats on campus. Minnesota lawmakers are considering a bill to provide $4 million to the Department of Public Safety to implement a pilot project using the technology at eight schools across the state. … No vote was taken by the committee, but the bill will be considered to be included in a broader public safety bill.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4mt0zRN
HENN CTY: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “While the sheriff says she’s seeking ways to tighten the budget, Dawanna Witt says her office being millions over budget isn’t all her fault. She’s pointing to the entity that approves her budget, the Hennepin County Board, claiming it’s not fully funding her for the staff she’s approved to have. … Possible job cuts and shifting role responsibilities are on the table. … Witt added, regarding concerns about her going over budget, ‘I think that they need to be more realistic [about] what the duties of the office of sheriff and the sheriff’s office are.’” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4t26Eav
CLEAN | RELIABLE | AFFORDABLE: via Xcel Energy, VERBATIM: “We’re powering the Upper Midwest with clean, reliable, and affordable nuclear energy. For more than 50 years, our Prairie Island Nuclear Plant, located near Red Wing, MN, has been a workhorse of reliable, carbon-free energy. With two pressurized water reactors producing about 1,100 megawatts, Prairie Island generates enough electricity to power 1.5 million homes across the Upper Midwest. Unlike sources that depend on weather, nuclear energy delivers 24/7 reliability — providing the power we need today while protecting the environment for tomorrow.” LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4oCHdK9 (SPONSORED: Xcel Energy)
ECONOMICS
NDA: via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “After local governments secretly approved data center projects across Minnesota, Republicans and Democrats in the Legislature have rallied behind a bill that would prohibit local government officials from signing nondisclosure agreements. … The bill (HF4077/SF4379) would require more government transparency around data centers, as well as any other project involving the use of taxpayer funds.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eazZuw
FUEL CREDIT: via House Session Daily, VERBATIM: “A bipartisan coalition of legislators created an income tax credit in 2023 to incentivize the production of sustainable aviation fuel. However, no one has yet applied to receive it. So the taxes committee co-chair, Rep. Greg Davids (R-Preston), is sponsoring a bill to expand the tax credit and introduce a new set of environmental safeguards. HF1669 was laid over, as amended, for possible inclusion in an omnibus tax bill.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41mCouK
(DISCLOSURE: Delta Airlines is a client of Fluence Advisory)
FOR RURAL HOSPITALS, 340B ISN’T A WINDFALL — IT’S A LIFELINE: 30% of Minnesota hospitals are operating in the red. Savings from the 340B Drug Pricing Program help keep the doors open for safety-net hospitals that serve the most rural and underserved populations. Legislators can support access to local, high-quality care in their districts by strengthening the 340B program this session. READ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4uPSZV1 (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)
INFERTILITY: via House Session Daily, VERBATIM: “Twenty-five states have laws requiring some form of insurance coverage for infertility. Minnesota is not one of them. Rep. Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn (DFL-Eden Prairie) sponsors HF4609 to require Minnesota health plans to cover infertility treatments. … No committee action was taken.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sVDuJP
LGBTQ: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “Minnesota senators advanced two bills Wednesday, April 8, on conversion therapy — a practice that, as of now, is banned in the state. … Sen. Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis, [said] ‘We are addressing two additional questions: What happens when that harm occurs, and in light of the decision last week, how do we ensure that our laws meet the constitutional standards articulated by the Supreme Court?’ … SF 4706 would make mental health providers who perform conversion therapy on minors liable for damages. … SF 4707, would bar health insurance coverage of conversion therapy for minors and vulnerable adults.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48zHSWG
Follow the 2026 Minnesota elections up close with the Fluence Election Tracker.
https://fluence-media.co/electiontracker
CAMPAIGN 2026
SENATE RACE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Four Republican candidates for U.S. Senate debated each other on Tuesday night in Apple Valley, drawing style and a few policy contrasts to woo delegates who will decide the GOP endorsement at the state party convention in May. But as they competed with each other, the candidates also repeatedly found common ground in rallying against a rival who wasn’t there: Michele Tafoya. The former sports journalist is seeking the Republican endorsement but was not invited to the debate because she has not promised to drop out of the race if she doesn’t get it. Tafoya took criticism for her stance on several issues, including abortion.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cdD7mG
25TH AMEND: via Spectrum News, VERBATIM: “President Donald Trump’s handling of the war in Iran is sparking the first widespread wave of demands for his removal from office in his second term, including calls for his ousting through the 25th Amendment of the Constitution and moves to introduce articles of impeachment. … The president’s Truth Social post Tuesday morning in which he declared that a ‘whole civilization will die’ [was] a significant escalation for many Democrats in Congress, with dozens calling for his removal from office via the 25th Amendment. … OMAR: ‘Invoke the 25th amendment. Impeach. Remove,’ Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., wrote in response.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4c1LAuw
MORE: via MN Senate advisory, VERBATIM: “Senator Liz Boldon (DFL-Rochester) joined over 220 state legislators from 27 states today in signing a national statement [demanding] that members of the Presidential Cabinet and Vice President JD Vance invoke the 25th Amendment to remove President Donald Trump from office, and that Congress assert its constitutional authority and enforce its war powers under Article I, Section 8.” Signatories include 34 members of the Minnesota House and 19 Minnesota Senators, including Majority Leader Erin Murphy. LETTER: https://fluence-media.co/47RnErn
REJECT 340B EXPANSION: A new Minnesota Department of Health report shows hospitals made at least $1 billion dollars from a federal drug discount program known as 340B. The program should help patients, but experts say there is little accountability for where the money goes. The report was delayed and only recently released, showing the program isn’t working as intended. But Minnesota politicians are fast tracking a bill to expand the 340B program anyway. Lawmakers: reject House File 3609 / Senate File 3769. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4uUobCQ (SPONSORED: Community Action for Responsible Hospitals)
ICE FALLOUT
ICE: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “A federal judge in Minnesota heard arguments Wednesday on whether the Department of Homeland Security should be required to treat schools as protected areas free of immigration enforcement. … Lawyers for the districts offered examples of ICE staging operations in school parking lots, pulling people from their cars on their way to school and targeting people for detainment in school parking lots or near bus stops. … Judge Laura Provinzino said at the end of the hearing that this was an important case, [but] she did not indicate when she planned to rule on the matter.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cx9qhQ
REFUGEES: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “For more than half a century, Minnesota welcomed immigrants fleeing war, ethnic violence and famine. From Southeast Asians after the Vietnam War to East Africans displaced by civil unrest, the migration has been an altruistic exchange. … But that social compact is fraying under President Donald Trump. … Over the last year and a half, the federal government has also taken unprecedented steps to make it harder for legal immigrants to work and stay in the United States. … The changes are forcing many immigrants to navigate an already complicated system alone. Some are giving up and choosing to leave the country.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48iAm2s
HOTEL: via MSP Business Journal, VERBATIM: “The Lakeville hotel that was a flashpoint amid the Operation Metro Surge immigration raids has sold at a steep discount to a Chicago-based hospitality firm. Lakeville Inn, which lost its Hampton Inn banner in January after refusing to lodge federal immigration agents, sold to an entity connected to Chicago-based Jamp Hotels on March 26 for $8.5 million. … The seller, Lakeville Hotel LLC, bought the building in August for $11.9 million.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cfTMWQ
340B HOSPITAL MARKUPS HURT PATIENTS: Minnesota’s latest 340B report shows covered entities generated $1.34 billion IN PROFIT in 2024, including an estimated $261 million from Medicaid prescriptions. Independent research finds the program raises costs for patients, taxpayers, and employers statewide. Minnesota should sunset the 340B mandate and Congress should fix the federal 340B program, so it actually helps patients. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3OLZOGG(SPONSORED: PhRMA)
HEALTH
PARAMEDICS: via FOX 9, VERBATIM: “Records show Hennepin County paramedics are consistently operating below staffing minimums as emergency call volumes increase, leading to union concerns about mental health and burnout. … Union survey results show more than half of the staff are considering leaving the profession due to high stress levels. … County leaders acknowledge challenges but say response times remain steady and staffing will improve soon.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/41mA4Uw
HOSPITALS: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “HCMC isn’t the only level one trauma center in the [metro] area that’s struggling financially. North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale has been sounding the alarm for several years, but despite sharing so many similarities with HCMC, it has never gotten any kind of extra financial help. … Like HCMC, the key safety-net hospital has more than 100,000 emergency room visits every year, and 75% of its patients are covered by government programs. It has already laid off employees, [but] in 2025, it still lost $50 million. … If HCMC [closes], North Memorial’s patient volume would double.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4dCCw0l
HABITAT RESTORATION: Flint Hills Resources has earned Tandem Global WHC Gold Certification for habitat restoration at its Cottage Grove fuel terminal. The certification comes after two years of work in partnership with Friends of the Mississippi River to implement a restoration and monitoring plan to re-establish the 6.5-acre site’s natural prairie and savannah. Flint Hills has held gold certification for its work done with community partners over the past 25 years to restore more than 200 acres of the Pine Bend Bluffs, a critical natural area along the Mississippi River that is adjacent to Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery. This makes two Flint Hills gold certified sites in Minnesota and the first two gold-certified sites ever in the Twin Cities. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3VASKg4 (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
DRUGS
ADDICTION: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “In 2021, Medicaid covered substance use disorder treatments for about 102,500 Minnesotans. … Currently, Medicaid covers roughly half of all substance use disorder treatments in the state. … But Medicaid is about to change, and [advocates] worry benefits might be disrupted or disappear. The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act [will] reduce spending on federal programs like Medicaid in part by culling its rolls. Even though the bill includes protections for people with substance use disorder, patients and providers fear they’re hardly a guarantee.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48Dt4X9
POT: via MPR, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Department of Health is preparing to launch a cannabis education campaign. … The state’s health agency is seeking a contractor to develop a prevention and education program on the risks of cannabis use. The program will focus on educating individuals who are pregnant, breastfeeding or may become pregnant. … The contract is expected to start July 1 of this year and go through June of next year. Total funding for this project is up to $1 million.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sljkru
A MUST ATTEND EVENT!….It’s BACK! The TwinWest Legislative Breakfast is on April 17, featuring Senate Min. Ldr. Mark Johnson, House DFL Flr. Ldr. Jamie Long, Senate Asst. Maj. Ldr. Nick Frentz and House GOP Flr. Ldr. Harry Niska in a mid-session discussion moderated by Blois Olson and presented by Fluence Advisory. REGISTER: https://fluence-media.co/4lWWmFM
STATEWIDE
MPLS: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “A measure altering zoning regulations and establishing ‘safe outdoor parking’ spaces for people experiencing homelessness has taken a step forward in Minneapolis. … Members of the city’s Planning Commission unanimously approved the amendment, recommending that the City Council approve the zoning changes. It’s still unclear when it will go before the full body for a vote. The amendment is modeled after similar programs in Duluth and Denver.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bYEgzQ
ROSEMOUNT: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Carson Thomas was sworn in as Rosemount’s police chief Tuesday night. … Thomas joined the Rosemount Police Department in 2022 as deputy chief. … With Tuesday’s appointment, Thomas became the first Asian American police chief in Dakota County and just the second in Minnesota history — a milestone recognized by representatives from the Minnesota Asian Police Officers Association, who attended his swearing-in ceremony.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Or2aLm
STEARNS CTY: via St. Cloud Live, VERBATIM: “Stearns County commissioners are weighing whether to ban rifle use for deer hunting, a decision that could reshape how residents hunt after a recent change in state law returned that authority to local governments. The debate drew a packed crowd, [and] more than a dozen residents spoke during a nearly two-hour public hearing. … Most speakers supported allowing rifles, citing safety, accessibility, hunting ethics and personal choice. Commissioner Joe Perske said he worried some residents who support a rifle ban may have felt discouraged from speaking.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cy9m1l
WILLMAR: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Three children have been arrested and are being held for felony threats of violence after Willmar Public Schools staff found a threatening letter on Monday, which led to all Willmar Public Schools being canceled on Tuesday. … Police say there is no further threat to school staff, students, or the public, and Willmar Public Schools are in session per usual on Wednesday.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41RiAQe
PRODUCTIVE FARMS, STEWARDSHIP GO HAND IN HAND: via Minnesota Corn, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Corn farmers are demonstrating that productive agriculture and environmental stewardship go hand in hand. Through widespread adoption of practices such as reduced tillage, cover crops, crop rotations, and targeted nutrient management, farmers have improved soil health, reduced erosion, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and protected water quality across millions of acres in Minnesota. That’s all while implementing advances in seed genetics, fertility management, and precision technology that have improved on-farm productivity.” LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4stHjG5 (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn)
COMING UP
SESSION: House floor session at 3:30 p.m. Senate floor session at 11:00 a.m. HOUSE: Commerce hears a prediction market ban and required coverage of infertility treatment. Judiciary & Civil Law hears a ban on municipal NDAs. Education Finance hears a bill on teacher wages. Higher Ed. hears a bill to fight enrollment fraud. SENATE: Health & Human Services will hear a bill suspending Medical Assistance funds to providers accused of fraud. Labor hears its omnibus bill. State & Local Govt. hears partial bans on prediction markets and online sweepstakes. CALENDAR: https://fluence-media.co/48l7qqw
TODAY: Gov. Tim Walz will visit a preschool to discuss his childcare proposals at 11:00 a.m. and visit Duluth as part of his statewide infrastructure tour at 12:45 p.m.
TODAY: Rep. Angie Craig will attend the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new MVTA Bus Garage in Burnsville at 10:00 a.m.
TODAY: Rep. Kelly Morrison will join advocates in announcing “nearly $1 million in federal funding” given to the City of Maple Grove to “expand a local pet rescue program,” per a release. The event is at 10:00 a.m.
NEXT WEEK: The Center of the American Experiment is hosting a “School Choice Rally” to support private school voucher legislation at the MN Capitol on Tuesday, April 14 at 12:00 noon. The event is advertised as a response to the No Kings rallies, saying in a release: “They had ‘No Kings.’ Now it’s our turn.”
NEXT WEEK: The FEC deadline for Q1 campaign finance reports is on Wednesday, April 15. Quarterly fundraising totals for Minnesota candidates will be publicly released over the following few days.
APRIL 22: Attorney General Keith Ellison is hosting a town hall in Minneapolis with the attorneys general of Illinois and Oregon on Wednesday, April 22. The group will be discussing their “work to uphold the rule of law and protect democracy,” per Ellison. The event is at 6:00 p.m. DETAILS: https://fluence-media.co/4tyqMRj
APRIL 28: Gov. Tim Walz will deliver his final State of the State address before a joint session of the Minnesota Legislature on Tuesday, April 28 at 7:00 p.m.
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BDAYS: soccer superfan Sean Oyaas, housing advocate Shiela Delaney, business leader Nancy Lyons, lobbyist Allyson Hartle, retired chamber leader Tom Snell
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IN MEMORIAM: morning take is dedicated in memory of Melissa Hortman.