Canada vs. US tonight in the Four Nations.
Timberwolves play tomorrow.
Rocco Baldelli wants to bring back and “amazing vibe” to Target Field. WCCO: https://fluence-media.co/4gQ13gc
Sports Take out later today.
DOGE has had some major courtroom wins. AP: https://fluence-media.co/4k7BGt9
AP-NORC finds that the share of Americans who think air travel is safe has declined since 2024, particularly among Democrats (7% drop) and Independents (18% drop). POLL: https://fluence-media.co/4i7at8c
Gov. Tim Walz visited the home of Anne Frank during a trade trip to the Netherlands. PHOTO: https://fluence-media.co/41mcQ1t
A curious nugget yesterday in Rochelle Olson’s Star Tribune column that Gov. Tim Walz is working on a book. The question is: Did he receive an advance and when will it be released? READ: https://fluence-media.co/3EMXWbT
Rochelle was on with Jason DeRusha yesterday as well. WCCORADIO: https://fluence-media.co/3QxP4Jv
We are thinking about bringing back Law Take, let me know if your law firm wants to sponsor. EMAIL: bloisolson@gmail.com
Happy National Muffin Day.
Blois
tips/feedback bloisolson@gmail.com
Today’s morning take with Vineeta Sawkar on WCCO Radio. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/41sJRbl
Adam Schwarze, a former congressional candidate in the 3rd Congressional District, was the guest on Sunday Take this week. Schwarze declared his candidacy for the open Senate seat on Thursday. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4gNCzUW
Sponsorships available – to reach over 25,000 readers per day on Fluence’s tip sheet and website www.TheDailyAgenda.com – email BloisOlson@gmail.com
POLL: A new poll of likely Democratic primary voters by Public Policy Polling included questions about the Minnesota Senate primary to gauge how DFL voters feel about Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Rep. Angie Craig running for Sen. Tina Smith’s seat. Results are summarized below:
FLANAGAN V. CRAIG: 52% support Flanagan, 22% support Craig, 27% undecided
FLANAGAN APPROVAL: 77% favorable, 5% unfavorable, 18% unsure
CRAIG APPROVAL: 56% favorable, 9% unfavorable, 35% unsure
Note that Flanagan and Craig were the only names tested in the poll conducted from Feb. 14-15. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4gINYpa
FEED FRAUD: via AP News, VERBATIM: “A federal judge on Wednesday ordered defendants in all upcoming cases stemming from a major COVID-19 pandemic fraud case in Minnesota to stay away from her courtroom after allegations of witness tampering surfaced in the trial of the alleged ringleader. … U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel imposed the restrictions a day after Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson made the allegation. … In her order Wednesday, Brasel said all defendants charged in the upcoming cases must contact her chambers 24 hours in advance if they want to attend the current or other trials. This would allow the court to set up an overflow viewing location on a different floor of the federal courthouse in Minneapolis. She prohibited those defendants from coming to the floor where her courtroom is located.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gQRAFs
FED JOBS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Sandee Nezhad spent the last nine years as a U.S. Forest Service employee preparing Boundary Waters paddlers for launch into the wilderness. [On] Monday, she was fired. … Considered a probationary employee, Nezhad is among an unknown number of Forest Service workers who’ve been fired or have resigned in recent days — part of the Trump Administration‘s effort to reduce the federal workforce. … Now, Nezhad said, the Gunflint office that already dealt with staffing deficits has no employees. … An agency employee in Minnesota who requested anonymity out of fear of retribution said the cuts and fallout have [Superior National Forest] staff ‘in crisis mode,’ [and] the workforce that manages the 3 million-acre national forest ‘already is 100 employees down.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41cVJ10
MORE: via Duluth News Tribune, VERBATIM: “It’s unclear how many Superior National Forest employees lost their jobs this week. Several hundred U.S. Forest Service employees manage forestry, law enforcement, fire management and other responsibilities across the 3 million-acre national forest in Northeastern Minnesota, which also includes the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. A spokesperson [said] Wednesday that the jobs of ‘2,000 probationary, non-firefighting employees from the Forest Service’ were eliminated.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3D1XfL9
SCHOOLS: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Minnesota colleges and K-12 schools [are] feeling the tremors from Trump Administration efforts to reshape the nation’s education system. Using his executive authority, President Donald Trump has vowed to stamp out what he determines are diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in American schools. … Financial aid programs, including the free tuition offered by the University of Minnesota to Native American students, are also under scrutiny. … Although Minnesota receives only about 10% of its annual education budget – or a little more than $1.4 billion this year — for its public elementary and secondary schools from the U.S. Department of Education, that money goes to programs that help the state’s most vulnerable young students.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gIkRlO
ARTS: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Like many arts organizations nationwide, local arts outfits received emails this month from the National Endowment for the Arts. The topic: updates on grants and grant guidelines following executive orders issued by President Donald Trump. Among these new guidelines are restrictions that forbid grant recipients from promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and ‘gender ideology.’ Some local arts organizations are speaking out. … ‘Fundamentally, this language is actually saying, ‘No, you have to change the way you act, and you do actually have to tell your writers what they can and can’t write,’’ said Robert Chelimsky, the executive director of the Playwrights’ Center.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Qr2APh
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)
PROPERTY TAX: via a Senate GOP press release, VERBATIM: “Senator Jordan Rasmusson (R-Fergus Falls) and county commissioners held a press conference today to voice concerns over Governor Tim Walz’s proposal to shift $460 million in costs to counties through the Department of Human Services (DHS) budget. County leaders warned that these shifts would place a significant financial burden on local governments, ultimately leading to higher property taxes across Minnesota. … Commissioners in attendance cautioned that transferring these costs to counties could force local governments to raise property taxes by around 7% to 9% to cover the additional expenses.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/433cMVz
RENT: via a House DFL press release, VERBATIM: “Today, legislators in the Minnesota House and Senate introduced House File 1142, legislation to ban the use of rent-fixing algorithms, joining municipal and federal efforts across the country. The bill, introduced by Rep. Michael Howard (DFL - Richfield) and Sen. Lindsey Port (DFL - Burnsville), would ban rent-setting algorithms, like RealPage and Yardi, to prevent landlords from artificially using shared data to inflate rents. … Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has joined the U.S. Department of Justice and attorneys general from seven states in a lawsuit against RealPage Inc., alleging the company's algorithmic pricing scheme violates antitrust laws.” BILL: https://fluence-media.co/436S3QL
LONG-TERM CARE: via a joint press release, VERBATIM: “On Thursday, attorneys representing Care Providers of Minnesota and LeadingAge Minnesota will present their case in federal court seeking an injunction against the State of Minnesota and the Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board. … The lawsuit includes affidavits from financially struggling long-term care providers across Minnesota that the actions of the board have…interfered with existing labor agreements, dictated wages without a collective bargaining process, [and] created implementation challenges due to unclear definitions of terms.” STATEMENT: “This unfunded mandate by unelected political appointees creates added financial stress [in] an industry that is near the breaking point. Combined with the proposed cuts from Governor Tim Walz’s budget, it is hard to see how this rule ‘reflects Minnesota values’ of taking care of the most vulnerable.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gSgqVw
(DISCLOSURE: LeadingAge Minnesota and Care Providers Minnesota are clients of Fluence)
TREATMENT: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “A hearing scheduled in federal court Thursday could determine the fate of Minnesota’s largest addiction treatment provider – and impact more than a thousand clients statewide…NUWAY Alliance is asking a judge John Tunheim to issue a federal injunction to prevent Minnesota officials from cutting off its Medicaid funding… Citing credible allegations of fraud – and ongoing state and federal investigations – the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) plans to suspend NUWAY’s Medicaid funding for outpatient treatment effective this Friday.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/40ZEsYU
E-PULL TABS: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Minnesota House Republicans want to repeal restrictions placed on e-pull tabs in the 2023 legislation session. Those restrictions were put in place after a 2023 Minnesota Court of Appeals decision that said the electronic games had become too much like slot machines, which are only allowed at Native American casinos. … Opponents of those restrictions say they’re significantly reducing revenue for charitable organizations because the single-play games aren’t nearly as popular. ‘What we are seeing is a significant reduction in revenue from our charities,’ said Rep. Bjorn Olson, R-Fairmont, the author of a bill to eliminate the restrictions. … The bill passed the House Veterans and Military Affairs Committee on a 6 to 5 vote with Republicans voting in favor.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/410syho
VETERANS: via House Session Daily, VERBATIM: “Sponsored by Rep. Kristin Robbins (R-Maple Grove), HF753 would allow a licensed veterans organization to use a greater portion of gross profits from lawful gambling activity to pay for repairs, maintenance or improvements to real property and capital assets owned by the organization. Any expenditure would need to be made before July 1, 2031. Current law is 5%. Receiving division support via voice vote Wednesday, the bill’s next stop is the House Commerce Policy and Finance Committee.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QrpwOe
AI NUDES: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Minnesota lawmakers are working to close off access to artificial intelligence technology that allows people to create fake nude pictures or pornography of real people. The Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee held extensive discussion Wednesday of a bill to outlaw the use of ‘nudifying’ artificial intelligence technology. It was held over for further debate on how fines could be structured and whether people impacted by the distortions would be eligible for restitution. … The bill’s author, Sen. Erin Maye Quade, said it’s meant as an extension of the state’s relatively new law barring nonconsensual sexual deepfakes.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3CMI88r
POLICE: via House Session Daily, VERBATIM: “High-speed pursuits are dangerous for everyone involved. … Rep. Terry Stier (R-Belle Plaine) wants to reduce these dangerous situations that he said have ‘dramatically increased’ by making the penalties for fleeing a peace officer more severe. Stier sponsors HF340, which would set stiffer penalties in two types of situations. … The House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee approved the bill, as amended, Wednesday and sent it to the House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Qs6tmU
ALGEBRA: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “On Wednesday, Minnesota State Senator Robert Farnsworth (R-Hibbing) introduced a bill that would eliminate the requirement for all Minnesota high school students to pass algebra II or an equivalent course to graduate. Farnsworth argues that the current requirement, introduced in 2014, may not align with real-world demands and be suitable for everyone. Minnesota is currently one of only 12 states with this requirement. … However, the bill faces opposition from some educators who worry about its potential impact on students' future readiness.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/434ve0e
LGBTQ: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “A bill introduced in the Minnesota House would allow only females assigned at birth to participate in elementary and secondary school sports teams designated for women or girls. The measure, introduced by Rep. Peggy Scott, R-Andover, drew more than two dozen people testifying both for and against it at the House Education Policy Committee meeting Wednesday. They included lawyers, doctors, parents, coaches and student athletes. Testimony spilled into the evening hours.” The bill was sent to the House floor on a party-line vote. READ: https://fluence-media.co/41xQaeZ
RESPONSE: via a DFL Rep. Sydney Jordan statement, JORDAN: “When given control of House Committees, Republicans have decided to prioritize legislation that subjects all women to scrutiny over their bodies, sets a blanket standard of exclusion that has no scientific basis, and does nothing to address real problems facing student athletes. Any legislation seeking to pass the Minnesota House will require bipartisan support, something any number of common-ground education policies should be able to achieve.”
HOCKEY: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Next winter, the Twin Cities will become even more of a hockey destination — and that might come with a cost to the state budget. The home arenas of the Minnesota Wild and Gopher Men’s Hockey will host the International Ice Hockey Federation’s 2026 World Junior Hockey Championship. Minnesota Sports and Events, which helped to recruit the event to Minnesota, is asking for $5 million from the state to help cover costs associated with hosting the tournament. The bill got its first airing at the Capitol on Wednesday.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/436XY8r
LISTENING, LEARNING AND REDEFINING INDIGENOUS PARTNERSHIPS: “We want to build partnerships with Indigenous Nations. We continue to listen to and learn from Indigenous leaders and communities, and that’s informing how we engage communities in B.C. and across North America,” said CEO Greg Ebel of Enbridge’s approach to be the “first-choice partner” for Indigenous Nations interested in pursuing energy infrastructure opportunities. READ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3Yht20R (SPONSORED: Enbridge)
MPLS: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “On Wednesday, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey vetoed the City Council’s latest decision to delay the George Floyd Square project. Last week, the City Council voted to have city staff further study a pedestrian plaza layout despite a previous survey showing it lacked support from immediate neighbors. … In a letter to the City Council, Frey accuses members of attempting to manipulate the process. … Nine council members voted in favor of last week’s measure, so they could possibly have enough support to override the mayor’s veto.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4gOGr8l
MORE: via WCCO Radio, VERBATIM: “Minneapolis city leaders [touted] residential growth and new investments in business during the Downtown Council’s annual meeting at the Armory. Some milestones this year include 30 new businesses operating out of downtown, $1.8 billion in new construction investments, and a 3.7% increase in the residential population. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey [said] the biggest change when it comes to crime has been staffing within the Minneapolis Police Department.” READ/LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4hIfSCR
ST PAUL: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “The area around a troubled light rail station in downtown St. Paul could be getting a $130 million upgrade. Central Station is located in the block surrounded by Fifth, Fourth, Cedar and Minnesota Streets. St. Paul officials have been trying to improve the area for years. It was the scene of a January shooting and a 2022 double-homicide. There are also vacant buildings nearby. The development proposal from Indianapolis-based firm Flaherty and Collins includes 300 apartments, 10,000 square feet of retail space and public plazas.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gJKNNP
MORE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “St. Paul’s City Council blocked a request from the developer of the Ford plant site to build a one-story commercial strip at a major intersection, with a tie vote Wednesday from the shorthanded council. Ryan Companies, the developer charged with transforming the former factory into the Highland Bridge neighborhood, wanted to build shorter buildings than the three- and four-story structures, with both apartments and businesses, they initially promised at the intersection of Ford Parkway and Cretin Avenue. The company cited both the city’s rent control ordinance and problems with the land in their request.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/419Mlei
SPPS: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “Students in St. Paul will soon need to put their phones away during class after Saint Paul Public Schools passed a new district-wide policy. … Cell phones and personal electronic devices won't be allowed during school hours. Students can either leave their phones at home, in their lockers or completely turned off and ‘out of sight.’ The policy will go into effect at the beginning of the 2025-26 school year. The district says the policy is intended to increase academic performance while improving mental health and learning environments. However, there will be some exceptions. … Each school will now be responsible for implementing its own procedures, which include whether or not to allow students to have phones during lunch or between classes.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/41xOp1n
MORE: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Stacie Stanley will start as St. Paul Public School’s next superintendent on May 12, with a first-year salary of $270,000 following contract approvals by the district’s board Tuesday night. A short-term contract sets Stanley’s start date at May 12 and goes through June 30. A long-term contract begins July 1 and ends June 30, 2028. She will receive an additional salary of $37,384 during the period of her short-term contract.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3CZ3JKM
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)
GUNS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that the interior of a vehicle is a ‘public place’ if it is driven on public roads, in a case involving a criminal charge over a BB gun found under a driver’s seat. … [Justice Anne McKeig’s] opinion focused first on Minnesota legal statute concerning the transportation of firearms, explaining how the law allows for legal firearm possession in a vehicle: ‘A person may only transport a firearm in a motor vehicle under certain conditions, including in a gun case, unloaded and in the closed trunk of the vehicle, or with a valid permit.’ The Supreme Court determined that because this law provides concrete examples of how a firearm can be carried inside a car, it’s clear the Legislature viewed the interior of the car as a public place where regulations could be applied.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Qs5inu
THERAPY: via House Session Daily, VERBATIM: “During his first therapy session with a retired thoroughbred, Lakeville police officer Nick Jacobson was told: ‘You can lie to a therapist, but you can never lie to a horse.’ The intuitive nature of thoroughbreds is key to the equine-assisted therapy program at Abijah’s on the Backside, which helped the 11-year police officer and Marine combat veteran who lost half his squad in Afghanistan reengage with civilian life. The House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy Committee laid over HF261, which would appropriate $250,000 each year of the 2026-27 biennium from the General Fund to support the work of Abijah’s on the Backside in providing therapy to first responders.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QrpIwW
WILDFIRES: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “In Minnesota’s Arrowhead, balsam firs ravaged by an especially bad spruce budworm outbreak [are] ramping up fire fears. … According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources annual Forest Health Report, the current spruce budworm outbreak is the worst Minnesota has experienced since 1961. Over the past four years, it has impacted over 2,000 square miles – or roughly 1.3 million acres – mainly in northeast Minnesota. … The resulting death of balsam fir (and, to a lesser degree, white spruce) has many in the region worried about growing wildfire risk.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4i1CQET
BROADBAND: via a DEED press release, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced today that nearly 89,000 Minnesota homes and businesses could receive new high-speed broadband service through the state's $652 million federal Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) allocation. … DEED has published the [eligible] locations online so Minnesota homeowners, businesses, counties and others can see if they could receive high-speed broadband through the program.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3EIcB7X MAP: https://fluence-media.co/4i7Id5h
LAC: via a Rep. Rick Hansen advisory, VERBATIM: “Today, Representative Rick Hansen (DFL-South St. Paul) was re-appointed to the Legislative Audit Commission (LAC) for the 2025-26 biennium by Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman. The LAC is a bipartisan commission with six members from the House and six from the Senate, equally divided between the majority and minority parties. The commission appoints the Legislative Auditor and selects topics for the Program Evaluation Division to review. It also periodically holds hearings to review audit and evaluation reports. The commission chair rotates every two years between the House and the Senate.”
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)
WADENA CTY: via Office of the Governor, VERBATIM: “Governor Tim Walz issued Executive Order 25-02 authorizing the National Guard to provide temporary shelter for residents displaced by an apartment fire in Wadena County. One person was found deceased and nine residents have been displaced. … The executive order is effective immediately and remains in effect until National Guard resources are no longer needed or until February 25, 2025.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/419Qqiy
ST CLOUD: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Officials in St. Cloud continue to seek reimbursement for more than $200,000 in city services incurred as part of a rally for then-candidate Donald Trump in July. But St. Cloud Mayor Jake Anderson isn’t optimistic the city will ever see any of that money. ‘I’m not going to hold my breath,’ he said Wednesday at a forum sponsored by the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce that featured six St. Cloud-area mayors. The city has sent multiple invoices to the Trump campaign requesting reimbursement.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bczvk3
ROSEMOUNT: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “A subsidiary of Facebook parent company Meta Platforms Inc. has closed on over 200 acres of land near the company’s $800 million data center in Rosemount. Jimnist LLC, a company that was previously linked to Meta while the data center was still operating under the code name Project Bigfoot, purchased eight different parcels along County Road 42 for $70 million. … The explanation given on the sale records states just two words: data center.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/430bSJp
S ST PAUL: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Tensions flared at a routine South St. Paul City Council meeting as some residents demanded Council Member Pam Bakken resign amid questions about safety at an in-home daycare she runs. But a contingent of supporters slammed Bakken’s detractors for passing judgment before an investigation is complete, calling the push for her to step down premature. … Community members took turns sounding alarms about her daycare and praising her character during a tense public comment period that stretched for more than a half hour.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41qQn3y
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:
SENATE RACE: via WDAY Radio, VERBATIM: “Conservative podcast host and former Sunday Night Football reporter Michele Tafoya says she’s ‘90 percent’ of the way toward making a decision on whether to run for Senate in Minnesota. Democratic Senator Tina Smith announced last week she will not run for reelection next year.” TAFOYA: “When Tina Smith made her announcement, my phone practically exploded. I’ve been talking to everyone from [Republican South Carolina Senator] Tim Scott to people here locally, people in the establishment, but the ultimate thing for me is my family.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/41lT06n
WALZ/EMMER: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Two of Minnesota’s most prominent lawmakers in their respective parties were sparring publicly over potential federal spending cuts, but the rift seemed to go deeper. In a hastily scheduled news conference, Minnesota DFL Gov. Tim Walz decried a short-lived federal funding freeze proposed by the Trump Administration and criticized Republican House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer for supporting it, saying Emmer should be ‘more concerned about helping Minnesotans than flying on Air Force One.’ Emmer, who had spent months attacking Walz on social media and in cable news hits during his vice presidential run, posted on X that the governor ‘lies like he breathes. … It sounds like he’s just bitter he’s not the one in the White House.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3CT2rRz
MPD: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Since early January, Minneapolis leaders have been waiting for a federal judge to sign off on a consent decree that would hold the police department to court-enforced changes. That limbo could be extended even further after a Minnesota assistant U.S. attorney and several members of the Department of Justice asked U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson Tuesday to stay the proceeding until March 20. The move is not out of left field. A few days into his new administration, President Donald Trump’s DOJ leadership issued a memo directing attorneys to provide notice of any court-enforceable agreements to reform police agencies that had been finalized within the last 90 days. The memo said the new administration ‘may wish to reconsider’ such agreements.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/415oT1N
ALL THE TAKES: 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: Commerce hears bills on the MN Insurance Guarantee Association, MN Business Corporation Act and more. Human Services will hear the OIG bill and mental health policy changes. Judiciary & Civil Law hears a ban on the Dept. of Human Rights maintaining a database on incidents of protected speech. SENATE: Education Finance hears school library census results. Health & Human Services will hear a school attendance reporting requirement. State & Local Govt. hears a city and county cybersecurity grant. CALENDAR: https://fluence-media.co/41lUvS5
TODAY: via Office of the Governor, VERBATIM: “Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan will visit a free tax preparation site in Duluth to encourage Minnesotans to file their taxes and claim the Child Tax Credit. … Minnesota is the first state in the nation to offer [advance payments] for Child Tax Credit recipients.” Revenue Commissioner Paul Marquart will attend. The event is at 10:00 a.m.
TODAY: via a Senate GOP advisory, VERBATIM: “Senator Jeremy Miller and rare disease advocates will unveil a bill that would add Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD) to Minnesota’s newborn screening list. Families, rare disease advocates, and medical experts will discuss the impact of MLD [and] the importance of newborn screening.” The event is at 10:00 a.m.
TODAY: GOP Rep. Harry Niska announced he will host a press conference at 11:00 a.m. to discuss HF20, “a bill to increase transparency in the Office of the Attorney General,” per a release. It will be the first bill brought to the House floor in 2025.
TODAY: via MN Council of Nonprofits, VERBATIM: “Advocates from a wide variety of organizations concerned about the proposed federal cuts to Medicaid [will alert] Minnesota’s Congressional delegation and Minnesota legislators and Governor Tim Walz about the severe impacts on the health and well-being of the nearly 1.4 million Minnesotans who get care through Minnesota’s Medicaid program, called Medical Assistance/MA.” The event is at 1:00 p.m.
TODAY: At 2:00 p.m., members of the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee — Sens. Matt Klein, Judy Seeberger, Liz Boldon and Clare Oumou Verbeten — will hold a press conference to discuss “federal action to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and how it could affect Minnesota consumers,” per a release.
TODAY: Rep. Ilhan Omar announced she will “host her February Town Hall meeting in St. Louis Park where she will take questions from the community and share updates about her recent work in D.C.,” per a release. The event is at 6:00 p.m.
SATURDAY: via MN Farm Bureau, VERBATIM: “The second annual Urban Ag Conference, hosted by the Minnesota Farm Bureau, is set to welcome over 100 participants this weekend. This free event will take place at St. Paul College, offering urban farmers the chance to connect with peers and engage with local and state leaders on key issues facing urban agriculture and food systems. The event begins at 9 a.m.” SCHEDULE: https://fluence-media.co/3REjMSK
NEXT WEEK: Axios energy and climate reporters will host a conversation with Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith and Ohio Rep. Bob Latta for their “Powering the Electric Future” event on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 7:30 a.m. DETAILS: https://fluence-media.co/3WY8vz0
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.
BDAYS: restaurant guy Kip Clayton, Arc Initiatives’ Aaron Florence-Weinberg, Sunrise Banks Terri Banaszewski
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