WELL TIMED
Happy Friday, hope the coffee tastes great it’s a long weekend.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was summoned to Capitol Hill yesterday and didn’t make it to Minnesota as planned. Just another day in “Slow News Year”™️
Recall the suggestion we pace ourselves, with the end of the session this past week and two conventions next week the sprint is on to November.
One state senator told me yesterday, he had knocked 450 doors so far since session ended, another suggested that campaign staff was barely allowing bio breaks.
Perfect timing for a long, holiday weekend to rest and recenter. Enjoy it, it seems like Summer will finally arrive Sunday.
It’s now obvious why DNC Ken “one of us” Martin didn’t release the “autopsy” earlier – it was incomplete and had gaping holes. Martin finally released it, and with commentary that was smart. Documents don’t win or lose an election 2 years later, candidates and messages do. READ: https://fluence-media.co/49cmAyX
Lynx win. Loons last game before the World Cup tomorrow. Twins in Boston tonight.
At 9 AM Sunday Take will have a conversation with a candidate – we’re just waiting to see which one. Tune-in.
More rain should help fight wildfires today, Memorial Day will be warm and sunny. MAPS: https://fluence-media.co/3RmVL54
Many National Days to celebrate today, including National Craft Distillery Day.
The Alchemist in White Bear Lake was a cool stop recently.
Enjoy the long weekend — morning take will return Tuesday.
Blois - tips: bloisolson@gmail.com
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SPEAKING Lobbyist and trade associations that are killing time waiting today, let me know if you want me to speak to your summer and fall events about the “Signals vs. Noise” of the election. bloisolson@gmail.com
Go deeper…Check out a Fluence Forum podcast. APPLE: https://fluence-media.co/FluenceForums
Get smarter… Long Term Care – Is Minnesota Ready? Care Providers Minnesota and LeadingAge Minnesota hosted providers, Senator Grant Hauschild (03, DFL), Representative Natalie Zeleznikar (03B, GOP), and Representative Nathan Nelson (11B, GOP) for a conversation about the future of careing for our seniors. This coming week the conversation moves to St. Cloud. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4ue3YXA
Sunday Take covered the final days of session and the lack of a 340B bill with Rahul Koranne of the Minnesota Hospital Association. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4wGysn4
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EARLY SIGNALS
Yesterday in Cold Spring at the “What’s the plan?” Roundtable on behalf of the Long Term Care Imperative a discussion including Rep. Bernie Perryman and Sen. Aric Putnam with providers from Care Providers and Leading Age. In what will shape up as one of the most consequential state senate races this year, it was a thoughtful dialog between two policymakers who want to connect within the community to understand the challenges that the legislature has the power to address.
There will likely be direct mail, radio and social media ads from each side harsh to the candidate they want to lose, but three days after session ended to have public officials show up that are also opponents in a top 3 senate race is a reminder of the critical nature of engagement, relationships and discussions. The podcast will post next week.
A radio ad on KFAN from “Unrig the Economy” critical of Rep. Brad Finstad yesterday, the cable ads supportive of Rep. Angie Craig’s Senate race, the TV ads from outside groups supportive of Speaker Lisa Demuth is a sign that Minnesota is back as a battleground. There’s no doubt that the traditional Minnesota groups like the Freedom Club and A Better Minnesota will spend, but early DC Money in Minnesota suggests that people in both parties see opportunity and less certainty in Minnesota’s voters’ direction.
CONVENTIONS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Wielding a fragment of power, Minnesota House Republicans spent the past two years chipping away at changes made by the DFL-controlled government in 2023, [and] they are carrying their list of legislative wins onto the campaign trail. … Former GOP state Rep. Pat Garofalo said House Republicans ‘forced pragmatism on the DFL.’ … Garofalo said he thinks this year’s legislative session will provide a boost to [Lisa] Demuth, the House speaker who is running for governor, heading into the state GOP convention.” GAROFALO: “This was successful enough of a legislative session that [Demuth] is now the strong consensus favorite to be the Republican nominee for governor.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dJ9Kd3
FLINT HILLS FAMILY FESTIVAL: Kick off the summer in downtown Saint Paul with the Flint Hills Family Festival on May 29-30, one of the largest and longest-standing events of its kind. The Festival offers free fun for people of all ages in Rice Park and Landmark Plaza, with performances and activities that provide something for everyone, along with world-class shows inside the Ordway for just $8! Now in its 26th year, this year’s Festival lineup includes Cirque Mechanics: TILT!, NOOMA: an opera for babies, and Click Clack Moo! More than one million people have experienced the Festival, including hundreds of thousands of students who have visited on field trips during the Festival’s School Days. Join us this year! LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4dhpdBM (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
Follow the 2026 Minnesota elections up close with the Fluence Election Tracker.
https://fluence-media.co/electiontracker
CD8: via Duluth News Tribune, VERBATIM: “A Kanabec County farmer will challenge incumbent Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Hermantown, in this summer’s primary. Anthony Hamilton, of Mora, filed his candidacy, [thus] setting up a primary for Aug. 11 between at least him and Stauber. … Hamilton said he supports setting term limits, reforming campaign finance, cracking down on lobbying and banning Congress members from trading stock.” HAMILTON: “I’m running as a Republican in [CD8] because the people of the Iron Range, Duluth and Bemidji deserve a representative who actually shows up, tells the truth and puts working Minnesotans first.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49j50tc
CD2: State Rep. Kaela Berg, DFL candidate for the 2nd Congressional District, was endorsed by Vote Run Lead Action — a national organization that supports women running for office.
SD24: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “The Rochester-area GOP [is] struggling to recruit candidates for the Minnesota Legislature. … No GOP challengers have so far emerged to take on DFL incumbent Reps. Kim Hicks and Andy Smith and Sen. Liz Boldon. … The exception is the race for House District 24B, where Republican Michael Ajouri is running against incumbent DFL Rep. Tina Liebling. … GOP Sen. Carla Nelson’s last-minute retirement announcement [is] leaving party leaders scrambling to find a replacement, [but] Jesse O’Driscoll, a 23-year-old Schaeffer Academy graduate, filed papers to run for her seat, [as did] Republican Dan Sepeda. … Former Mantorville Mayor Chuck Bradford has also announced his intentions to run for Nelson’s seat. … In an interview, Nelson said it was her intention to run for another term, [but] a recent family medical report ‘came to the fore.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ultytP
LINDELL: Via CNN, Republican candidate for governor Mike Lindell said he plans to seek compensation from the president’s $1.8 billion fund for people who claim they were victims of federal “weaponization and lawfare” after the 2020 election. VERBATIM: “Lindell told CNN he believes his company lost $400 million due to what he views as government weaponization. … Lindell, the beleaguered MyPillow CEO, said the fund was Trump’s way of ‘looking out for these people that were attacked.’” QUOTE: “I would say we were the number-one company in the world hurt by our own government.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4vnF5cv
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)
F-WORD
FEED FRAUD: Via Star Tribune, newly obtained FBI records show that several state lawmakers — one Republican and four DFLers — lobbied the state to restore funding to Feeding Our Future after its payments were briefly cut off in 2021. The lawmakers say they did not know about the fraud scheme at the time. EXCERPT: “Documents show that Education Department officials were receptive to political pressure even though the department’s own employees were sounding alarms. … Education Department officials have consistently blamed others for their failure to take stronger action against Feeding Our Future. They have complained most loudly about the courts. … But privately, state officials were saying something different to Feeding Our Future founder Aimee Bock and five state legislators who advocated on behalf of the agency and its partners in 2021.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nKZsgT
COOPERATION: Via KSTP, details on another dispute about whether or not the state cooperated with federal authorities on fraud charges. VERBATIM: “Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald and others blamed Minnesota for failing to cooperate and help them combat fraud. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office denied that assertion, saying the state’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit regularly works alongside federal law enforcement [who] ‘have never once expressed dissatisfaction with the work of the MFCU.’ … Minnesota Department of Human Services Inspector General James Clark [said] ‘We have been working with career federal and state partners for months to help them build criminal cases against most of these individuals.’” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4fvlUZm
MORE: via Office of the Atty. General, VERBATIM: “The charges against some of these providers resulted from a joint state-federal investigation which Attorney General [Keith] Ellison’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) took part in. … Members of the [MFCU] partnered with federal and state law enforcement, including the FBI and Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dEtPRB
TOTALS: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “In December, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson [had] estimated that fraud in [Minnesota] cost taxpayers $9 billion. … Asked about Thompson’s $9 billion figure, [Assistant A.G. Colin McDonald] said he was focused on prosecuting individual cases and that a final tally would come later, but added, ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if that number is accurate.’ … A reporter noted that President Donald Trump had granted clemency to others in the country found to have stolen tens of millions of dollars in Medicaid funds and asked if any of those charged in Minnesota might expect similar leniency. ‘I’ll take a different question as the final question,’ McDonald responded.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dXRCxa
ICYMI: Yesterday’s tip sheets featured extensive coverage of the federal press conference alleging another $90 million of fraud in Minnesota. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4uqpBEt
DC DEETS
MEDICAID: via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “The Medicaid freeze impacting over a million Minnesotans doesn’t look to be thawing anytime soon. About $350 million in Medicaid for Minnesota has been deferred so far. On Thursday, Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, addressed the freeze. … The state submitted documents that are supposed to identify potential Medicaid fraud, but Oz said the documents were not satisfactory.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4nDSjik
EVIDENCE: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “A federal judge has issued a new deadline in the request for evidence related to ICE shootings in Minnesota. Judge Emmet G. Sullivan issued an order Thursday in the civil case filed by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office (HCAO), Attorney General Keith Ellison and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The order sets the schedule for the next events in the lawsuit to get access to evidence in the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. … On June 4, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will provide final written responses to the submitted Touhy requests.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4uqmNXR
ICE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Gregory Morgan Jr. stood in front of a phalanx of cameras Thursday before turning himself in to local law enforcement on charges that he assaulted two Minnesotans during Operation Metro Surge. … ICE and the Justice Department [are] paying for Morgan’s legal expenses. … Morgan posted $100,000 bond and was released ahead of a first court appearance Friday in downtown Minneapolis.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43l2I9l
SUGAR: via Rep. Michelle Fischbach advisory, VERBATIM: “Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach (MN-07) signed a letter in support of efforts by U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Jamieson Greer to utilize a Section 301 investigation into unfair and discriminatory trade practices by foreign sugar-producing countries. … The members call on USTR to take appropriate action to protect American sugarbeet and sugarcane farmers, processors, refiners, and factory workers.” This letter was signed by every member of Minnesota’s federal delegation except Rep. Tom Emmer. LETTER: https://fluence-media.co/4wKuDgi
INFRASTRUCTURE
DATA CENTERS: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “On Thursday, in an 8-5 vote, the Minneapolis City Council agreed to put a six-month pause on building new data centers bigger than 350,000 square feet. The moratorium was proposed to be a year long, but some councilors praised the amendment, calling it ‘middle ground.’ The amendment also exempts data centers that are less than 350,000 square feet in the downtown area. … Data centers have already been operating in downtown Minneapolis for decades, [but] city councilors worry that having even more is a cumulative impact [on] the environment and the electrical grid.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4dXpfz9
MORE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “A swell of Minnesota’s largest companies are betting their next wave of growth on artificial intelligence and the booming demand for data centers, from corporate stalwarts like 3M, Ecolab and nVent to the state’s newest public company, Forgent Power Solutions. … Battered by tariffs and continued economic uncertainty, these businesses welcome the surge of construction and the revenue it brings, even as local opposition to new data centers [grows] across Minnesota and the nation.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nJxulB
GAS LINES: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Minnesota utility regulators could decide on June 4 whether to change a decades‑old policy that shifts the cost of new natural gas lines onto existing customers. It’s a practice described in state briefing papers as adding $1,800 to more than $2,200 per new home, with those costs recovered through current customers’ monthly bills.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3PwAO7e
GLOBAL TRADE BOLSTERS AG ECONOMIES: via Minnesota Corn, VERBATIM: “Each year, Minnesota’s exports of corn, ethanol, corn-fed meat, and dried distillers grains (DDGS) alone support over 11,500 jobs and add billions to the state’s economy. They also help ensure that consumers around the world have access to affordable protein and dairy products. In May, during World Trade Month, Minnesota Corn celebrates that important role trade plays in all our lives — in the U.S. and abroad.” LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4dqEqB1 (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn)
ACROSS MN
MPLS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “A sharply divided Minneapolis City Council on Thursday rejected a proposal by Mayor Jacob Frey to purchase a $6 million south Minneapolis property for a controversial $38 million public safety training and wellness center it does not have the money to build. Supporters argued the city had an obligation to support officers’ education and wellbeing if they want to improve policing. But critics, who prevailed, countered that disciplining officers for bad behavior would be more effective.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4urZkWn
ROCHESTER: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “Walé Elegbede, president of the Rochester Branch of the NAACP, officially launched his campaign for mayor Thursday during a City Hall rally. … He joins business owner Benjamin Zastrow, local artist Ayub HajiOmar, health coach Jerrod Lucker, business owner Joe Powers, clinical psychologist Jess Garcia and former Rochester City Council member Molly Dennis in running for the mayoral office. … An Aug. 11 primary will be held to narrow candidates to two for the Nov. 3 election.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tPhujA
WAITE PARK: via St. Cloud Live, VERBATIM: “As enrollment continues for the 2026-27 school year, District 742 has already identified approximately 360 students experiencing homelessness, according to officials. District transitional services director Nancy Dyson [said] the number is expected to rise before the start of the school year. During the 2024-25 school year, approximately 810 students — about 8% of district enrollment — experienced homelessness. … The district is planning to pilot a new support program this summer aimed at improving attendance for students.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RDSxdn
USPS: via Sen. Amy Klobuchar advisory, VERBATIM: “Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) are calling on the United States Postal Service (USPS) Postmaster General David Steiner to reconsider the decision to close the Hunt’s Silver Lake Postal Station in Rochester. Hunt’s Silver Lake Postal Station is set to close June 25, 2026.” LETTER: https://fluence-media.co/4v3m9zt
LOOKING AHEAD
THURSDAY: Americans for Prosperity MN will host a debate for Republican gubernatorial candidates on Thursday, May 28 in Duluth — one day before the party’s endorsing convention. KSTP’s Tom Hauser will moderate the debate.
JUNE 5: via Minneapolis Fed, VERBATIM: “Twice a year, regional economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis survey construction companies to gauge the sector’s performance and overall outlook. … Join Regional Outreach Director Erick Garcia Luna for a webinar discussing results from the spring survey of construction firms across the Ninth District.” The event is at 9:00 a.m. DETAILS: https://fluence-media.co/4wFjTjv
JUNE 5: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear will speak at the DFL’s annual Humphrey-Mondale Dinner in Minneapolis on Friday, June 5. The event is at 6:00 p.m. DETAILS: https://fluence-media.co/4ehO614
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BDAYS: patient wife and great mom Alyssa DeRusha, Sen. Carla Nelson, political operative Jason Flohrs, public affairs podcaster Becky Scherr, journalist Gene Rebeck. SAT: MPR’s Brian Bakst, Bulldog dad Dan Wolter, pickleball ambassador Dan Edwards, fmr. Rep. Rob Ecklund. SUN: lobbyist Amanda Duerr, BBQ’s Famous Dave Anderson, Rep. Ben Davis, St. Paul booster Joe Spencer, Fox 9’s Rob Olson.
SPEAKER: If you’re looking for a speaker about the “Signal vs. Noise” dynamic of today’s politics and the 2026 election. EMAIL: BloisOlson@gmail.com.
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IN MEMORIAM: morning take is dedicated in memory of Melissa Hortman.