FIRST WEEK DONE
Men’s USA Hockey quarterfinal today.
Next week the national news will be about the State of the Union. Dear Congressional delegation…send your guests.
Also next week…The Minneapolis Fed is hosting a virtual event on Tuesday, Feb. 24 to share results from its latest survey of businesses covering the economic climate of Q4 2025 and expectations for Q1 2026.
394 construction is back next week too.
The USA won women’s hockey gold with six Frost players and a Gopher on the team. WCCO: https://fluence-media.co/3MKoGxM
In a case that should go the Supreme Court….a federal judge ruled that calling nuggets “boneless wings” is not deceptive marketing. AXIOS: https://fluence-media.co/4qNWEzB
Not sure who reads it anymore since it’s not at the hotel door…but USA Today readers named the Mill City Museum in Minneapolis as one of the nation’s top 10 history museums. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/4kTLkkc
The President says he will decide on whether to start a military campaign against Iran within “10, 15 days.” AXIOS: https://fluence-media.co/4cCdOfV
Sunday Take is going to focus on housing this week – tune in at 9AM on Sunday on WCCO Radio.
Via Pew… 6% of U.S. adults say they often get news from email newsletters, while 24% say they sometimes get news this way. READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OpUZTu
Happy National Cherry Pie Day.
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The latest insight from Fluence Advisory on the loss of institutional knowledge from the Minnesota Legislature. READ: https://fluence-advisory.com/insights/
DFL v. DFL
OIG: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “A proposal to create a new oversight office for state government agencies [has] stalled in the House. … Democrats had attempted to amend the bill to remove language that would have created an independent law enforcement division at the proposed Office of Inspector General. The effort failed on a party-line vote. … Sen. Michael Kreun, R-Blaine, who is carrying the Senate version with DFL Sen. Heather Gustafson of Vadnais Heights, told reporters Thursday that he remained optimistic, despite what he called House DFL efforts to ‘gut’ the bill. … Rep. Matt Norris, DFL-Blaine, said eliminating the independent law enforcement division from the inspector general would ‘avoid duplication of work’ with the [BCA].” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aG4OnH
MORE: via House Session Daily, VERBATIM: “Part of the DFL anti-fraud plan, [Rep. Matt Norris’s] amendment includes creating the office and its duties, including overseeing current agency-based inspector generals and creating an executive branch commission to coordinate the office’s work along with agencies that have their own inspector general, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Department of Administration and Minnesota Management and Budget. … Rep. Jim Nash (R-Waconia) [said] the amendment would make the bill ‘more expensive and less independent.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ZQfYkG
MEANWHILE: A very different tone from DFL Rep. Brion Curran on fraud than we’ve heard from DFLers. This may be the difference between Gov. Tim Walz running again and not running. We know that the Walz team was harsh when DFL legislators questioned his electability last fall. Now perhaps DFLers will critique his administration’s handling of fraud more openly. If only Republicans could do that of President Trump…maybe someday. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3Oo2s5n
FRAUD: via Senate GOP, VERBATIM: “Senate Republicans rolled out several new bills as part of an action plan to stop the fraud that has plagued the state’s support programs. The bills give the legislature stricter oversight of taxpayer’s dollars and the administration of these programs, support the use of technology to streamline delivery and verification of services, and provide better accountability within state government.” The GOP published a list of every bill in their new anti-fraud package. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/4s0BmQe
WALZ: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Gov. Tim Walz is embracing his lame-duck status heading into his last session at the Minnesota Capitol: issuing executive orders, speaking frankly about his adversaries and vowing to fight hard for his policy agenda. … But the DFL governor’s final-year ambitions face tough odds in the most closely divided Legislature in state history. … Walz’s tepid relationship with Republican legislators could also complicate his attempts to win support for his agenda. … DEMUTH: ‘I have not heard or talked to the governor since Sept. 30,’ House Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, said.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rsig5P
GRIDLOCK: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Days into Minnesota’s 2026 legislative session, there are already signs that action on top issues at the Capitol faces questionable prospects. … Republican proposals intended to combat fraud in state government and DFL-backed bills aimed at protecting residents from abuses by federal immigration officials [have] already stalled after party-line votes in House committees. … Asked by reporters Thursday if he believed any of the DFL proposals on immigration had a chance of gaining Republican support in a closely divided Legislature, [Sen.] Ron Latz, DFL-St. Louis Park, said the session was ‘just getting started.’” LATZ: “I personally haven’t had those conversations yet, but I intend to.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aG4OnH
RECOVERY
MAYORS: via WCCO Radio, VERBATIM: “A coalition of 20 Minnesota mayors [asked] state lawmakers to approve municipal aid to help rebuild local economies as Operation Metro Surge, the federal government’s immigration crackdown in the state, winds down. … The coalition didn’t unveil a specific dollar amount of mutual aid they feel is necessary. … QUOTE: ‘We’re not quite sure the total scope of what all those costs are because they haven’t left yet,’ Hopkins mayor Patrick Hanlon explained. … ‘It’s going to look different in every city.’” READ/LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3ZLTzFa
RELIEF: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “A $7 million relief fund will soon be available for Minneapolis businesses that are losing money during the federal immigration operation. The city council voted unanimously Thursday to approve the funding. … The $7 million will come from the city’s downtown assets fund, which typically supports maintenance and other costs for downtown infrastructure.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kLGXYk
MORE: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Councilmembers said the $7 million they approved for small business recovery would include forgivable loans and ‘activations’ across the city, such as events to drive foot traffic to small business corridors. … The mayor’s office told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS he is ‘supportive’ of the proposal.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4rTO82S
DOWNTOWN: via FOX 9, VERBATIM: “The 70th annual meeting of the Minneapolis Downtown Council hosted about 1,000 people from the downtown business community. Civic leaders boasted of new business investments, more workers in the office and millions coming to concerts, games and events. But perceptions of safety and empty commercial space remain hurdles to a faster rebound. … QUOTE: ‘Probably the number one [issue] is the perception that it’s not safe down here or it’s unpredictable what’s going to happen day to day,’ Downtown Council CEO Adam Duininck told FOX 9. ‘Are there going to be protests, or are there going to be disruptions to businesses or these sorts of things?’” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/46joRa6
A new level of insight and information….
The MNSider Brief: State of the Governor’s race – READ: https://fluence-media.co/4r3ACtF
SESSION
AGE VERIFY: via Forum News Service, VERBATIM: “A bill at the Minnesota Capitol is aiming to keep children off adult websites. Lawmakers on Thursday, Feb. 19, heard testimony on House File 1434, which would require certain adult content websites to verify users are 18 or older before granting access. Lawmakers raised questions about privacy, enforcement and how the law could be used. … The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in a larger omnibus bill later this session.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tIvvkc
AI: via House Session Daily, VERBATIM: “Rep. Alex Falconer (DFL-Eden Prairie) doesn’t view artificial intelligence technology as an inherently bad tool, but there are human ramifications when a health insurance provider uses it to deny a prior authorization request to maximize its profits. … He sponsors HF2500 that, as amended, would prohibit a carrier issuing a health plan from using AI to make an adverse determination to deny a prior authorization request. If passed, it would apply to health plans offered, issued or renewed on or after Jan. 1, 2027. The House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee laid the bill over Thursday for possible omnibus bill inclusion.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4asQQXq
MORE: via Forum News Service, VERBATIM: “Rep. Jessica Hanson, DFL-Burnsville, continued the conversation over the risks of AI with an overview of HF 1606, a bill that would prohibit websites or platforms from providing access to AI-generated ‘nudification’ technology, prohibit promotion of these platforms and establish civil penalties for use of this technology in Minnesota.” The bill was laid over for future discussions. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rXSl5D
PROTESTING: via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “The House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee yesterday heard a bill that makes ‘residential protesting’ a gross misdemeanor if a person protests [near] a home. The bill’s author, Republican Rep. Walter Hudson, said the legislation is not intended to criminalize legal protests but to target behavior that’s intimidating. … The [DFL] criticized the bill on social media, saying Republicans wanted to make protesting a crime. Many of the Democrats on the committee, however, were more amenable to the bill. They acknowledged that no one should feel threatened in their own home and said the bill is poignant because [of] Rep. Melissa Hortman. … [But] Democrats were still concerned about the bill language, arguing that it’s too broad. … The bill was laid over for further consideration.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qPAblR
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)
DC + MN
CONTEMPT: Via FOX 9, the contempt ruling against Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Ishihara for violating a court order, seen in yesterday’s morning take, has been nullified because ICE fulfilled the order. VERBATIM: “Isihara apologized, explaining that the U.S. Attorney’s Office is currently overwhelmed by the litigation. … [But] U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen was quick to fire back, writing in a statement, ‘Judge [Laura] Provinzino’s order is a lawless abuse of judicial power.’ … It is only the sixth time since 2020 that a U.S. District Judge has held a party in contempt in Minnesota. Kyle Cheney, a senior legal affairs reporter for Politico, [said] ‘I think judges may be tired of issuing threats and maybe not feeling like they are being heard.’” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3ZLZ1rG
ARRESTS: via CNN, VERBATIM: “The Department of Homeland Security admitted that its website featuring what it calls the ‘worst of the worst’ arrested immigrants was rife with errors and changed the site this week after receiving questions from CNN about it. … A DHS spokesperson admitted on Tuesday that the charges against hundreds of immigrants listed on the website were described incorrectly by the agency. The spokesperson attributed the inaccuracies to a ‘glitch.’ … Local officials in Minnesota have accused DHS of padding their publicized arrest numbers by taking credit for arrests made by local law enforcement, who were then transferred to immigration authorities through routine processes.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qFwEWV
INVESTIGATIONS: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “A Minnesota Attorney General’s Office website soliciting evidence to hold federal immigration agents accountable had received nearly 1,500 submissions as of this week, according to the office. … The American Civil Liberties Union-Minnesota operates similar but separate evidence portals. As of this week, the organization had gathered over 700 responses. … The Attorney General’s office and the Minnesota ACLU are in the midst of several legal cases that challenge federal agents’ actions, requiring the evidence the public portals could help gather.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tBZGcK
MORE: Via FOX 9, Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith wrote a letter yesterday to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi requesting state and federal cooperation to investigate the shooting of Alex Pretti last month. READ/LETTER: https://fluence-media.co/4kIv0CA
AS MINNESOTA LEGISLATORS RETURN TO THE CAPITOL, PATIENTS NEED THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO SUPPORT RURAL HOSPITALS: Rural health care today is facing tremendous challenges, from treating older and sicker patients to navigating declining reimbursement and workforce shortages. But for people in rural Minnesota, having access to an urgent care clinic, cancer treatment or preventative care in town is a lifeline. As the Minnesota Legislature returns to the Capitol, patients need legislators to support policies that keep hospital doors open and healthcare accessible in greater Minnesota. Statewide, 18 hospitals are at risk of closing and 7 are at immediate risk of closing in the next 2-3 years. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4kMcEko (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)
REFUGEES: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “A federal judge is weighing whether to extend his order blocking the arrest and detention of Minnesota refugees legally admitted to the United States who await their green card. At a hearing Thursday, U.S. District Judge John Tunheim heard arguments in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis in the class action lawsuit against federal officials over Operation PARRIS, a sweeping effort by the Department of Homeland Security to detain and ‘re-examine’ refugees admitted to the United States legally but who have not yet received green cards. It applies to an estimated 5,600 Minnesota refugees. … Tunheim [said] he’d issue a decision at a later date.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qKU510
MORE: via FOX 9, VERBATIM: “A new memo from the Department of Homeland Security allows agents to detain refugees who don’t have green cards for additional vetting. This latest policy is built around an immigration act that calls for refugees to be placed in DHS custody if they haven’t applied for a green card after one year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OsWcJy
TRANSFERS: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “The number of ICE detainees flown out of state has dropped significantly since border czar Tom Homan announced a major drawdown of federal agents from Minnesota last Thursday — an indication that federal enforcement activity could be easing. After peaking at 246 people boarding planes at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in a single day in early January, totals have been steadily declining. … On Feb. 13, the day after Homan’s announcement, [activists] said there wasn’t a single ICE chartered flight out of MSP for the first time since Jan. 4.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kLGXYk
CANDIDATES
ICE FALLOUT: WCCO-TV asked party strategists about recent Minnesota polls that showed DFL candidates having significant leads over the GOP in the aftermath of Operation Metro Surge. VERBATIM: “Democratic analyst Abou Amara expects that lead to hold through November. AMARA: ‘This is the type of issue that could actually buoy Democrats down ballot for the state House and the state Senate, potentially leading to another trifecta come November.’ … Republican Amy Frederiksen admits, for now, immigration has overtaken the GOP’s main issue: fraud. But Frederiksen says there is an awful lot of time before the election, and other new issues could surface. FREDERIKSEN: ‘We went from [Gov. Tim] Walz stepping down, to within three weeks of that Metro Surge happening, and everyone knocking fraud off the headlines.’” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3MPbPKS
SOB: Candidate for governor and GOP Rep. Kristin Robbins criticized the DFL’s plan to renovate the State Office Building for a national audience on Fox Business this week. ROBBINS: “It’s $730 million to remodel this one building. It honestly did need some HVAC upgrades and some safety upgrades, but $730 million for one building? I’ve been talking about this and trying to fight this since it happened. … We should be trying to encourage private sector growth, not growing state government.” CLIP: https://fluence-media.co/4aVWLnX
CD4: via MPR, VERBATIM: “A new GOP candidate in Minnesota’s 4th Congressional District has emerged, but he’s no political newcomer. Paul Wikstrom, an engineer, is vying for the Republican nod to challenge U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum if she seeks another term. She’s the dean of the Minnesota delegation, having been in office since 2001, and her district heavily favors the DFL.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tMx00C
CD2: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Current Democratic congressional candidate and former state senator and Lakeville mayor Matt Little says immigration enforcement agents followed him home and tried to have him arrested. … Little indicates he was acting as a legal observer with others. … He says the agents then led the observers back to Little’s current home, where two additional ICE personnel were waiting. Little claims the agents then boxed him in using their vehicles, accusing him of impeding their investigation. They also claimed they would be calling local authorities to have him arrested. … Little was never detained or arrested.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OoV7T3
WILD ABOUT READING: Join more than 800 Minnesota classrooms and 30,000 students 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, Paulie; a pair of tickets to a Wild home game, player-signed pucks and photos; and a pizza party for a classroom. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/49AHNSE (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
ACROSS MN
TRAFFIC: via MnDOT advisory, VERBATIM: “Major I-394 and I-94 traffic impacts in Minneapolis start next week — Sunday, Feb. 22 — and MnDOT [announced] upcoming construction and impacts. … Motorists can expect significant delays on westbound I-394 from downtown Minneapolis to Hwy 100 during the afternoon rush hours through the summer. Linden Ave. and Lyndale Ave. ramps to westbound I-394 will be closed. Later this summer, road work will shift to the eastbound I-394 lanes, with work to be completed in November.” DETAILS: https://fluence-media.co/3ZLQ15S
DATA CENTERS: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “Debate over data centers continues to grow in the suburbs, but they’re gaining ground in Minneapolis. The former Sleep Number headquarters building there just sold for $235 million, and a small data center is now running inside it. … Public records show that the price the Sleep Number building sold for last week was more than eight times what it was worth just last year, while others have sat empty or sold at deep discounts since the pandemic. … Construction guru and consultant Don Kohlenberger says Minneapolis could be the next hub for data centers.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4tM3QPi
MPLS: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “The Minneapolis City Council approved liquor license renewals Thursday for two hotels that protesters have targeted for allegedly housing federal agents. Some council members pushed to deny the license renewals [due] to public comments from staff at the hotels, who said they felt unsafe amid the federal immigration operation. … Amy Lingo, the city’s manager of licenses and consumer services, [said] the city heard those concerns and discussed them with hotel staff, but that none of the concerns were specifically related to the hotels serving liquor. … The council voted 8 to 5 to approve the liquor licenses.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kLGXYk
FOREST LAKE: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Forest Lake is once again looking for a new city administrator. The Forest Lake City Council decided this week to part ways with City Administrator Mark Statz, who had been on the job for just one year. The decision to enter into a separation agreement followed Statz’s one-year review, which was held in closed session on Tuesday night, said Mayor Blake Roberts. The decision was mutual, he said. … The council will wait until after the November election to launch its [replacement] search.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3MU3gym
WHAT’S NEXT
SESSION: No House floor session. No Senate floor session. HOUSE: No committee meetings. SENATE: Judiciary & Public Safety hears several bills for restricting and investigating the conduct of federal agents. Rules & Administration’s subcommittee on federal impacts will hear information about the economic effects of Operation Metro Surge. CALENDAR: https://fluence-media.co/46U8C3l
TODAY: DFL Reps. Angie Craig and Ilhan Omar will visit the Whipple Detention Facility today for a congressional oversight visit at 12:00 noon. They will hold a press conference afterward.
TODAY: Sec. Steve Simon will travel to Frazee and Detroit Lakes to discuss civics and elections with local students today, per his office.
TOMORROW: A march and rally to commemorate the four-week anniversary of Alex Pretti’s killing will be held in Minneapolis at 11:00 a.m.
NEXT WEEK: MMB Commissioner Erin Campbell will present Minnesota’s next Budget and Economic Forecast on Friday, Feb. 27 at 12:30 p.m.
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IN MEMORIAM: morning take is dedicated in memory of Melissa Hortman.