The Frost are now the second — and only — PWHL champions in history. STRIB: https://fluence-media.co/43eKmYt
Wolves lose down 3-1. Twins lose.
USA Today readers chose Devil's Kettle Trail in northern Minnesota as the nation’s best hiking trail. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/4kghbdJ
Two days after announcing them, Donald Trump said he’ll delay 50% tariffs on the EU from June to July. AP: https://fluence-media.co/43yAw2u
A Memorial Day poll finds that 60% of Americans associate the holiday with honoring fallen soldiers, but 52% believe the day has lost its original meaning to some extent. POLL: https://fluence-media.co/3HrQjbV
Sunday Take featured reflections on the 5th anniversary of George Floyd’s murder from activist Nekima Levy Armstrong and Star Tribune’s Andy Mannix. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4dwy7tH
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SPECIAL: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “It seems increasingly likely that a special session of the Minnesota Legislature won’t happen until late [this] week at the earliest, and maybe not until early June. It’s frustrating to Governor Tim Walz, but he understands the dynamics behind it. ‘This is the most divided state legislature maybe in any state’s history,’ the governor said in an interview. … When asked if he regrets agreeing to [compromises], he said he doesn’t. Although he was disappointed in how some DFL lawmakers voiced their disapproval by banging on his office door and disrupting a news conference. … After initially saying he thought he’d announce a [reelection] decision in June after the legislative session ended in May, he’s now looking at pushing that back.” QUOTE: “I want to get out of this session, reassess where we’re at. … I think you have to make that decision sometime in July.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3SlB7zq
MNLEG: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “State lawmakers [worked] through the Memorial Day weekend to finalize Minnesota’s next $66 billion, two-year budget, which they failed to pass [last week]. … Leaders hope they can wrap up negotiations between the House — evenly split between Republican and Democratic-Farmer-Labor members — and the DFL-led Senate by early next week, so that Gov. Tim Walz can call them back for a special session to pass a budget before the end of the month. If they don’t, state employees will get layoff notices starting June 1 warning of a potential government shutdown in July. … There’s been progress on a handful of bills, but as of Friday evening, there was no public information on final deals for taxes or the biggest parts of state spending.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43tpb3K
BILL TRACKER: via House Session Daily, VERBATIM: “With a special session needed for the Legislature to finish its work, it can be hard to follow what is going on in working groups. To help, a page has been created on the House website to track documents, such as spreadsheets, policy trackers and bill drafts. Working group meetings are to be posted on the combined legislative schedule.” DASHBOARD: https://fluence-media.co/3Z1m8hQ
FIXMN: We call on our state leaders to get back to work and pass a construction jobs bill immediately. See the Fix MN Failure Counter: www.fixmn.org (SPONSORED by LIUNA Minnesota and North Dakota)
TAKE: It appears that leaders want to project or “hope” that they are close to an agreement and getting all the legislation done, but the reality is that this is a very complex and delicate situation with leverage from multiple angles. Hope isn’t a strategy, and between the behind-closed-door negotiations and surprise language of bills that never had a public hearing, it’s becoming more challenging to trust what leaders “say” versus what is done. Leaders and the Governor seem to desire a “Minnesota Nice” version of ending the session, while their members and others are near an eruption of emotions like a family holiday celebration. The longer the leaders say they are “very close” and the there is a delay to finalize the agreement the less trust in the institutions and the more likely hood of a late-June blow-up that threatens a government shutdown.
LIFELINE OF RURAL HEALTH CARE — WHY LOCAL PHARMACIES MATTER IN 340B: In the heart of Greater Minnesota, access to local 24/7 health care services isn’t just a necessity – it’s the cornerstone to vibrant rural communities. The 340B Drug Pricing Program has been instrumental in enabling nonprofit hospitals like Essentia Health to provide comprehensive, high-quality care to the state’s rural and underserved communities. Unfortunately, out-of-state pharmaceutical companies continue to blatantly ignore Minnesota’s law that protects safety net providers’ access to 340B discounted drugs. Legislators should stand up to these drug manufacturers and protect the 340B Program, ensuring that Minnesota’s rural communities continue to have access to life-saving — and community sustaining — health care services. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/42D8kLo (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)
FLOYD: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Elected officials are speaking out on the fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s murder by a Minneapolis police officer. … In a statement, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called Floyd’s death a ‘turning point in our nation.’ He also pointed to policing and public safety laws passed in the state in response to the murder. … Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey reflected on the incident as a moment that ‘shook our city and our country.’ Frey also called out efforts by the city to ‘rebuild the system’ in the time since. … Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter also crossed the river to visit the site of the murder [and] joined community members in honoring Floyd. … The Minnesota Twins, Vikings, Timberwolves and Lynx also issued statements.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kAqDIz
MORE: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “While the [Minneapolis] Police Department works to make court-mandated changes and replenish its ranks with new hires, neighbors await transformation of the police while others continue to demand a transformation of systems writ large. Once at the epicenter of calls to defund the police, the police budget in Minneapolis has only grown, though the sworn force shrunk after officers left the department. Those officers are working to build trust and faith in their profession. That task is a steeper climb in the 3rd Precinct, where George Floyd was murdered, turning the neighborhood into an epicenter of unrest. The fabric of the community remains visibly changed.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kgfoW3
IMPACT: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “The killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis five years ago led to action at the Capitol in St. Paul. There were changes to what training officers receive, when they can use deadly force and the board that licenses officers in Minnesota. State Rep. Cedrick Frazier [said] laws and policies that were enacted were not new ideas, [but] with Floyd’s death captured on video and widely shared, ‘the world was watching.’ … Paul Gazelka, then the Minnesota Senate majority leader, [said] he worked ‘to find reforms that both sides could agree to,’ [but] he was ‘determined not to go too far as a knee-jerk reaction.’ … Here are nine laws and policy changes by the Minnesota Legislature and Gov. Tim Walz since Floyd’s death on May 25, 2020, and a look at one that didn’t pass.” READ/LIST: https://fluence-media.co/4kdFEAr
MEDICAID SUPPORTS HEALTH CARE FOR ALL OF US: Medicaid keeps Minnesota’s hospitals strong and ensures communities across the state have access to care. Policymakers must protect Medicaid so every Minnesotan — regardless of income or health status — can get the care they need, when they need it. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3FtrCuH (SPONSORED: Minnesota Hospital Association)
EDUCATION: via MPR, VERBATIM: “They haven’t decided how to divvy up the funding yet, but lawmakers working on education issues say they’ve settled their differences on non-budgetary matters. Portions of the education policy proposal were outlined [last week]. They include new procedures for charter schools to follow to ensure program and financial integrity. More broadly, the Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General is given more authority to gain access to materials for investigations and to recommend the withholding of grant funding. … Absent from the agreement are any changes to the cell phone use policy in schools, which will leave it up to districts to write their own.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43tbd1J
WORKFORCE: via House Session Daily, VERBATIM: “An agreement on the workforce, labor and economic development budget bill would reduce General Fund expenditures while preserving many grant programs championed in the Senate bill. A working group approved an agreement Thursday night that would meet a target of cutting General Fund spending by $28 million for the 2026-27 biennium. … However, it would appropriate $83.49 million from the Workforce Development Fund, ensuring continued support for programs like Vocational Rehabilitation, Pathways to Prosperity, and Youth-at-Work and those run by nonprofit organizations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dzqaUz
NONCOMPETE: via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “Lawmakers deadlocked, again, on Thursday over a Republican push to roll back the state’s 2023 ban on noncompete agreements. Repealing the ban for white collar workers is a top priority for the Minnesota Business Partnership, which includes more than 100 executives of the state’s largest companies. They argue the ban undermines companies’ right to protect valuable trade secrets. … The ban’s author, Rep. Emma Greenman, DFL-Minneapolis, said large companies are pushing to restore noncompetes to stifle competition and push down wages. … ‘Trade secrets are actually very well protected,’ Greenman said during a meeting between House and Senate members of the jobs working group…. Rep. Dave Baker, R-Willmar, proposed the working group insert a provision in their larger jobs and labor agreement that would allow companies to enforce noncompete agreements for employees making more than $120,000 and whose primary duties include “research and development or the creation, analysis, or modification of confidential, proprietary, or trade secret information.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dvNm6e
(DISCLOSURE: The Minnesota Business Partnership is a client of Fluence Advisory)
SIGNED: via Office of the Governor, VERBATIM: “Governor Tim Walz today signed multiple budget and policy bills passed in the 2025 session, including a bill that will boost pensions for Minnesota teachers, police officers, and firefighters. … Senate File 2884 adjusts retirement benefits for teachers, firefighters, police officers, state patrol officers, and public employees. The teacher retirement reform lowers the age of retirement from 62 to 60.” Walz also signed omnibus bills for agriculture and broadband development; cannabis policy; housing and homelessness prevention; judiciary and public safety; veterans; legacy finance; human services; and state and local government and elections. READ/LIST: https://fluence-media.co/3FuFJ3p
Thank You Lawmakers For Listening to Minnesotans and Funding Reinsurance without Raising Taxes on Essential Safety-Net Coverage: Now that lawmakers have come together on a bipartisan framework to fund state government that includes funding for the state’s individual healthcare market, it’s critical that lawmakers stand firm in their agreement to not create a new Minnesota Insurance Coverage Tax. Non-medical safety-net insurance products aren't a luxury. It’s coverage that provides critical protection for families during some of life’s most difficult and unpredictable moments. In the upcoming special session, please continue to stand with Minnesota families, small businesses, and seniors to ensure coverage remains accessible to those that need it most. Learn More: ProtectOurCoverage.com (SPONSORED: Minnesota Insurance and Financial Services Council)
WILDFIRES: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Authorities continue to make progress containing the wildfires in northern Minnesota. The Camp House Fire remains 90% contained as of Sunday morning, having burned 12,071 acres. It didn't grow at all on Saturday. … There are still 195 personnel working the Jenkins Creek Fire, which has scorched 16,089 acres. The fire is now 78% contained, up from 70% on Saturday. … The Horse River Fire, located just east of the Horse River in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, has burned nine acres after a lightning strike started the fire on May 22. As of Sunday, the wildfire is zero percent contained.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kdgf9V
CANADA: via a Sen. Amy Klobuchar press release, VERBATIM: “Today, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar met with newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ottawa to discuss rebuilding trade relations with Canada. This meeting came at a critical time in response to the ongoing tariff issues between the two countries. … Klobuchar was one of a bipartisan group of five U.S. senators, and the first group of lawmakers to meet with a prime minister in Canada in five years. … In addition to discussing tariffs, Klobuchar also commended the Prime Minister for his decision to spend an hour with the bipartisan delegation and focus on issues ranging from tourism to energy policy.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mp0SN0
MORE: Sen. Amy Klobuchar also spoke to WCCO-TV this weekend about her thoughts on U.S.-Canada relations and the potential impact on Minnesota’s tourism industry. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3FvBpkk
PODCASTS: via AP News, VERBATIM: “The Democrats’ 2028 podcast primary is well underway, from Govs. Gavin Newsom of California, Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan to former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. … The Kentucky governor now has hosted a donor, a former ambassador, businessmen he calls friends and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar. … California’s governor [has] had a wide array of guests, including former Trump strategist Steve Bannon and conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, as well as Klobuchar and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3FuyrN3
BETTING POLL: Support is surging among Minnesotans who want legal wagering on sporting events. New polling by the Sports Betting Alliance of Minnesota indicates 60% of voters in the state support the legalization of sports betting. The survey of 1,000 Minnesota voters also revealed overwhelming support for legal wagering among 18–29-year-olds, with 75% of females and 73% of males in favor of allowing sports betting in Minnesota — something that is available in 39 states. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/49uj4OF (SPONSORED: Sports Betting Alliance)
TRAINS: via a Rep. Tom Emmer press release, VERBATIM: “Today, Congressman Tom Emmer led the entire Minnesota Republican congressional delegation in a letter to the leadership of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development urging them to eliminate federal funding for the Northstar Commuter Rail, the Blue Line Light Rail Extension, and the Northern Lights Express commuter line.” LETTER: https://fluence-media.co/44Us4wY
FED WORKERS: via Office of the Atty. General, VERBATIM: “Today, Attorney General Keith Ellison co-led a coalition of 19 attorneys general in submitting a comment letter that opposes the Office of Personnel Management’s proposed rule to create a new employment classification in the federal civil service, Schedule F. This classification, if implemented, would allow the Trump Administration to unilaterally strip critical workplace protections from tens of thousands of career federal employees.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kdBN6p
PLANES: via a Rep. Tom Emmer press release, VERBATIM: “Today, Congressman Tom Emmer (MN-06) led a letter to the leadership of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense urging them to include report language regarding oversight of Osprey aircraft crashes in the Fiscal Year 2026 Defense Appropriations bill. Congressman Emmer was joined in the effort by Congressman Glenn Grothman (WI-06).” LETTER: https://fluence-media.co/3Fvx00M
TARIFFS: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Tariff uncertainty is ‘rocking the boat’ as [lake] season kicks off on Memorial Day weekend in Minnesota, according to boating industry professionals. Your Boat Club rental service told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that uncertainty has been created by a recent rise in tariffs on raw materials needed to make the majority of boats in the U.S. President Donald Trump increased tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports to 25% in March. Bryan Delorme, COO of Your Boat Club, said they’ve noticed some slowdown in people buying boats amid the rise in tariffs. … Asked how the industry was feeling in the moment, Delorme replied, ‘I would say cautious.’” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4kkP7pG
IT’S POSSIBLE TO SIMULTANEOUSLY UPHOLD ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY AND GROW OUR ECONOMY: Minnesota’s lengthy and uncertain permitting process has frustrated businesses for decades. A recent report found that air permitting in Minnesota can take up to six times longer than comparable states. A coalition of business and labor groups are advocating for reform that will shorten timelines and increase certainty while maintaining our strong environmental standards. Contact your legislators and tell them to support streamlining the permitting process. CONTACT: https://fluence-media.co/3Ea5Tbe (SPONSORED: Minnesota Chamber of Commerce)
LAYOFFS: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Planned Parenthood North Central States announced Friday it plans to close and consolidate eight of its 23 clinics in the region to cope with funding cuts and lack of income. … The move affects four clinics in Minnesota, including two in the Twin Cities: Alexandria, Bemidji, Richfield and Apple Valley. They will lay off 66 staff members, reassign 37 others and cut 35 more positions in other ways. The other centers slated to close are in Iowa. … After the closings, Planned Parenthood North Central States will operate 10 brick-and-mortar clinics in Minnesota, two in Iowa, two in Nebraska, and one in South Dakota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dCD30r
MEDICAID: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “The budget approved [last week] by the U.S. House would cut the share the federal government gives Minnesota and 13 other states, including California, Illinois and New York, who have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act from 90% to 80%…because these states offer health care coverage to undocumented immigrants. It does not matter if this coverage is paid for exclusively by state dollars. The Minnesota Legislature is debating whether to end the state’s recently begun coverage of undocumented adults but seems committed to continue to provide care for undocumented children. The coverage of those children, however, is enough to trigger Medicaid cuts under the U.S. budget bill.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dyFmBv
SNAP: via States Newsroom, VERBATIM: “The massive tax and spending bill passed by U.S. House Republicans would likely result in 3.2 million people losing food assistance benefits, and saddle states with around $14 billion a year in costs, according to a new analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. … The CBO document, issued late Thursday, responded to a request to the office from the top Democrats on the Senate and House Agriculture committees, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Angie Craig, both of Minnesota.” CRAIG: “As a mother and someone who at times relied on food assistance as a child, these numbers are heartbreaking. It is infuriating that Republicans in Congress are willing to make our children go hungry so they can give tax breaks to the already rich.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45yy2DM
AUTISM: via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “As part of their mission to help parents whose kids have been recently diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, the Somali Parents Autism Network offers several trainings, including [debunking] claims that autism is caused by routine childhood immunizations. … ‘That misinformation spread within our community like wildfire,’ said Mahdi Warsama, CEO of the Somali Parents Autism Network. … The false claim persists nearly two decades later, namely in the Twin Cities Somali community, where concerns about the false link among parents exacerbated measles outbreaks in 2017 and 2024. … Experts and some advocates say the misinformation has real-life consequences, and rhetoric about autism from the Trump Administration [is] hindering efforts to combat misinformation about vaccines and autism. Others, however, welcome more research into the cause of autism, reflecting a divide in the Somali community on the issue.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kWvVhV
SUPPORT SF 2929 AND HF 2677: Third-party lawsuit funding (TPLF) — or “lawsuit lending” — is a growing and extremely concerning trend in courts across the state and throughout the country that encourages frivolous lawsuits and threatens to drive up the costs of products, services, and insurance for Minnesota consumers. Fortunately, lawmakers are considering legislation — the Consumers in Crisis Protection Act (SF 2929 & HF 2677) — to increase transparency around this highly secretive practice and reasonably regulate third-party lawsuit funders to protect consumers and help keep premiums low. MORE INFO: https://fluence-media.co/4jivOfT (SPONSORED: ASPCIA)
MPLS: via Axios Twin Cities, VERBATIM: “Protests [in George Floyd Square] have never stopped, but tension over the intersection's future is rising. A plan to install new, permanent infrastructure in the streets around the memorial has become the subject of heated debate on this corner and at Minneapolis City Hall — a struggle that's as much about street design as it is about who gets to shape the future of George Floyd Square. In one camp: business owners, who envision a mecca for local and Black-owned enterprises at 38th & Chicago — but say delays to improvements in the square undermine those plans. In another camp: curators of Floyd's memorial, who suspect city officials and developers are trying to profit off of a pilgrimage site — and signal an end to their long-running protest.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43zgFQY
MORE: via WCCO Radio, VERBATIM: “The Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) is partnering with Comcast to give free WiFi access to more than 5,000 residents living at 42 public housing high-rise locations in Minneapolis. ‘This is not just a tech upgrade, this is a quality-of-life upgrade,’ said Councilwoman LaTrisha Vetaw. … Vetaw joined Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, representatives from Comcast, MPHA Executive Director and CEO Abdi Warsame, and residents in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Hamilton Manor in Minneapolis, one of MPHA’s high-rise buildings that is now fully connected.” READ/LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3ZCRhbA
ST PAUL: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Despite months of neighborhood opposition, a trash truck depot will indeed move forward on Randolph Avenue in St. Paul. West Seventh Street residents opposed to a planned compressed natural gas refueling station and trash truck maintenance facility at 560 Randolph Ave. were dealt a decisive setback [last week] when the St. Paul City Council voted 6-0 to deny their appeal of FCC Environmental’s site plan following its approval by the Planning Commission. … Council President Rebecca Noecker recused herself from the vote on the advice of the city attorney’s office, after asking the trash hauler to consider more community benefits.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dz7W5H
MORE: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Give Hope, a St. Paul-based nonprofit co-founded by chef Brian Ingram in 2020, has agreed to dissolve. Ingram is CEO and chef at Purpose Driven Restaurants, which includes Hope Breakfast Bar, The Gnome Craft Pub and Salt & Flour. The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office said Give Hope failed to file tax returns, didn’t keep proper financial records, failed to register with the state as a ‘soliciting charity,’ didn’t have a treasurer, entered into transactions with the for-profit business Purpose Restaurants improperly, and its board of directors rarely met. … In agreeing to dissolve, the Ingrams didn’t admit wrongdoing.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45trLcC
PUSH BACK AGAINST TAX BREAKS FOR BIG TECH DATA CENTERS: Our tax money should be going to essential services for Minnesotans, like education, health care, and infrastructure — not subsidies for billionaire owned data centers. The current tax credit has already cost our state an estimated $5 million a year since 2011. In 2025 it will be over $100 million. It’s time to stop these skyrocketing numbers. Tell your legislators, ‘No big tax breaks for Big Tech.’ LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3ErmQh8 (SPONSORED: Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy)
BLAINE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Looking at ways to allow more affordable housing, the Blaine City Council four years ago agreed to let residents build accessory dwelling units, [or] backyard tiny homes. … But the city hadn’t received any requests from residents looking to build one — until homeowner Alex Pepin put in an application earlier this year and sparked a debate that has prompted the city to reconsider the idea altogether. Pepin, who runs a nonprofit serving the homeless, asked for a permit to build an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in his backyard, hoping to rent it out to a family in need. … The Planning Commission approved Pepin’s request, but then the City Council [denied] it. Now, the council has put a yearlong moratorium on accepting requests for ADUs so it can rethink the city’s rules.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mQbDIH
MORE: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Blaine will feature new memorials at [Veterans Memorial Park], paying tribute to every fallen service member. The new addition includes five granite pillars representing the U.S. branches of the armed forces. … Steve Guider, Blaine’s Veterans Memorial Park committee president, [said] the Space Force is not included because the pillars were ordered prior to the branch being formed and no one has lost their life in that branch. Another piece of the memorial will be arriving in the coming weeks.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/43D0fqN
GOLDEN VALLEY: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The Golden Valley Police Department is now smaller, younger and more diverse than it was five years ago. The city’s new chief and mayor are trying to heal fractures within the community. The upheaval in Golden Valley is just one example of the way [George] Floyd’s murder shook thousands of police agencies nationwide. … A growing number of agencies [have] partnered with social workers to improve their response to mental health calls. ‘We have to police better, and ‘better’ means we need to listen to the community,’ said Golden Valley Police Chief Virgil Green. ‘It took the death of a Black man to change that. It shouldn’t have.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kfKEo5
FREE AND LOW-COST FAMILY FUN: The beloved Flint Hills Family Festival is celebrating 25 years in downtown Saint Paul, May 30-31. This year’s festival, presented by the Ordway and Flint Hills Resources, welcomes outstanding headliners, including Grammy winners Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band and Ada Twist, Scientist, as well as the returning NOOMA, an Opera for Babies. Bring kids of all ages to enjoy free outdoor entertainment and activities, visit food trucks and take in an indoor show where tickets start at just $8. GET TICKETS: https://fluence-media.co/FHFestival (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
DULUTH: via Duluth News Tribune, VERBATIM: “The new location of a program providing homeless people living out of their vehicles a safe place to park overnight was forced to close — at least temporarily — just days after it opened. According to the city of Duluth, an attorney representing neighbors of Safe Bay's new host, Vineyard Church, [appealed] the Duluth City Clerk on May 21. Any appeal requires a stay, or pause, until the City Council can hear the appeal, and the earliest that can happen is at a special City Council meeting on Thursday, June 5, the city said.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dFxoGW
BRAINERD: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “On a warm evening in late April, staff at the Bridge on 7th homeless shelter in Brainerd prepared to open for one final night before closing for the summer… For more than three years, the Bridge on 7th has provided a safe, warm place for adults experiencing homelessness to spend the night, with few restrictions on who can stay. It’s served a total of 534 people since it opened in 2021… But the overnight shelter is only open from September through April. A recent decision by the Brainerd City Council not to allow it to operate through the summer has sparked a community debate, and left some without a place to stay.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Hf0GQr
ROCHESTER: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “Proposed changes to the city’s strategic priorities and foundational principles are set for Rochester City Council review. The council is holding a special study session at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday…to review potential additions, tweaks and other changes to the priorities and principles used to guide future policy discussions. … The proposed revisions call for working toward equitable housing access to ensure all residents can find safe and stable housing.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dz9ZXr
RENVILLE CTY: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “After his brother, Dominique, raised more than $77,000 three years ago to build a veterans' memorial in their hometown of Olivia, 16-year-old Ahren Jurgensen knew instantly that he wanted to leave his own mark. … Just as his brother did, Ahren began fundraising for an expansion to the memorial as part of his Eagle Scout project for Boy Scout Troop 313. In less than a year, he brought in $40,000 to add more plaques, benches, flags, and stones…listing the names of current and former service members with connections to Olivia or Renville County. That means the two brothers have now raised almost $120,000 combined to establish the permanent memorial for this town of 2,500 west of the Twin Cities.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/43hzclK
From Friday’s Fluence newsletters:
MPD: via FOX 9, VERBATIM: “Five years after the video of George Floyd’s murder sparked international outrage, two Minneapolis police chiefs are addressing efforts to rewrite history. In recent interviews with FOX 9, former police chief Medaria Arradondo called the ‘revisionist history’ of what happened to Floyd ‘dangerous.’ Brian O’Hara, who succeeded Arradondo, said ‘everyone knew what they saw’ when they watched the video of Floyd’s murder. … O’Hara and Arradondo also reflected on leading a depleted department in the aftermath of Floyd’s murder, which included riots, calls to defund the police and a drastic reduction of officers.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3YWBC6M
BODYCAMS: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “A rarity even a decade ago, body cams are becoming more of a rule than an exception in Minnesota police departments. … Body camera adoption by police departments has taken off over the past five years, said Jeff Potts, executive director of the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association (MCPA). An MCPA survey conducted in 2021 found that more than 100 police chiefs reported using them. … More than 80% of respondents said they supported using body cams in 2021, nearly double the percentage from an earlier [2016] survey.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43uI3j2
POT: via MPR News, VERBATIM: ”Anoka is among 13 cities and counties in Minnesota that have applied for a license to operate a cannabis store. … Anoka appears to be the first municipality to start building out a space for a dispensary so far in Minnesota. Other cities, like St. Joseph and Osseo, want to secure the license before construction. … The Office of Cannabis Management says municipalities are guaranteed a license as long as they fulfill requirements for the license application. The deadline to apply for a municipal license was March 16. … Office spokesperson Josh Collins says the agency expects to start seeing businesses, including municipal cannabis dispensaries, open up this summer.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Fkmhq8
SESSION: A special session is still pending, but working groups on taxes and workforce, labor, and economic development will meet today to discuss their omnibus bills. Specifically, the labor group will consider “modifications to noncompete law.” CALENDAR: https://fluence-media.co/4keWOxu
TODAY: Governor Tim Walz will attend a naturalization ceremony in Brooklyn Center and receive a briefing from the Minnesota National Guard. In the afternoon, he will meet with legislative leaders.
SATURDAY: Gov. Tim Walz will speak at state Democratic Party conventions in South Carolina and California on Saturday, May 31.
SATURDAY: Attorney General Keith Ellison announced he will host a community forum in Worthington on Saturday, May 31 at 11:30 a.m. Per a release, Ellison will discuss his efforts “to protect Minnesotans from federal attacks on citizenship, privacy, funding, immigration, LGBTQ+ rights, and more.” DETAILS: https://fluence-media.co/43q1NEf
SATURDAY: Rep. Betty McCollum announced she will host a “Medicaid Town Hall” in Stillwater on Saturday, May 31 at 11:00 a.m. Per a release, McCollum will join “a panel of special guests to discuss the importance of Medicaid for Minnesota seniors, children, and working parents.”
JUNE 13: The MN DFL announced its annual Humphrey-Mondale Dinner will be held on Friday, June 13 with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker as the keynote speaker. DETAILS: https://fluence-media.co/4iiEa5R
JUNE 14: Sen. Amy Klobuchar will be the keynote speaker at a New Hampshire Democratic Party dinner on June 14. She is reportedly traveling to support Chris Pappas’ Senate campaign. DETAILS: https://fluence-media.co/3HiY83C
JULY 12: Gov. Tim Walz will be the keynote speaker at the South Dakota Democratic Party’s annual McGovern Day dinner on July 12 in Sioux Falls, SD.
BDAYS: morning take’s Kyle Hampel, Speaker Emeritus Melissa Hortman, Delta’s Jeff Davidman
TIPS: How do we get the best news and most buzzed about stories? Send us your tips at BloisOlson@gmail.com
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about morning take: Founded in 2010, morning take has grown to become the leading Minnesota morning newsletter on politics and news of the day. Published by Fluence Media since 2012 the mission is to "make you smarter" before breakfast.
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