The American Airlines jet and Blackhawk collision last night leads all the news this morning. 27 bodies have been recovered. There were 60 passengers and 3 crew on the plane. AP: https://fluence-media.co/4hEtBdL
Wild win in Toronto. Timberwolves win. Wild in Montreal tonight.
Irish on Grand will close after 35 years in St. Paul. PIPRESS: https://fluence-media.co/3PWVUbp
The Federal Reserve declined to lower interest rates after previously making three consecutive cuts. FOX: https://fluence-media.co/4gnUmSq
Donald Trump says he will send up to 30,000 “criminal aliens” to Guantanamo Bay. AP: https://fluence-media.co/4heZ9ad
50 degrees in January? The patios are open at Blue Plate restaurants today with $5 beers.
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Today’s morning take on Sen. Tina Smith at the RFJ Jr. hearings WCCO Radio with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/42va37d
On Sunday Take House DFL Leader Melissa Hortman and GOP Rep. Kristin Robbins about the current state of the chamber. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4jLC4xF
NEGOTIATIONS: via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “Negotiations to resolve a power struggle for control of the Minnesota House have stalled, which likely means a continued boycott by Democratic-Farmer-Labor members that’s now more than two weeks old. … Republican House leader Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, told reporters Wednesday that she didn’t meet with Democratic leader Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, and had no plans to do so again in the near future. … Hortman and Demuth had been meeting daily since Friday, [but] both sides appear to be dug in.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3CDD8mb
NEW AD: via an HRCC press release, VERBATIM: “The House Republican Campaign Committee is launching a campaign highlighting Minnesota Democrats’ ‘nonfeasance’ when it comes to following the state’s constitution which requires legislators to show up for work. Today is Day 16 of the House DFL Shutdown where all Democrat legislators are refusing to show up for work despite getting paid. The new website, DemsClockedOut.com, includes a running clock illustrating the days, hours, and minutes that have gone by since legislators were required to go to work.” WEBSITE: https://fluence-media.co/40zXa9o
SPENDING: Via The Hill, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget has rescinded its memo ordering a federal spending freeze, but the White House later clarified that this did not actually rescind the freeze. VERBATIM: “White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt [said] ‘This is not a rescission of the federal funding freeze. It is simply a rescission of the OMB memo. Why? To end any confusion created by the court’s injunction. The president’s [executive orders] on federal funding remain in full force and effect, and will be rigorously implemented.’ … [Donald] Trump on Wednesday afternoon blamed the media for the confusion over the Monday night memo.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Q2uwZn
MEETING: via a Rep. Ilhan Omar post, OMAR: “I had a productive meeting with [Gov. Tim Walz] this afternoon to ensure we’re doing everything in our power to protect Minnesota’s communities against the instability brought forth by the Trump Administration.” PHOTO: https://fluence-media.co/3Cvyl6i
MORE: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “The Trump Administration's decision on Wednesday to rescind a memo related to federal grant freezes did not alleviate concerns among leading Democrats in Minnesota. … DFL Senate Leader Erin Murphy said the Trump Administration's messaging has made planning for the budget process nearly ‘impossible’ because legislators don't know what federal funding they'll receive. Lawmakers will receive the next state budget forecast in late February.” MURPHY: “It feels dangerous to me. … They seem to be playing a game with this issue, and I don't know what the truth is.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4hhoYX6
TRUMP: Three of Minnesota’s top Democrats — Gov. Tim Walz, Sen. Tina Smith and Rep. Angie Craig — were interviewed on national news channels to share their thoughts on Pres. Donald Trump’s recent executive orders. Walz and Smith discussed Trump’s proposed federal spending freeze while Craig focused on consumer prices and the farm bill.
● CRAIG: “Many of the executive actions this week and much of the rhetoric from the administration – to start, at least – had nothing to do with lowering costs for Americans. I am completely focused on this, and I think this is where Democrats have to be focused. … If they come after [nutrition programs] as part of the budget reconciliation process, not only is that going to take away much-needed funding for hungry kids and seniors and veterans, but let’s not forget that that program supports the crops that producers grow.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/40ESVsS
● WALZ: “Republicans always want to talk about cutting government, [but] theoretically. They never want to be specific because we know that these programs are incredibly popular. … Yes, it was somewhat buffoonish, but I’m not quite certain that we’re reading that right. I think [that] this is a trial balloon to see how much tolerance we have in what we pull back. … They’re never going to bring this the legal way because no Republican will vote for this. … Republican governors [are] getting hammered just as much as we are.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3PVpY7b
● SMITH: “I think it was just so shocking to people to wake up yesterday morning and go, ‘Wait a minute, my local childcare that I take my child to that has some federal grant money might not be open.’ … It was, I think, just a reminder to people about how…canceling every single federal grant and discretionary funding has huge ripple effects through the lives of people, and actually ends up making them be less safe and less secure.” CLIP: https://fluence-media.co/40R1bYh
RESPONSE: Rep. Pete Stauber responded to Gov. Tim Walz’s claims on the federal spending freeze, accusing the governor of stretching the truth. STAUBER: “Tim Walz is lying and fear mongering regarding President Trump's temporary funding freeze. Either Walz is uninformed or deceitful. Or both. As the Office of Management and Budget stated: ‘Any program that provides direct benefits to Americans is explicitly excluded from the pause and exempted from this review process.’” TWEET: https://fluence-media.co/4aDqO1U
DISABILITY: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “In his two-year budget released earlier this month, DFL Gov. Tim Walz proposed slimming costs. Among those costs, Walz wants to limit growth in disability waiver costs to 2 percent per year. … Around 70,000 people were on disability waivers in 2023, [and] many organizations that provide care are concerned that the curbed spending will give them less of an ability to give people competitive wages in an already short-staffed job market. … Sen. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, is a long-time advocate for the disabled at the Capitol.” ABELER: “These are people with very severe needs in many cases…so my advice is: Find somewhere else to find the money.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hv2TEN
MUSK: via New York Daily News, VERBATIM: “Elon Musk is mulling legal action against Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for suggesting Musk performed the Nazi salute during his speech after President Donald Trump’s inauguration earlier this month. … Walz joined those condemning the Tesla founder during an appearance on MSNBC, [saying] ‘Musk gave a Nazi salute. Of course he did.’ … The soundbite has been widely shared across social media since it aired, [and] one X user wrote: ‘I hope Elon sues him for all he’s worth.’ [Musk] responded to the post early Wednesday: ‘I think I will,’ he said.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42uJzCP
RFK JR: via CNN, VERBATIM: “Democratic Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota harshly criticized nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., over previous comments linking school shootings to the use of antidepressants. … Smith asked Kennedy if he believed antidepressants caused school shootings. KENNEDY: ‘I don’t think anybody can answer that question. And I didn’t answer that question. I said [that] it should be studied.’ … Smith, who referenced her own struggle with depression, said Kennedy’s words have ‘impact.’ SMITH: ‘I’m very concerned that this is another example of your record of sharing false and misleading information that actually really hurts people.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40TeZSc
ICE: via FOX 9, VERBATIM: “President Donald Trump’s administration is pushing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to increase the number of arrests per day from a few hundred to between at least 1,200 to 1,500 people. … Each ICE field office was told to aim for around 75 arrests per day. The White House rejected the characterization of ‘quotas,’ but when asked about the report, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security [said] ‘goals’ is the ‘correct phrasing.’ … ICE has 25 field offices spread out across the U.S., [including one in St. Paul].” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4aC0l4Y
MORE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The Laken Riley Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump on Wednesday afternoon, [expands] the list of crimes for which an undocumented immigrant could be detained. … It’s already reverberating in Minnesota. Mike Berger, the head of the Hennepin County Public Defender’s Office, said his office learned one of their clients was detained by ICE while walking into the Government Center ahead of a court appearance recently. Berger said that while it’s only a single example, so far, it goes against the standard protocol for how ICE has operated in Minnesota in his 17 years as a public defender.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42BosP8
DNC: via AP News, VERBATIM: “The Democratic National Committee will elect a new chair on Saturday as the party seeks new leadership to guide Democrats through Donald Trump’s second presidency. Eight candidates have lined up to replace outgoing Chair Jaime Harrison, [but] the leading candidates [are] Minnesota’s Ken Martin and Wisconsin’s Ben Wikler. … The debate has largely focused on the nuts and bolts of political campaigns: messaging, media strategy, fundraising and on-the-ground organizing. On those issues, the candidates largely agree that changes are needed to improve the party’s brand — especially among working-class voters.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3CG7pRn
TEST SCORES: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Newly released national data shows Minnesota student test scores have not risen significantly in math and reading over the last two years, although the state’s students continue to outperform national averages. The National Assessment of Education Progress…showed average scores in fourth and eighth grade reading and math for Minnesota were not significantly different in 2024 than the last time students took the exams in 2022. Less than half of Minnesota students were able to demonstrate proficiency in either math or reading in both fourth and eighth grade. … [However], Minnesota eighth graders ranked fourth in the nation among states in math, and fourth graders were in the top 10.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40SICTp
CHARTERS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “STEP Academy has won at least a temporary reprieve from its state-approved regulator and the Twin Cities charter school is no longer facing the immediate loss of its contract after staffing cuts helped STEP, one of the state’s largest charters, avoid a financial meltdown. But in St. Cloud, Athlos Academy is on the verge of shutting down, notified by its regulator that its contract would not be renewed when it expires in June because of poor academic performance and snowballing financial problems that are ‘compromising the school’s viability.’ … Altogether, 10 charter schools have been threatened with the loss of their contract by their state-approved regulators in the past year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aEqNLe
SCHOOL CHOICE: via an AFP Minnesota press release, VERBATIM: “Today, Americans for Prosperity-Minnesota (AFP-MN) took this National School Choice Week to highlight bureaucratic hurdles in Minnesota's education system by testifying before the state Senate. In a hearing before the Senate Education Finance Committee, AFP-MN urged lawmakers to allow for open enrollment. … Jake Coleman, AFP-MN state director, gave the following statement.” COLEMAN: “While the [DFL] is busy boycotting the legislative session, Minnesota students are stuck in schools that are failing them. It's clear that they care more about power than doing work to improve opportunities.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jDughm
FRAUD: In response to reports of investigations into numerous child care centers receiving state funding, seen in yesterday’s morning take, Rep. Nolan West (R-32A) released a statement advocating for increased oversight of Child Care Assistance Program recipients. WEST: “We need a major overhaul of our CCAP system, with an emphasis on oversight. … I am proposing a three-pronged approach for adding scrutiny. First, entities that receive hundreds of thousands of CCAP dollars must be held to higher standards. … We also need to adopt electronic record keeping to improve record keeping. The third measure I will propose in the House simply helps to ensure CCAP recipients file proper paperwork.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3CFX9IR
MORE: Rep. Brad Finstad responded to the news of child care center fraud investigations. FINSTAD: “This is yet another example of the Walz Administration’s failure to provide adequate oversight and safeguard taxpayer dollars. The fact that $7.8 million in federal dollars was allocated to a childcare facility that received 95 violations, putting the safety of children at risk, is absolutely absurd and unacceptable. Under the Trump Administration, we will rein in this reckless spending.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aGFrlm
FRIDAY: On Friday, a new OLA report will be released and is expected to have new findings with oversight at the Minnesota Department of Health.
PUBLIC SAFETY: via a House GOP press release, VERBATIM: “Today, the Minnesota House Republican Caucus unveiled a comprehensive legislative proposal aimed at making Minnesota safer for all residents. This plan includes thirteen targeted provisions designed to equip law enforcement with the tools they need, ensure violent offenders are held accountable, and increase transparency in the criminal justice system. … Key provisions in the proposal include…new and enhanced criminal offenses including blocking a freeway, highway, transit, or the road to and from the airport [and] increased penalty for fleeing a police officer in a reckless manner.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40QzRtg
SALES TAX: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “A [bill] to exempt more health care items from sales tax is progressing in the Minnesota Senate. Senate File 268, chief authored by Sen. Carla Nelson, R-Rochester, was heard by the Senate Tax Committee on Wednesday, Jan. 22 and held over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill. The proposed law would extend an existing sales tax exemption on certain durable medical devices. … Examples of medical items that are currently taxed, but would be exempt if the bill becomes law, include humidifiers and air purifiers, sharps containers, first aid kits [and] face masks. … The bill also extends this tax exemption to private health insurers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aEJz5l
BRINGING SAFETY TO ‘THE NEXT LEVEL’: As part of Enbridge’s work on the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation in northern Minnesota, Enbridge has brought in family-owned and Indigenous-owned Northern Lights Family Outfitters to fully outfit project workers right on the job site with personal protective equipment (PPE) from its 48-foot mobile trailer. “Enbridge really brings safety to the next level,” says Patti, a project liaison for Enbridge and the Fond du Lac Band. “It’s really helpful to have a mobile unit, especially for this kind of work.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3OQYmjn (SPONSORED: Enbridge)
GENERAL: via Washington Post, VERBATIM: “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has decided to remove retired Gen. Mark A. Milley’s security detail, suspend his security clearance, and order an inspector general inquiry into his behavior as the Pentagon’s top officer. … The move comes after years of [Donald] Trump criticizing Milley for perceived disloyalty and Milley acknowledging in congressional testimony that he had served as a source for several unflattering books about the first Trump administration. … One senior defense official said…there is a desire to ‘take a star’ from him, meaning administration officials want to see Milley demoted in retirement.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40QOhtl
RESPONSE: via a Rep. Betty McCollum statement, McCOLLUM: “General Mark Milley admirably served the United States and the U.S. Army for 43 years. We should honor his service, not denigrate it. Secretary [Pete] Hegseth’s petty actions serve no official purpose beyond settling personal scores on behalf of President [Donald] Trump.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40w4UsS
FLANAGAN: Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan spoke to MPR News over a meal at Owamni as part of the station’s new “Out to Lunch” interview series. Flanagan discussed her personal life and how she thinks political divisions can be healed. FLANAGAN: “I don’t completely understand politics right now. I was raised on the Wellstone for Senate campaign where you saw folks from all different walks of life coming together to work on something. … It will take folks rejecting the incredibly racist, harmful, divisive, dehumanizing rhetoric that we hear from like the highest places in the land. But I also think it is again coming back to your own community and [asking] ‘what is the next good thing that I can do.’” READ/LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4jDB7r6
MPLS: via an Elizabeth Shaffer press release, VERBATIM: “Elizabeth Shaffer, District 4 Minneapolis Park Commissioner and Lowry Hill resident, announced her candidacy for the Ward 7 seat on the Minneapolis City Council. … She will prioritize core city services and public safety, fiscal budget responsibility, responsiveness to local community concerns and priorities, and pragmatic policies promoting economic development and healthy businesses, services, and jobs in our city.” SHAFFER: “Many in the community asked me to run for the Park Board in 2021, and my effectiveness has been driven by listening to constituent priorities and concerns.” WEBSITE: https://fluence-media.co/4hBnUxa
FEED FRAUD: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “A 37-year-old Rochester man who was scheduled to stand trial in December pleaded guilty Wednesday for his role in the $250 million Feed Our Future meal fraud case. Sharmake Jama admitted to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering in a scheme that exploited federal funds that were intended for a child nutrition program. … Jama's plea comes one day after two defendants charged in a separate indictment…pleaded guilty just days before their trial was scheduled to begin.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3PWXha3
CHAUVIN: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “The city of Minneapolis has apparently reached a settlement with a woman who claims then-police officer Derek Chauvin used excessive force against her in 2020, four months before Chauvin kneeled on George Floyd, killing him. … According to the court docket, the settlement [was] reached Jan. 10. The Minneapolis City Council will consider the settlement during a closed session Thursday. The amount the city agreed to pay has not yet been made public.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Ct7JTz
WIRE THEFT: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “St. Paul Public Works Director Sean Kershaw confirmed his department spent about $1 million more on street light repairs due to copper wire theft in 2024 than in 2023. There were also a few hundred more outages called into the department year-over-year. The silver lining in the latest annual data was the rate of increase. After years where the number of thefts doubled each year, an increase of a few hundred reports was much less significant, according to Kershaw.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/40AZVHp
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)
NUCLEAR: via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s 31-year-old ban on new nuclear power plants is facing another challenge from utility companies and supporters of nuclear power, who say the technology is necessary to meet the state’s ambitious goal of using only carbon-free sources of energy by 2040. … Republicans overwhelmingly support repealing the nuclear moratorium; Democratic lawmakers say they’ll take their direction on the issue from the Prairie Island Indian Community. … With a split Legislature, support from the Prairie Island tribe will be key to repealing the moratorium.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PSo3Aq
INSURANCE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Property insurance rates in Minnesota [are] climbing fast with no end in sight. … Insurance experts are worried about the toll of a changing climate on an unstable industry built on pricing risk — and the potential consumer fallout. Heavily driving increased costs for Minnesotans are severe wind and hailstorms. In 2023, a single storm swept the Twin Cities and central Minnesota, leaving behind roughly $1 billion in claimed losses. That came one year after the costliest season in state history in 2022, which tallied $6.3 billion in storm damage.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gl6548
FLOOD AID: via Office of the Governor, VERBATIM: “Governor Tim Walz has authorized emergency assistance for six Minnesota counties that suffered damage caused by severe thunderstorms and flooding last summer. … Isanti County is receiving emergency assistance for significant damage caused by severe thunderstorms on August 26, 2024. Dakota, Lyon, Olmsted, Ramsey, and Scott counties are receiving state emergency assistance to help cover the damage to public infrastructure caused by severe flooding between June 16 and July 4.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jAyjuI
MSP: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “An offer from the Trump Administration encouraging federal employees to resign included Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, prompting confusion among the workforce and concern about the possible effect on airport safety, according to a union official. … There’s some question among local TSA staffers about whether they’re exempt from the offer because they’re considered part of the nation’s national security framework.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3WGzFKF
LGBTQ: via FOX 9, VERBATIM: “Following an announcement that Target will roll back its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) goals, Twin Cities Pride organizers said they would not have a presence at the Pride festival or parade this year. A crowdfunding campaign was launched to fill a $50,000 funding gap following the sponsorship exodus that has since raised more than $82,000 from community members. Twin Cities Pride has added that the decision will be a ‘continuing conversation’ with Target.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4hlvLz1
MORE: Via WCCO-TV, a group of pro-LGBTQ activists protested in support of transgender rights at the Minnesota Capitol yesterday. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4aCl3lg
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)
LAKEVILLE: via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “School officials in Lakeville voted on Tuesday to remove posters with the term ‘Black Lives Matter’ throughout the school system. Roughly 3,000 copies of posters utilizing inclusionary language are on the walls of Lakeville school buildings. … No teacher is required to put any of the posters up, but some parents and students complained that teachers were not given options of slogans like ‘All Lives Matter’ or ‘Blue Lives Matter.’ … The school board voted to remove the posters and replace them with a new ‘academic excellence’ theme of posters.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3PUiCAK
WAITE PARK: via St. Cloud Live, VERBATIM: “Two St. Cloud Area Schools will now serve as hubs to help connect students and families with expanded services such as mental health support and dental care using a five-year $2.5 million federal grant. Sang Maxwell is the district’s director of partnerships for student success, which works on connecting with community partners to help better serve students and their families. … The two schools were chosen based on need — the number of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch or whose families might face barriers to accessing school resources, Maxwell said.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3EskZbx
DULUTH: via Duluth News Tribune, VERBATIM: “As the demolition of the former St. Mary's Hospital building continues, the 400 block of East Fourth Street temporarily will be closed Thursday, January 30. During the closure, a single lane will be reopened for through traffic on East Third Street, which was previously off-limits to motorists. After this single-day closure on Fourth Street, both lanes of Third Street will close again, and the detour on Fourth Street will return. The current closure on Fifth Avenue East will remain in place.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42AEd9c
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:
AUDITOR: The Office of the Legislative Auditor this morning released a performance audit of the Office of the State Auditor. VERBATIM: “The Office of the State Auditor generally complied with the significant finance-related legal requirements we tested and generally had adequate internal controls. However, we identified instances of noncompliance and an internal control weakness related to asset management. The Office of the State Auditor implemented some best practices for information technology security controls. However, we identified several areas in which the office should implement additional controls or strengthen existing controls to better protect its information technology resources.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3WErtdX
MAYOR: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey formally announced he is running for a third term this year. Speaking to WCCO Radio, FREY: “I have learned a lot over the last several years — and those lessons, they make me a better mayor and hopefully a better person. I use those lessons every single day. And right now, with everything that is going on in the world, with all the chaos that we’re seeing, that kind of experience matters.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3Wzv2lC
HUNGER: From Second Harvest Heartland via PRNewswire, VERBATIM: “Today, Second Harvest Heartland released the results of its recent Statewide Hunger Study, showing that 1 in 5 Minnesota households are experiencing food insecurity and cannot afford the food they need. According to the study: 1 in 5 Minnesota households are food insecure; 18% of the state is supported by the emergency food system; 30% of households in Minnesota are not confident about having enough food in the next year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3CiMQdP
BIRD FLU: via AP News, VERBATIM: “Bird flu is forcing farmers to slaughter millions of chickens a month, pushing U.S. egg prices to more than double their cost in the summer of 2023 — and it appears there may be no relief in sight, given the surge in demand as Easter approaches. The average price per dozen nationwide hit $4.15 in December. That's not quite as high as the $4.82 record set two years ago, but the Agriculture Department predicts prices are going to soar another 20 percent this year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Ec1jJ8
MORE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “If bird flu is lurking undetected on Minnesota’s dairy farms, the state is determined to find it. Starting in February, milk from each of Minnesota’s 1,625 permitted cow farms will test once a month for H5N1, the virus commonly called bird flu that began infecting cattle last spring. Milk haulers already collect samples for routine testing while loading tankers at dairy farms, and portions of those raw milk samples will go to the Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Lab for H5N1 tests.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40SQRPC
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: No House floor session scheduled. Senate floor session at 11:00 a.m. HOUSE: Due to last week’s state Supreme Court decision, there are no House committee meetings today. SENATE: Taxes will hear six bills on rebates, credits and exemptions. Housing & Homelessness hears bills on construction material tax exemptions and background checks for nonresident tenant organizers. Labor hears a bill requiring cost-per-square-foot valuations. Elections will hear a bill allowing cities to move municipal elections to even-numbered years. Higher Education hears presentations from student organizations. CALENDAR: https://fluence-media.co/4gmr3Qh
TODAY: Governor Walz will chair a meeting of the Minnesota Board of Pardons.
TMRW: Expect the Office of Legislative Auditor to release a new audit of the Minnesota Department of Health.
TODAY: Senate GOP leadership will hold a press conference at 12:00 noon to announce their “Minnesotans First” agenda. Per a release, their legislative agenda “reins in wasteful spending and fraud, holds government accountable for results, and helps Minnesotans with the high costs of living.” Sens. Mark Johnson, Julia Coleman, Gary Dahms, Karin Housley, Michael Kreun and Jordan Rasmusson will attend.
SATURDAY: via a Senate DFL advisory, VERBATIM: “Senator Rob Kupec (DFL-Moorhead) will be hosting an in-district listening session on Saturday, February 1 at Moorhead Public Library. The listening session is an opportunity for constituents to ask questions and provide comments about the current legislative session.” The event is at 11:00 a.m.
FEB 5: via a POCI Caucus advisory, VERBATIM: “From 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., members of the Minnesota House People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus will hold a community town hall. The event will focus on the unprecedented start of the 2025 legislative session and how the actions of the House GOP will [affect] historically underserved communities.”
BDAYS: Asst. Commissioner Cathy ten Broeke, author Rachel Allyn, Edina Chamber’s Shelly Loberg, Securian’s Channing Schmidt
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