HERE WE GO
USA Men’s Hockey play Sweden today. Timberwolves are back Friday. Pablo Lopez out for the season for the Twins. They can’t buy a break.
Bruce Springsteen’s new concert tour will start in Minneapolis on March 31.
Major blizzard in the north, roads and schools closed.
AARP’s list of the 100 best places to live for older adults includes eight Minnesota cities and two counties. Minneapolis, St. Paul and Rochester are all in the top 15 for the “large communities” category. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/4qJTI75
A bill in the state legislature would allow Minnesotans to ride jet skis starting at 8:00 a.m. instead of 9:30 a.m. BILL: https://fluence-media.co/4kES9pH
The Trump Administration says it will sue states that try to regulate prediction markets, such as Kalshi and Polymarket. AXIOS: https://fluence-media.co/4aECvWM
Today’ is National Drink Wine Day.
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STATUS
The reality of a closely divided legislature, a Governor not running for re-election - a deep trust divide begins to show up on day two of the legislative session. Everyone has a side, and the side doesn’t feel unified about the future of Minnesota. Protests today at the Capitol related to ICE add to angst at an understandably high level. However, the loudest and most extreme voices from the Minneapolis City Council on liquor licenses and even suggestion of a “rent strike” finding momentum for Minnesota’s economy is a daily reminder of a different view of how to build Minnesota’s economy – back, and then forward.
Next Friday’s budget forecast will preview short term resources that might be available, with concern for the long term. It’s not just the budget that we should worry about - but the reputation of our region and state should be the focus of the work, and it is the citizens and employers that will build back the reputation – rather than a noisy rallies and hearings of contention. The signals aren’t great, but they are more important than the noise. The signals show a fragility, rebuilding with optimism is the best path.
CHAMBER: via news release from the Minnesota Chamber, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce today announced the business community’s 2026 legislative priorities during its annual Session Priorities event, convening employers and lawmakers in St. Paul to preview the upcoming legislative session. LOON: “Minnesota’s economic imperative is to be a state that champions the private sector, promotes investment and supports policies that drive growth and opportunity,” said Doug Loon, President and CEO of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. “If we want businesses to expand here, hire here and invest here, we must improve our competitiveness and focus on lowering the cost of doing business.”…Minnesota enters the 2026 session with significant strengths — a diverse and innovative economy, a skilled workforce, high-quality health care, strong infrastructure and world-class natural resources. At the same time, business leaders emphasized that rising costs, demographic challenges and growing policy uncertainty are creating headwinds that must be addressed with urgency and clarity.” `AGENDA: https://fluence-media.co/4rWA9cI
TODAY: Governor Tim Walz will meet with stakeholders and civic leaders to discuss the state’s ongoing work on recovery and accountability following Operation Metro Surge and later meet with Hibbing Mayor Pete Hyduke.
RELIEF: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “One major topic at the start of the 2026 legislative session will be the economic fallout from Operation Metro Surge. … Minneapolis business leaders held a meeting Monday and discussed plans to ask the state for help. … Adam Duininck, the President and CEO of Minneapolis Downtown Council, [said] some restaurants and hotels are reporting a more than 50% drop in revenue, and others have closed altogether. He also described convention cancellations and workforce shortages … The Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy Committee meets first thing Thursday morning to discuss the economic and workforce impacts of the surge.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/46aSYQZ
MORE: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “A reporter asked House Speaker Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring) if she could see herself supporting any bipartisan legislation to provide relief to [immigrant] businesses, and Demuth immediately blamed ‘city and state leaders’ for encouraging businesses to participate in the general strike on Jan. 9 by closing for the day. … Rep. Harry Niska (R-Ramsey) [said] he doesn’t think there will be bipartisan support for ‘some sort of bailout, instead of trying to figure out how to fix our business environment.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OOItNa
CONTEXT: via the Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “January 2026 was one of the worst months many Minnesota restaurants had ever seen, many owners told the Star Tribune… They described sales plummeting year over year; corporate and private dining cancellations; a coffeeshop pulling in a total of $188 in a full day; a restaurant group with eight Twin Cities restaurants losing $100,000 when closing for the Jan. 23 solidarity strike.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46bhqSh
(DISCLOSURE: Hospitality Minnesota is a Fluence client)
DATACENTERS: via FOX 9, VERBATIM: “In a first-ever for Minnesota, the Eagan City Council approved a one-year ban on the development of data centers and cryptocurrency operations so it can further study their impacts. … The debate over data centers in Minnesota has increased in recent years as the need for them increases due to technological advancements. Several communities have resisted their development, citing the need for further environmental research, while others have embraced their creation and potential job development.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4kKZPqn
TODAY: The MN Center for Environmental Advocacy and related organizations will hold a rally at the Capitol expressing opposition to data center proposals. Per a release, “legislation will be introduced at the rally” by Sens. Erin Maye Quade and Jen McEwen. The event is at 10:00 a.m.
A new level of insight and information….
The MNSider Brief: State of the Governor’s race – READ: https://fluence-media.co/4r3ACtF
MNLEG
HORTMAN: via House Session Daily, VERBATIM: “For the first time in two decades, a legislative session began without Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman. This weighed heavily on legislators Tuesday, who marked the start of the 2026 session with a day of remembrance for Hortman, her husband, Mark, and their dog, Gilbert. … A resolution that recognized many of the late speaker’s legislative accomplishments, along with memories of her family’s love, empathy and passion for baking and the outdoors was read by House and Senate members.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kMRdQa
HOFFMAN: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “After surviving a shooting in June, Senator John Hoffman’s goal while learning to walk again was to get up the steps to the Minnesota Senate. On Tuesday afternoon, before the start of the new legislative session, Hoffman was escorted up the steps to the Senate by state troopers. … Inside the chamber, he received a warm welcome from fellow senators who then settled in to hear him speak.” QUOTE: “My family and I have walked through a chapter that changes a person. … Let’s rise above the noise, and let us govern with humility, and let us prove through our actions — not just words — that democracy is stronger than fear.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4aCGbbc
(DISCLOSURE: Fluence is providing media support for the Hoffman family)
IMMIGRANTS: via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Latino Leadership Alliance [shared] legislative priorities aimed at helping immigrant communities recover from Operation Metro Surge. The alliance was joined by St. Paul DFL Reps. María Isa Pérez-Vega and Jay Xiong. … Among the alliance’s policy priorities is the reintroduction of the North STAR Act, which would prohibit state and local governments from collaborating or sharing data with federal immigration enforcement authorities. … The alliance’s priorities also included requests for funding from the Legislature to help immigrant businesses recover from losing millions of dollars because of immigration enforcement activity.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tEwDW0
GROOMING: via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “Minnesota lawmakers [are] set to push for anti-grooming laws in 2026. … ‘Protecting our kids from this in particular is to me a big deal,’ said Republican Rep. Peggy Bennett. ‘We’ve come up with quite a few different changes to law that would help strengthen the reporting, strengthen the chaperone rules.’ … A colleague across the aisle, DFL Rep. Bianca Virnig, is also working with the state’s teacher licensing and standards board on improvements.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4tHRyaK
LGBTQ: Minnesota GOP Chair Alex Plechash issued a statement calling on the DFL to repeal the state’s “trans refuge” laws this session. PLECHASH: “This session, Minnesotans deserve leadership that responds to common sense and bipartisan concern. That starts with ending Minnesota’s ‘trans refuge’ policies, restoring fairness in girls’ sports, reinforcing parental rights, and ensuring minors are protected from irreversible medical decisions. … The DFL has the votes to reverse course this session. Minnesotans deserve a clear answer.”
OTHER ISSUES: Axios Twin Cities has a rundown of some lesser-known issues that will be on the minds of state lawmakers this session. VERBATIM: “Property taxes [and] skyrocketing rates will definitely get lip service, though cash for significant relief will be hard to come by given the budget situation. [Speaker Lisa] Demuth said she wants to form a working group to look at the root causes. … Regulating Waymo and other driverless cars has the potential to become a political hot potato — with similar dynamics to the recent debate over rideshare driver pay. … Tweaks to [paid leave] laws, energy policy, housing, data centers, artificial intelligence, and more could bubble up in the weeks ahead.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46cnrhF
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)
CAMPAIGNS
SENATE: Via FOX 9, Gov. Tim Walz gave a blunt response when he was asked if he is open to filling Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s seat in the event she becomes governor next year. WALZ: “I would rather eat glass.” CLIP: https://fluence-media.co/4qDpJxt
GOV RACE: Cook Political Report changed its rating of the Minnesota governor race from “Likely D” to “Solid D.” VERBATIM: “Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a popular four-term incumbent who can’t be easily tied to [fraud], quickly unified her party behind a gubernatorial campaign that leaves Republicans without a viable path to victory. Given Klobuchar’s long track record of electoral success, the overall national climate and the prospect of an ugly GOP primary fight that probably won’t be settled until Aug. 11, this race shifts from Likely Democrat to Solid Democrat.”
AG OFFICE: GOP attorney general candidate Ron Schutz’s campaign responded to a Pioneer Press article, seen in Monday’s morning take, that said Attorney General Keith Ellison is having discussions with state lawmakers to add new anti-fraud positions in his office. STATEMENT: “Does Keith Ellison actually need more lawyers and taxpayer money? … The Fall 2025 issue of the Minnesota Law School’s Magazine [said] Ellison ‘created a new rule of law unit in his office to work on these cases, staffed with four lawyers and supported by more than two dozen others as needed.’ … Ellison has at least 28 taxpayer-funded attorneys dedicated to filing lawsuits against the Trump Administration. By the fall of 2025, Ellison had already filed more than 100 lawsuits against Trump’s White House. … Ellison doesn’t have a numbers issue; he has a priorities issue.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qNJvXf
THE FEED
COOPERATION: via WCCO Radio, VERBATIM: “Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt says she has noticed a considerable change since White House border czar Tom Homan arrived and announced the end of ‘Operation Metro Surge.’ … Speaking with WCCO’s Adam and Jordana, Witt talked about the differences between Homan and Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino, who was removed from the Twin Cities operation.” WITT: “I think what we can see between the two is one lacked leadership skills and the other did not, in a sense. We did see a notable change when he got here and how he responded to our complaints.” READ/LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4rWmrX5
LAWSUIT: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “A federal judge [heard] testimony Tuesday from U.S. citizens and immigrants in Minnesota — some of whom are asylum seekers or are lawful permanent residents — who say federal agents stopped and arrested them without warrants or probable cause. The witnesses are part of a class action lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, which alleges Somali and Latino residents were racially profiled. … The plaintiffs are asking the court to block those practices while the case moves forward. … After Tuesday’s testimony, legal arguments in the lawsuit are scheduled for Wednesday.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rpRnPT
CHURCH: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Independent journalist Georgia Fort pleaded ‘not guilty’ to civil rights charges in federal court on Tuesday afternoon. … The charges are in connection with an anti-ICE protest that occurred at a church in St. Paul on Jan. 18. Another independent journalist, Don Lemon, [also] pleaded ‘not guilty.’ … Fort and Lemon have both maintained they were at the protest as journalists and were not participating. After her two-minute arraignment on Tuesday, Fort said her First Amendment rights as a member of the press are being violated and asked for the charges to be dropped.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3MQ2T7Y
RENT: via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “A local tenant union is urging Minnesotans not to pay rent next month to pressure lawmakers to enact an eviction moratorium. Despite the White House saying that Operation Metro Surge is winding down, its impacts are still very present, as people stayed home from work out of fear of being detained. The nonprofit Twin Cities Tenants is leading the charge for a statewide rent strike ahead of March 1.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/46IsXsq
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
MPLS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Minneapolis City Council members debated on Tuesday whether to deny renewals of liquor licenses to two downtown hotels that housed federal immigration officers during the crackdown. … A Minneapolis City Council committee, composed of the entire 13-member council, voted 11-2 on Tuesday, Feb. 17, to have staff look deeper into whether the hotels have met the requirements to have their licenses renewed, or whether their licenses should be yanked or approved with conditions. The full council is expected to take up the issue again when it meets Thursday. Mayor Jacob Frey has expressed skepticism of the idea.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bWXtSZ
RAMSEY CTY: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “The traditional juvenile justice system wasn’t working, Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and others declared back in 2019. … In July 2021, the attorney’s office sought change by collaborating with the Ramsey County Public Defender’s Office, community groups and law enforcement. They came up with a new program called (Re)Imagining Justice for Youth. … On Tuesday, Choi and others who’ve been integral to the mission joined together to say the new restorative, community-based response is resulting in lower recidivism rates than traditional court.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rnJKcv
DULUTH: via Duluth News Tribune, VERBATIM: “The timeline for the [Duluth] school district’s plans to give high school students access to artificial intelligence on school devices is under reevaluation following several meetings where community members, school board representatives and students expressed concern over the rollout. … The district was set to begin high school access to Gemini starting Monday, Feb. 23, as students returned from winter break. That launch date, however, has now been placed on hold so the district can communicate with families and seek more community input.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aUAUxc
COMING UP
SESSION: No House floor session. No Senate floor session. HOUSE: Human Services will hear a repeal of housing stabilization services. Workforce, Labor & Econ. Dev. hears unemployment benefits for miners. Health hears a nurse licensing bill. Education Policy hears restrictions for ICE agents on school grounds. Housing hears a one-time rent assistance fund. Public Safety hears a “residential protesting” ban. SENATE: Taxes will hear reports on stopping fraud and federal impacts. Education Policy hears bills on hiring and licensing teachers. CALENDAR: https://fluence-media.co/4c6byO5
TODAY: After Gov. Tim Walz declared today School Bus Driver Appreciation Day, industry groups will be available for interviews across the state from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
TODAY: Save the Boundary Waters will host a press conference featuring U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, state Sen. Steve Cwodzinski and state Rep. Liish Kozlowski advocating against allowing mining near the Boundary Waters. The event is at 10:30 a.m.
TOMORROW: The Minneapolis Downtown Council will hold its annual meeting Thursday at 12:00 noon. Speakers will include Mayor Jacob Frey, Twins owner Tom Pohlad, Timberwolves/Lynx CEO Matt Caldwell, and Minnesota Orchestra CEO Isaac Thompson.
NEXT WEEK: MMB Commissioner Erin Campbell will present Minnesota’s next Budget and Economic Forecast on Friday, Feb. 27 at 12:30 p.m.
BDAYS: retired lobbyist John Apitz, WashPost’s James Hohmann, civic leader Kathy Tunehim, Circle Pines councilor Meagan Bachmayer
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.