State Rep. Mary Franson, R-Alexandria, has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to strike down a Minnesota law that can criminalize the sharing of AI-generated election memes.
In 2023, Democrats and Republicans in Minnesota passed a bill, HF 1370, which regulated AI-generated content in Minnesota.
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In a “dangerous video” released Thursday, two state lawmakers called for a full audit of the death certificates for Minnesota’s 4,723 COVID-19 deaths.
“When people live in fear, they make irrational decisions and they look at the world through a different lens. Their life is based on fear instead of living their life to their full potential,” said state Rep. Mary Franson, R-Alexandria, who obtained some of the “raw files” of COVID-19 death certificates from the Minnesota Department of Health.
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A Republican lawmaker has drafted a bill that would require Minnesota to sell a facility it purchased for the storage of deceased COVID-19 patients.
Due to a projected surge in COVID-19 fatalities, the state of Minnesota spent $6.9 million in May to acquire a warehouse for the “temporary storage of human remains.” As of early June, however, the facility had yet to be used.
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The Minnesota DFL Party, which supported accused domestic abuser Keith Ellison in his run for attorney general, criticized a Republican lawmaker Thursday for “trivializing the severity of domestic abuse.”
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A bill introduced Monday in the Minnesota House would pull public funding from libraries that host “drag queen story hour” performances for children.
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Republican state lawmakers have asked two more Minnesota counties to become Second Amendment “sanctuary” jurisdictions, which are areas that refuse to enforce gun control measures.
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Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) Commissioner Jodi Harpstead presented her “90-day report” to state lawmakers Monday morning, but the two-hour hearing before the House Health and Human Services Committee may have produced more questions than answers.
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Officials in Minnesota’s Department of Human Services (DHS) allegedly wanted to cut a new check to a child care center that had its bank account frozen by the Office of Foreign Asset Control because of the account owner’s association “with a Taliban official,” emails obtained by a state representative show.
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A Minnesota Republican lawmaker recently called on Hennepin County Libraries to end its weekly series for children called “Stories Together With Drag Performers.”
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Minnesota House Republicans are calling on their Democratic colleagues to hold hearings on the ongoing turmoil at the Department of Human Services during an upcoming legislative “mini-session.”
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Minnesota Department of Human Services Commissioner Tony Lourey abruptly resigned Monday, making him the third top DHS official to step down in just a few short days. “I believe a new leader is necessary to best execute your vision for human services and continue the critical work of improving…
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Minnesota Department of Human Services Inspector General Carolyn Ham was placed on “investigative leave” in March, but reporters learned Friday that the investigation into Ham’s conduct hasn’t even started yet. Ham, however, continues to be paid while she’s on leave and has earned $42,000 since her leave first began,…
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The DFL-controlled Minnesota House voted down two amendments to its omnibus higher education finance bill last week that would have ensured state financial aid goes only to legal residents. One of those amendments was introduced by Rep. Mary Franson (R-Alexandria) and would have made sure that only legal residents…
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The DFL-controlled Minnesota House blocked an amendment to its omnibus public safety bill that would have expanded the criminal penalties for subjecting children to the practice of female genital mutilation. The amendment was offered by Rep. Mary Franson (R-Alexandria) during a Monday night House session. Franson has been a…
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A Republican-backed bill in the Minnesota House that would expand criminal penalties for female genital mutilation has yet to receive so much as a committee hearing. The bill was introduced January 24 by Rep. Mary Franson (R-Alexandria) and has 17 Republican cosponsors, but not a single Democratic cosponsor. As The…
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Minnesota House Republicans made multiple attempts this week to subpoena Department of Human Services Inspector General Carolyn Ham to discuss the fraudulent activity in the state’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), but those efforts were repeatedly thwarted. On Wednesday, the Office of the Legislative Auditor released its long-awaited report on…
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Minnesota Rep. Mary Franson (R-Alexandria) recently introduced a bill that would expand the criminal definition of female genital mutilation (FGM), but zero Democratic House colleagues have signed on as co-sponsors. Under current Minnesota law, it is illegal for doctors to perform FGM, but there are no penalties in place for…
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Newly-appointed Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) Commissioner Tony Lourey is facing pressure from Republican legislators over the department’s failure to respond to several data requests seeking information on the state’s alleged child care fraud. The fraud was first exposed in a May 2018 Fox 9 report, and has been…
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