A shocking new report found that state employees who are under investigation for crimes and misconduct are paid millions in taxpayers dollars while they are on administrative or investigative leave. KARE 11, who uncovered the scandal, is dubbing the controversy “stay away pay,” since state employees are effectively paid…
Read MoreTag: Minnesota
Minnesota House DFL Voted Down Amendments to Make Sure Financial Aid Goes Only to Legal Residents
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…
Read MoreCommentary: Mogadishu Comes to Minneapolis
by Jesse B. Russell Ridley Scott’s 2001 masterpiece, “Black Hawk Down,” has become, like his 2000 “Gladiator,” a classic tale of the triumph and tragedy as well as the courage, heroism, and sacrifice of a small band of brothers showcasing crucial elements of what classicist Victor Davis Hanson, has…
Read MorePresident of Minneapolis Parks and Rec Says Lake Calhoun Residents Live on ‘Stolen Dakota Land’
President of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Brad Bourn recently said that homeowners on Lake Calhoun are living “on stolen Dakota land.” The comments were made in the midst of an ongoing legal battle over the name of the popular Minneapolis lake. In January 2018, the Minnesota Department…
Read MoreConference Committees Meet to Hash Out Tax, Spending Increases in Minnesota Budgets
by Bethany Blankley With 17 days to go before the end of session, legislative conference committees began meeting Friday to hash out differing proposals for three of the most contentious omnibus bills yet to be voted on by the full Legislature. The Omnibus tax bill, Omnibus Health and Human Services…
Read MoreConference Committees Meet to Hash Out Tax, Spending Increases in Minnesota Budgets
by Bethany Blankley With 17 days to go before the end of session, legislative conference committees began meeting Friday to hash out differing proposals for three of the most contentious omnibus bills yet to be voted on by the full Legislature. The Omnibus tax bill, Omnibus Health and Human Services…
Read MorePolling Continues to Show Strong Opposition to 20-Cent Gas Tax Increase
Veteran political reporter Tom Hauser was chastised in December by at least one state representative when he correctly pointed out that all but one recent poll showed opposition to a gas tax increase. Hauser said at the time that “nearly ever poll,” with the exception of one Star Tribune…
Read MoreDFL State Rep Supports Allowing Prisoners to Vote
A DFL state representative revealed during a recent debate on the Minnesota House floor that he supports allowing incarcerated individuals to vote from prison. “I actually am looking forward to a bill or amendment … that would put Minnesota in line with states like Vermont and Maine that actually…
Read MoreIlhan Omar: ‘This Is Not Going to Be the Country of White People’
A group of Black Lives Matter founders and communist activist Angela Davis organized a rally in support Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) Tuesday on Capitol Hill. According to Democracy Now, the rally was organized to “defend Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and to urge Congress to censure President Trump for his…
Read MoreMohamed Noor Found Guilty of Third-Degree Murder and Second-Degree Manslaughter
A former Minneapolis police officer was found guilty on Tuesday of murder for fatally shooting an Australian woman from his patrol car while responding to her 2017 report of a possible sex assault near her home. Mohamed Noor, 33, was convicted of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for killing…
Read MoreOhio’s Buckeye Institute Continues to ‘Fight Relentlessly’ in Minnesota Professor’s Union Case
Robert Alt, president of The Buckeye Institute, recently called on the U.S. Supreme Court to put an end to states forcing non-union members to pay union dues. The institute issued a press release after the Supreme Court denied to hear Kathy Uradnik’s case. After the certiorari was denied by…
Read MoreMinnesota House Approves 20 Cent Gas Tax Hike, Likely DOA in Senate
The Minnesota House approved a 20-cent gas tax increase Monday in a vote along party lines, but the proposal is likely dead-on-arrival in the Republican-controlled Senate. “We’re not going to do a gas tax. I’ve made it very clear that is not a direction we’re going to go,” Senate…
Read MoreAngie Craig Facing Criticism for Impeachment Comments
Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN-02) hosted her fourth town hall last week and received several questions from constituents on moving forward with impeachment hearings against President Donald Trump. Up until Tuesday’s town hall, Craig had taken a relatively moderate position on the issue of impeachment and believed it shouldn’t be…
Read MoreRepublicans Support Three Minnesota Bills That Would Send $8 Million in Taxpayer Money to Somali Programs
Three bills in the Minnesota Legislature would divert a total of $8 million in taxpayer money to Somali programs over the next two fiscal years. House File 985, for instance, would develop an “east African community economic development pilot program,” which would receive $2 million in both fiscal year…
Read MoreBoys Can Now Compete on Girls’ Dance Teams in Minnesota
Boys can now compete on what were previously girls-only dance teams following a Tuesday settlement by the Minnesota State High School League. Dmitri Moua and Zachary Greenwald, two high school students in Minnesota, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) after they…
Read MoreMinnesota Dept. of Revenue: Walz Tax Proposals Would Hurt the Poor Most
A new analysis from Gov. Tim Walz’s own Department of Revenue shows that his tax proposals would hurt the poorest Minnesotans the most. The Tax Research Division of the Minnesota Department of Revenue released its tax incidence analysis Tuesday, and looked at the combined changes that would be made…
Read MoreIlhan Omar’s Daughter Leads Charge to Get 2020 Candidates to Participate in Debate on Climate Change
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) announced Monday that he supports U.S. Youth Climate Strike’s petition to require the Democratic 2020 presidential candidates to have a debate on climate change. “I’m in! Climate change demands unprecedented action that requires our full and complete attention. This is an economic issue, a social justice…
Read MoreOmar Once Claimed America Was ‘Founded by Genocide,’ Called International Terrorism ‘Avoidance Tactic’
A 2017 tweet from Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) was uncovered last week and shows the freshman member of Congress saying that America “was founded by genocide.” “We must confront that our nation was founded by genocide and we maintain global power through neocolonialism,” Omar wrote, linking to an op-ed she…
Read MoreNRSC Begins Targeting Minnesota’s Sen. Tina Smith, Other Vulnerable Battleground Dems
The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) began targeting Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) and other swing-state Democrats Monday with a new billboard campaign. “Ask Tina Smith about the 430,478 Minnesota jobs at risk under the Green New Deal,” the NRSC’s new Minnesota billboard states. Smith has expressed support for the Green…
Read MorePoll Finds Minnesotans Overwhelmingly Oppose 20-Cent Gas Tax Increase
A new poll released last week by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce found overwhelming opposition to an increase in the state’s gas tax. The poll, conducted in conjunction with the Minnesota Business Partnership, discovered that nearly two-thirds of voters statewide oppose Gov. Tim Walz’s proposed 20-cent gas tax hike. The…
Read MoreMinneapolis Bans ‘Fear-Based’ Police Training
by Whitney Tipton Minneapolis police officers will no longer be allowed to attend training based on the “warrior style” philosophy, Mayor Jacob Frey announced Thursday. The controversial instruction, available through private seminars, teaches officers to be aware of the threats around them and overcome the fear of taking a…
Read MoreSome Democrats Are Returning Donations from Ilhan Omar
Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN-05) campaign committee raked in an impressive $832,024 during her tumultuous first quarter as a member of Congress. Some of Omar’s donations to fellow Democrats, however, are being returned. Dan McCready, a North Carolina Democrat currently running in a special election, announced on Twitter Wednesday that he…
Read MoreMinnesota Dems ‘Deeply Disturbed’ by Mueller Report, Republicans Say They’re Throwing a ‘Temper Tantrum’
Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report on his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election was officially released to the public Thursday. Reactions from Minnesota’s congressional delegation were predictably divided. Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) said she was “deeply distributed” as she reviewed the report, claiming it has “proved Russian interference…
Read MoreFox News Will Host Klobuchar for Town Hall While DNC Refuses to Partner with Network for Debates
2020 Democrats are reportedly “flocking” to Fox News to participate in the network’s town hall events, the next of which will feature Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), the network announced Wednesday. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) Monday night town hall event on Fox News was the most-watched town hall of the…
Read MoreSt. Paul Canceled $100K Fireworks Display, But Will Pay $225K to Bring Red Bull Event to Town
The City of St. Paul has agreed to bring Red Bull’s Flugtag event back to town at a cost of $225,000, raising questions about why the city canceled its $100,000 Fourth of July fireworks display last year. Flugtag, which means “flying day” in German, is a “human-powered gliding” competition that…
Read MoreTrump Visits Minnesota for Tax Day Event While Protesters and Supporters Clash Outside
BURNSVILLE, Minnesota – President Donald Trump visited Nuss Truck & Equipment Monday for a roundtable discussion with local business leaders while protesters lined the streets outside. The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) organized a protest outside of the Nuss company’s Burnsville location in support of Rep.…
Read MoreMike Lindell Commentary: Tax Day Visit by President Trump Is a Victory Lap for Minnesotans
by Mike Lindell I regret that I won’t be able to be in the Twin Cities area Monday night for President Trump’s Tax Day visit. Even though I’ll be in Israel, I’ll be watching from afar as thousands of my fellow Minnesotans show their excitement for the tremendous economic…
Read MoreMinnesota Democrats Criticized for Not Taking Child Care Fraud ‘Seriously’ After Release of Second Report
A second report released last week by the non-partisan Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) found that the Minnesota Department of Human Services’ “program integrity controls are insufficient to effectively prevent, detect, and investigate fraud” in the state’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). In March, the OLA released its first…
Read MoreMinnesota Politicians Come to Omar’s Defense After Trump Tweet
Innumerable politicians and commentators came to Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN-05) defense Saturday morning after President Donald Trump tweeted out a video of her controversial remarks at a recent CAIR fundraiser. As The Minnesota Sun reported, Omar delivered the keynote address at CAIR’s March fundraiser in Los Angeles, and faced criticism…
Read MoreNearly Four Dozen Arrested on Sex-Trafficking Charges During Final Four Weekend in Minnesota
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) arrested nearly four dozen people on child sex-trafficking and related charges during the Final Four weekend in Minnesota. The final games of the NCAA’s basketball tournament were hosted at Minneapolis’ U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings. The BCA, with the assistance…
Read MoreVideo Shows Ilhan Omar Mocking Americans for Their Anxiety Over Terrorist Organizations
A recently unearthed video shows Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) mocking Americans for their anxiety over terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah. The video was released Thursday by The Reagan Battalion and comes just days after the Daily Caller News Foundation obtained video of Omar describing 9/11 as an event…
Read MoreHouse Democrats Introduce ‘Minnesota Green New Deal’ Written By High School Students
Minnesota lawmakers have officially introduced a state level “Green New Deal” that was inspired in large part by youth-activist organizations. In fact, when introducing his bill Wednesday, Rep. Frank Hornstein (DFL-Minneapolis) said it was the “first time” he’s ever “witnessed high school students actually writing a bill.” Hornstein was joined…
Read MorePresident Trump Planning Tax Day Event in Minnesota
President Donald Trump plans to visit Minnesota Monday for an event celebrating the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on the April 15 tax filing deadline. Details of the event are still unclear, but White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed that the trip will happen while speaking with reporters…
Read MoreGOP Renews Calls for Omar’s Removal from Foreign Affairs Committee After She Described 9/11 as ‘Some People Did Something’
Republicans are once again calling for Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN-05) removal from the House Foreign Affairs Committee after video leaked of her describing the 9/11 terror attacks as “some people did something.” Omar’s remarks came during her appearance at the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ (CAIR) March fundraiser in Los Angeles.…
Read MoreTrump and Omar Exchange Jabs After Minnesota Congresswoman Calls Jewish Adviser a ‘White Nationalist’
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) and President Donald Trump are feuding on Twitter again, this time after the Minnesota congresswoman called White House policy adviser Stephen Miller a “white nationalist.” “Stephen Miller is a white nationalist. The fact that he still has influence on policy and political appointments is an outrage,”…
Read MoreKlobuchar Hauls in $5.2 Million in First Quarter, But Trails High-Profile Candidates
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) revealed Monday that her presidential campaign raised $5.2 million in the first fundraising quarter of 2019, which ended Friday. The Minnesota senator currently has $7 million in cash on hand after transferring some funds from her Senate campaign account. Klobuchar announced her candidacy on February 11,…
Read MoreKeith Ellison Joins Another Multi-State Effort to Protect Abortion Access
Attorney General Keith Ellison has joined 20 fellow attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in support of a Kentucky abortion provider. EMW Women’s Surgical Center is Kentucky’s only licensed abortion facility, but in 2017 the state’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services informed the clinic that it had violated…
Read MoreStudents Critical of University of Minnesota’s Decision to Invite ‘Green Book’ Producer to Commencement
The University of Minnesota’s College of Liberal Arts invited “Green Book” producer and university alumnus Jim Burke to deliver the keynote address for its commencement ceremony, but some students and faculty aren’t happy with the decision. The movie was widely criticized for its use of racial slurs and for employing…
Read MoreMinnesota House Votes in Favor of Driver’s Licenses for Illegal Immigrants
The Minnesota House voted in favor of a bill Friday afternoon that will allow illegal immigrants in the state to obtain valid driver’s licenses. Under House File 1500, an individual will not be “required to demonstrate United States citizenship or lawful presence in the United States in order to obtain…
Read MoreReport: Doug Wardlow Considering Running Against Tina Smith in 2020
Doug Wardlow, the Minnesota Republican Party’s 2018 nominee for attorney general, is reportedly considering a run against Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) in 2020. The National Journal claims a “Republican source with knowledge” said Wardlow is being encouraged to run for the seat by party officials and activists. Wardlow lost his…
Read MoreOmar Meets With Daughter of Jailed Muslim Brotherhood Leader, Calls for Her Release
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) posted a picture Tuesday on Twitter after hosting a meeting to discuss “Hoda Abdelmonem, a political prisoner in Egypt.” “I hope that Trump brings up her case in his meeting with the regime that has imprisoned her. We must work to #FreeHoda,” Omar said. I recently…
Read MoreWalz Calls for Writing a ‘New Story’ of Bipartisanship in First State of the State
Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) delivered his first State of the State Address Wednesday night and called on members of the Minnesota House and Senate to “write a new story” of bipartisanship. Walz stuck to his typical off-the-cuff speaking style, and began his address by taking an implicit shot at President…
Read MoreDemocrat Pundit Says Klobuchar’s Line ‘I Can See Iowa from My Front Porch’ Playing Well in Hawkeye State
Michael Patrick Leahy and Steve Gill, hosts of The Tennessee Star Report, recently spoke with attorney and Iowa insider Jim Larew to get his take on the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates. Larew said Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s (D-MN) catchphrase that she can “see Iowa from her front porch” seems to be…
Read MoreDemocrat-Controlled Minnesota House Passes Bill to Allow Child Sex Offenders, Murderers to Work in DHS Programs
The Minnesota House passed a bill Monday in a vote along party lines that would allow residents convicted of a number of felonies to work in programs overseen by the Department of Human Services. The bill, House File 2265, was authored by Rep. Dave Pinto (DFL-St. Paul) and passed out…
Read MoreTim Walz Spoke at Event Sponsored by Group Accused of Terror Connections
Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) spoke Thursday at an event sponsored by Minnesota’s chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) at Metropolitan State University. As The Minnesota Sun has reported, CAIR was listed by the Department of Justice as an unindicted co-conspirator in funding millions of dollars to Hamas, a…
Read MoreFreshman Rep. Ilhan Omar Tests the Limits of Party Loyalty, Attracts Challengers as 2020 Nears
by Katherine Gypson Four months ago, the Minnesota Democrat Ilhan Omar became the first Somali-American and one of the first two Muslim women to serve in Congress. Her election was heralded by many as a sign of a more diverse generation of politicians coming to power on Capitol Hill. But…
Read MoreMinnesota Bishops Double-Down on Supporting Driver’s Licenses for Illegal Immigrants
Leaders of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis are doubling-down on their support of a bill that would provide driver’s licenses to people in the country illegally. Under House File 1500, a person would not be “required to demonstrate United States citizenship or lawful presence in the United States…
Read MoreElections Omnibus Bill Would Make Minnesota Member of National Popular Vote Interstate Compact
An omnibus bill that could radically transform elections in Minnesota recently passed out of committee and is making its way through the Minnesota House. Among the most drastic proposals in the bill is one that would make Minnesota a member of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which is an…
Read MoreMinnesota Democrats Introduce $53 Million Omnibus Bill to Tackle Climate Change
Minnesota House Democrats on the Energy and Climate Finance and Policy Committee unveiled a $53 million omnibus bill this week to tackle climate change in the state. According to a House press release, the omnibus package incorporates elements of 16 different bills that have been introduced this session and is…
Read MoreMinnesota’s Hands-Free Driving Bill Could Include Exception for Those Wearing Hijabs
A bill requiring “hands-free” communications while driving is on track to become law in Minnesota. The proposal passed the Minnesota Senate Monday in a 56-10 vote after clearing the Minnesota House last week. It would prohibit Minnesota drivers from using cell phones on the road unless they use “voice-activated” communications…
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