St. Paul’s popular Black Dog Cafe regularly hosts resistance groups formed in response to President Donald Trump’s 2016 election for political events. A collection of groups calling themselves “The MNLeg Coalition” meet once a month for a “Third Thursdays” event that provides the “progressive-values loving community” a chance to “come…
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House DFL legislators joined community organizers Thursday for a press conference to call for providing driver’s licenses to all Minnesotans, “regardless of immigration status.” House Majority Ryan Winkler (D-Golden Valley) was accompanied by colleagues Rep. Aisha Gomez (D-Minneapolis), Rep. Rod Hamilton (D-Mountain Lake), and others in unveiling House File (HF)…
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A Republican lawmaker plans to introduce legislation in the Minnesota House to increase the criminal penalties for hate-crime hoaxes in response to the ongoing controversy surrounding “Empire” star Jussie Smollett. Rep. Nick Zerwas’ (R-Elk River) proposed bill would elevate the false reporting of a hate crime to a gross misdemeanor…
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Wednesday’s snowfall made this February the snowiest on record for Minnesota, and with it came another day of school closures across the state. As weather forecasts predicted an inch of snow per hour during the morning commute, Minnesota announced that all public schools would be closed. For the St. Paul…
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Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) unveiled his highly anticipated budget proposal for the 2020-2021 biennium at a press conference Tuesday afternoon. When all is said and done, the two-year budget registers at $49.5 billion with no cuts to any existing spending. “I’ve often said that a budget is far more than…
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Resistance groups across the state organized protests Monday against President Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration. The statewide protests were part of a national grassroots effort to oppose the president’s “fake national emergency.” According to USA Today, rallies took place all across the country, many of which were organized in conjunction…
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A new proposal being considered by the St. Paul City Council would outlaw non-biodegradable takeout containers in city restaurants by 2021. According to The Pioneer Press, the proposal was conceived by council member Mitra Nelson, who lamented the fact that “restaurants are putting a lot of packaging out there that…
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The Twin Cities Metropolitan Council announced Friday that it has approved roughly $200 million in funding for transportation projects across the region, including $4 million for a new shared electric-car program. According to a press release, the Met Council allocates roughly $200 million to local transportation projects through its “Regional…
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Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN-05) communications director is denying reports that his boss was scheduled to speak alongside Islamist Relief USA’s Yousef Abdallah, a flagrant anti-Semite. The Jerusalem Post first reported that Omar would be keynoting Islamist Relief USA’s upcoming fundraiser for Yemen taking place in Tampa, Florida. Abdallah was allegedly…
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Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) made her first campaign stop Saturday morning in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, a state 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton skipped visiting. Klobuchar spoke to a crowd of about 300 supporters at SHIFT Cyclery and Coffee Bar where she repeated several themes from her announcement address, but also…
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One of Minnesota’s largest teachers unions wants to tax the state’s wealthiest residents to fund a “$4 billion infusion” for public schools over the next two years. Education Minnesota, which boasts a membership of 80,000, called a press conference at the Minnesota Capitol Friday to lay out its vision for…
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Republican members of the Minnesota House and Senate called a joint press conference earlier this week to condemn Gov. Tim Walz’s (D-MN) decision to re-appeal the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline replacement project. “The science is sure that this would be environmentally much safer to replace a 51-year-old pipe with a…
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Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN-02) recently issued a joint letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar in response to his department’s decision to allow a South Carolina foster-care agency to refuse housing children with same-sex couples. In January, Azar granted a waiver to Miracle Hill Ministries, a Christian agency…
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A set of companion bills were introduced in the Minnesota House and Senate last week that would establish “Inclusive School Enhancement Grants” to make “schools’ curriculum and learning and work environments more inclusive.” House File (HF) 824 and Senate File (SF) 1012 were introduced Feb. 7, and referred to their…
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Several youth activism organizations gathered at the Minnesota Capitol Monday to protest the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline and call for a “Minnesota Green New Deal.” “We are changing the political landscape in Minnesota and although there is much more work to be done, we are so proud of what we…
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Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) is running an advertisement on Facebook asking for donations in response to the criticism she received for making anti-Semitic comments. “Stand with Ilhan. We will not be silenced,” the advertisement states and quotes President Donald Trump calling for Omar’s resignation. https://twitter.com/RubensteinAdam/status/1095880581848666113 As The Minnesota Sun reported,…
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Twitter was abuzz Wednesday afternoon after Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) got in a heated exchange with Elliot Abrams, the special envoy to Venezuela. “I don’t understand why members of this committee or the American people should find any testimony that you give today to be truthful,” Omar said to Abrams,…
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Rumor has it that Minneapolis City Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins is being lobbied to run against Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) in the 2020 primary for Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District. “Breaking: I have heard a rumor that Andrea Jenkins of the Minneapolis City Council is being lobbied to run against…
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Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) announced her presidential campaign Sunday, and her early poll numbers don’t look good. According to Morning Consult, Klobuchar is currently in seventh place among potential Democratic candidates with just three percent of the vote. She ranks behind, in order, Former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie…
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Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) joined Bret Baier’s Special Report Tuesday night where she said candidates have to go where it’s “uncomfortable,” including Fox News. In response to whether or not she has the temperament to run for president, Klobuchar said that she believes she showed she does “during the Kavanaugh…
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Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison recently stated that he believes it would be best for Gov. Ralph Northam (D-VA) to stay in office. “If Virginia Governor Northam keeps his pledge to fight for racial reconciliation, I believe VA (and US) will be better served than if he just resigned. But…
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President Donald Trump called on Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) to resign Tuesday during a cabinet meeting after she was once again condemned for making anti-Semitic comments. “One other thing I might want to say is that anti-Semitism has no place in the United States Congress, and Congresswoman Omar is—terrible what…
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A bill was introduced Monday in the Minnesota Senate to establish the “Minnesota Health Plan,” which would “ensure all Minnesota residents are covered.” Senate File (SF) 1125 was referred to the Health and Human Services Finance and Policy Committee, and is co-sponsored by five DFL lawmakers, including Sens. John Marty…
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MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota–Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) officially declared her candidacy for President of the United States Sunday during a snowy rally on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. Several of her Minnesotan colleagues spoke before her, including Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (D-MN) and Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN). Klobuchar’s Senate…
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Two of Minnesota’s most prominent politicians, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN-04), are backing the controversial Green New Deal, but Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) is conspicuously missing from the list of House sponsors. The House version of the resolution currently has 67 co-sponsors, including McCollum, who has…
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Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s (D-MN) advance crew was busy prepping Saturday afternoon for her “big announcement” scheduled for Sunday. An early visit to Boom Island Park showed staffers moving in and out of heated tents while they erected a stage with the Minneapolis skyline as a backdrop. Temperatures were slightly above…
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Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) has less than 20 days to make a decision on the highly controversial Enbridge Line 3 pipeline project, according to the Minnesota Court of Appeals. On February 5, the Minnesota Court of Appeals dismissed a last-minute appeal of the project made by former Gov. Mark Dayton’s…
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Minnesota’s Senate Republicans have introduced a bill that would ban abortions in the state after a fetal heartbeat is detected in a pregnant woman’s unborn child. Senate File (SF) 869 was introduced Thursday and is co-sponsored by five Republican state senators, including Sens. Andrew Mathews (R-Milaca), Mark Koran (R-North Branch),…
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It’s been just three days since Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) teased her upcoming “big announcement” and the national media have already released two damning reports about the Minnesota senator’s behavior toward her staffers. Earlier this week, Huffington Post reported that at least three people declined jobs on Klobuchar’s prospective presidential…
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Minnesota’s Augsburg University is facing backlash after extending a professor’s suspension while it conducts a formal review of his use of the n-word in a class discussion. Professor Phillip Adamo was suspended from his teaching duties in October when students complained about his use of the word through the school’s…
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Democrat Stu Lourey’s loss to Republican Jason Rarick in Tuesday’s Senate District 11 special election has some Democrats in Minnesota frustrated that Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) backed the 25-year-old ex-Franken aide over the party’s endorsed candidate. Lourey’s father, Tony Lourey, was selected by Walz to serve as commissioner for the…
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Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) is asking Attorney General Keith Ellison for an investigation after one of her transgender constituents was barred from participating in a USA Powerlifting competition. In late January, the organization released a statement to explain its policy that prevented JayCee Cooper from partaking in one of its competitions.…
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Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) said she will be making “a big announcement on Sunday” just moments after President Donald Trump concluded his second State of the Union Address. “Bundle up. I’ve got a big announcement to make. Let us know you’ll be there,” Klobuchar said in a video posted to…
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Every member of Congress gets one guest ticket for the annual State of the Union address, and it’s often used to score quick political points. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), for instance, invited Linda Clark, an immigrant from Liberia who is at risk of deportation because of President Donald Trump’s decision…
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A group of four protesters seemingly affiliated with the Catholic Workers Movement were arrested Monday after video showed them disabling an Enbridge pipeline in northern Minnesota. The protesters, calling themselves “Four Necessity Valve Turners,” say they were left with no choice but to take “direct action” in the ongoing fight…
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The DFL tweeted a clearly-doctored video Monday to suggest that Rep. Jason Rarick (R-Pine City), the Republican candidate in Tuesday’s Senate District 11 special election, supports raising the gas tax in Minnesota. The ongoing Twitter feud started after the airing of a February 1 debate between the candidates on Almanac…
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It’s been a year since Duluth Public Schools stripped the classic novels “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” from its curriculum because of their use of racial slurs. But now, a group of “angry and demoralized” English teachers is protesting the decision. “Teachers’ goals throughout this…
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Dozens of prominent media outlets and politicians, including Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), were issued legal letters Friday in the first step in the lawsuit against those who defamed the Covington Catholic High School students. The Minnesota Sun reported in January that Omar was at risk of being sued after she…
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A group of DFL state representatives has introduced a bill in the Minnesota House that would establish a task force to “study the design of the state flag” and consider potential alternatives. House File (HF) 505 was introduced Thursday and referred to the Government Operations Committee. It was authored by…
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The Center of the American Experiment, Minnesota’s leading think tank, has launched a new Capitol Watch project to monitor the radical bills and the people behind them at the Minnesota State Capitol. Since the start of the 2019 session, the Minnesota House and Senate have already introduced a combined 1,482…
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Multiple Republican-backed bills in the Minnesota House and Senate would impede efforts by cities such as Minneapolis to institute radical sanctuary city policies. Minneapolis is currently in the process of rolling out a “municipal identification card” program for illegal immigrants residing in the city. The IDs would be available to…
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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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Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) said she “almost chuckles” when people refer to Israel as a Democracy in a recent tell-all interview with Yahoo News. In the interview, Omar advocates for “having an equal approach” to dealing with Israel and Palestine. “Most of the things that have always been aggravating to…
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Democrat Stu Lourey defeated opponent Michelle Lee by 233 votes in the DFL’s January 22 Senate District 11 primary, but new reports indicate that more than 400 mail-in ballots went uncounted. Duluth News-Tribune first reported that hundreds of ballots arrived January 25, three days after the election, and thus were…
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Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) and three fellow congresswomen are urging their Democratic colleagues to cut funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) because of its alleged abuses on the southern border. Omar was joined by Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14), and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07) in issuing the…
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Minnesota State Sen. John Marty (D-Roseville) introduced a bill Thursday that would make the distribution of “single-use plastic straws” by restaurants a “petty misdemeanor.” “A restaurant must not provide a single-use plastic straw to a customer unless the customer requests a straw or selects a straw from a self-service dispenser,”…
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Minnesota’s Republican legislators called a press conference Thursday in the lobby of the Minnesota Capitol to oppose the radical pro-abortion measures being passed across the country. As was widely reported, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) signed the Reproductive Rights Act into law last week, clearing the way for abortions up to…
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Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) recently floated the idea of taxing America’s wealthiest citizens up to 90 percent in an interview with Yahoo News. “So there are a few things that we could do. One of them is that we could increase the taxes that people are paying who are the…
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A major opioids bill in Minnesota, House File (HF) 400, was introduced Monday at 3:30 p.m. House members and the public then had until Tuesday at 2:30 p.m., less than 24 hours, to offer any changes or amendments before the bill went to a hearing Wednesday at the Health and…
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A new Minneapolis initiative will require that all of its neighborhood organizations reach certain diversity quotas or else be at risk of losing funding. Minneapolis currently has 70 independent, nonprofit neighborhood organizations that have been funded by the city since its 1991 Neighborhood Revitalization Program. These organizations “engage and mobilize…
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