Minnesota Management and Budget’s annual February economic forecast projected a budget surplus of $1.513 billion for the 2020-21 budget cycle.
Read MoreMinnesota’s Projected Budget Surplus Increases $181 Million in New Forecast
Tag: Tim Walz
Walz Sends Letter to Trump Admin in Response to ‘Immoral’ Efforts to Deport Hmong, Lao Residents
Gov. Tim Walz sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week expressing his opposition to “any agreement resulting in the deportation of Hmong and Lao Minnesotans.”
Read MoreMike Lindell Doing His ‘Due Diligence’ on Run for Governor, Wants to Be ‘Dream Candidate for Everyone’
Minnesota’s next gubernatorial election is still more than two years away, but MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell said he is warming up to the idea of running.
A January article in The Star Tribune claimed Lindell was “open” to the possibility and suggested he would make a “dream candidate” for Republicans, given his fame, wealth, and inspiring life story.
Read MoreMinnesota Session Begins With Debate to Adjourn Until Next Year: ‘We’re Safer If the Legislature Goes Home’
The Minnesota Legislature kicked off its 2020 legislative session Tuesday, but the House began with an unexpected debate about whether or not it should even be meeting.
Read MoreState Senator Accuses DFL of Sending ‘Mixed Messages’ on Weed and Vaping
A Minnesota Republican thinks his Democratic colleagues are sending “mixed messages” to Minnesotans on the impact of substance use.
Read MoreAnnual Survey Shows Minnesota Manufacturers Anticipate Strong Economy in 2020
An annual survey of Minnesota’s manufacturing sector shows respondents anticipate stable or improved economic conditions in 2020.
Read MoreTim Walz Raised $1 Million for Reelection During First Year in Office
Gov. Tim Walz announced Friday that he raised more than $1 million in 2019 for his reelection, but he won’t face voters again until 2022.
Read MoreTim Walz Raised $1 Million for Reelection During First Year in Office
Gov. Tim Walz announced Friday that he raised more than $1 million in 2019 for his reelection, but he won’t face voters again until 2022.
Read MoreConservative Research Fellow Challenges Walz to Consider ‘Dissenting’ Voices on Climate Change
A conservative policy fellow with the Center of the American Experiment applied for Gov. Tim Walz’s “Advisory Council on Climate Change,” which promised to “represent different perspectives and experiences.”
Read MoreEllison Sues Trump Administration Over Food-Stamp Work Requirements
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison joined 15 attorneys general and New York City in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration over changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps.
Read MoreEllison and Omar Vote for Bernie As Early Voting Begins in Minnesota
Minnesota voters began casting their votes early Friday in the state’s first presidential primary since 1992.
Read MorePowerful Progressive Group in Minnesota Endorses Bernie Over Klobuchar
A progressive powerhouse in Minnesota politics has endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders for president over hometown candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
Read MoreGov. Walz’s Refugee Decision Allows Federal Government to Send Middle East Refugees to Minnesota That Australia Has Refused
Gov. Tim Walz’s December 13 decision to say yes to more refugees in Minnesota grants the federal government permission to resettle refugees from any country it desires into the state, including up to 720 refugees from Middle East countries that the government of Australia has refused to accept.
Read MoreRamsey County Unanimously Consents to More Refugees
Both of Minnesota’s most populous counties will officially continue to accept refugees.
Read MoreMinnesota’s Senate Republicans Unveil 2020 Agenda, Includes Consideration of Red Flag Laws, Clean Energy Proposals
Minnesota Senate Republicans unveiled their “2020 Vision” agenda during a Monday press conference, highlighting their priorities for the upcoming legislative session.
Read MoreLawmaker Calls Minnesota’s New Five-Year Probation Cap a ‘Major Overreach’
A Minnesota lawmaker plans to introduce legislation that would reverse the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission’s recent decision to cap probation for most felonies at five years.
Read MoreIlhan Omar Goes After Rural Minnesota County for Rejecting Refugees
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) accused Beltrami County of “denying refugees a chance at a better life” after it voted to opt out of refugee resettlement.
Read MoreDFL House Leader Threatens Minnesota County for Voting Against Refugee Resettlement
A high-ranking Minnesota lawmaker is threatening to withhold state aid from Beltrami County after it became the first county in the state to opt out of refugee resettlement.
Read MoreStar Trib Editorial Board Calls Trump’s Refugee Executive Order ‘Nonsense,’ ‘Malicious’
The Star Tribune editorial board applauded Gov. Tim Walz for rejecting President Donald Trump’s recent executive order pertaining to refugee resettlement, calling it “nonsense” and “malicious.”
Read MoreState Senator Highlights Enormity of DHS, Calls for Breaking Up Agency in New Letter
State Sen. Jason Rarick (R-Brook Park) thinks breaking up Minnesota’s Department of Human Services into smaller agencies is the “only reasonable option” and highlighted just how enormous the scandal-plagued agency really is in a new letter.
Read MoreGov. Walz Calls Trump ‘a Grinch’ While Discussing New Food Stamp Rules
Gov. Tim Walz called President Donald Trump “a Grinch” while discussing new federal food stamp rules during a Monday event.
Read MoreRepublicans Slam Minnesota Sentencing Commission for Plan to Cap Probation for ‘Heinous Crimes’
Republican lawmakers say an expected cap on probation in Minnesota would result in lenient sentences for a number of “heinous crimes like domestic assault, sex trafficking, and gang-related crimes.”
Read MoreMinnesota Mayors Signed Letter Asking for Continued Refugee Resettlement
Dozens of mayors from across the country recently issued a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to ask for continued refugee resettlement in their respective cities and townships.
Read MoreSenate DFL Launches New ‘Climate Caucus’ to Push Walz’s Climate Agenda Through Senate
DFL members of the Minnesota Senate announced the formation of a new “Senate DFL Clean Energy and Climate Caucus” last week.
Read MoreGov. Walz Hires Consultant to Tell Another Consultant How to Conduct Review of DHS
Gov. Tim Walz announced Friday that his administration has started a formal process to look into breaking up Minnesota’s Department of Human Services, but Republicans criticized the Democratic governor’s plan for involving an excessive number of outside consultants.
Read MoreGov. Walz Consents to Continued Refugee Resettlement: ‘The Inn Is Not Full’
Gov. Tim Walz offered his consent to continue Minnesota’s participation in the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program in a letter sent Friday to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Read MoreMinnesota Counties Grapple with Trump Executive Order Requiring Local Consent for Refugee Resettlement
All of Minnesota’s 87 counties will soon have to take up the issue of refugee resettlement as a result of an executive order issued by President Donald Trump.
Read MoreConservatives Challenge Gov. Walz’s Clean Car Mandates
A conservative think tank is urging the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to withdraw its consideration of clean car mandates issued by Gov. Tim Walz earlier this year.
Read MoreLawmakers Say Minnesotans Are ‘Overtaxed’ and ‘Fed Up’ After Release of Budget Forecast
An economic forecast released Thursday predicts Minnesota will have a budget surplus of $1.3 billion for the 2020-21 biennium, setting up debates between state lawmakers about what their budgeting priorities will be when they return for session in February.
Read MoreMinnesota Files Lawsuit Against JUUL for ‘Youth-Oriented Marketing’
Attorney General Keith Ellison and Gov. Tim Walz announced during a joint press conference Wednesday that Minnesota has filed a lawsuit against JUUL Labs, the vaping giant that controls an estimated 75 percent of the e-cigarette market.
Read MoreMinneapolis City Council: Failure to Act on Climate Change ‘Antithetical’ to the Declaration of Independence
A Minneapolis City Council committee passed a resolution Monday to declare that “there is a climate emergency which demands a massive-scale mobilization to halt, reverse, and address its consequences.”
Read MoreMinnesota House Hearing Reignites Concerns About Child Care Fraud
A Monday morning hearing before the House Health and Human Services Committee reignited concerns about fraud within Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP).
Read MoreGov. Walz Signs Executive Order Establishing ‘Climate Change Subcabinet’
Gov. Tim Walz signed an executive order Monday that establishes a new “Climate Change Subcabinet” in addition to a “Governor’s Advisory Council on Climate Change.”
Read MoreMinnesota DHS Commissioner Says Agency Isn’t ‘In Crisis’ During House Hearing
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.
Read MoreState Senator Calls on Gov. Walz to Take Action on DHS in Open Letter
State Sen. Scott Newman (R-Hutchinson) published an open letter Saturday calling on Gov. Tim Walz to take action to address mismanagement in Minnesota’s Department of Human Services.
Read MoreSpecial Elections Announced for Zerwas and Loeffler Seats
Gov. Tim Walz recently ordered two special elections to fill vacancies in Minnesota House Districts 30A and 60A before the 2020 legislative session kicks off.
Read MoreSen. Benson Says Gov. Walz Isn’t ‘Remotely Interested’ in DHS Mess, Unwilling to Engage with GOP Leaders
State Sen. Michelle Benson (R-Ham Lake) said Gov. Tim Walz “doesn’t seem remotely interested” in the ongoing reports of dysfunction at Minnesota’s Department of Human Services.
Read MoreLawmakers Thinking About Breaking Up Minnesota DHS After Latest Round of Errors
The latest round of reports out of the Minnesota Department of Human Services has some lawmakers thinking about breaking up the state’s largest agency.
Read MoreCommissioners Skip Minnesota Senate Hearing After Report Shows 1300 Contract Violations Across Agencies
State Sen. Julie Rosen (R-Vernon Center) said she was “very upset” with a pair of commissioners for skipping a Wednesday Senate Finance Committee hearing on contract violations in the Minnesota Department of Human Services and other state agencies.
Read MoreDHS Blasted for ‘Lack of Humanity’ in Asking Tribal Nations to Pay $29 Million for State’s Mistakes
Legislative Auditor Jim Nobles testified before a joint Senate committee hearing this week where he described the Minnesota Department of Human Services as “dysfunctional” and “fraught with problems,” and warned of “contentious litigation” between tribal nations and the state.
Read MoreBernie Sanders and Ilhan Omar Scheduled for Sunday Rally at the University of Minnesota
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) will join presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) for a rally against the “billionaire class” in Minneapolis Sunday.
Read MoreReport Criticizes Growing Role of Omnibus Bills and ‘Triumvirate’ in Minnesota Legislature
A new report released this week criticizes the growing roll of omnibus bills in the Minnesota Legislature, most of which were pushed by a triumvirate of the governor, speaker of the house, and senate majority leader.
Read MoreWalz Administration Attacks JUUL and ‘Big Tobacco’ for Deceptive Marketing Strategies at High School Event
Gov. Tim Walz said Tuesday that JUUL’s marketing strategy as a “safe alternative” to cigarettes “couldn’t be further from the truth” during a listening session on vaping at Hopkins High School.
Read MoreNative American Groups Plan Protest of Washington Redskins During Upcoming Vikings Game
American Indian groups plan to protest outside U.S. Bank Stadium when the Minnesota Vikings host the Washington Redskins for Thursday Night Football this week.
Read MoreMinnesota Republican Calls on Governor to Condemn Lawmaker’s Involvement in Anti-Trump Demonstrations
State Rep. Nick Zerwas (R-Elk River) called on Gov. Tim Walz and House Speaker Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) to condemn the violent behavior of anti-Trump protesters and the involvement of a sitting Democrat legislator in the demonstrations.
Read MoreMinnesota DFL Will Work With Youth Climate Activists to Push ‘Climate Action Plan’ in 2020
The Minnesota House DFL recently formed a new “Climate Action Caucus” and plans to work with youth climate activists to develop a “Climate Action Plan” to push through the State Legislature in 2020.
Read MoreState Rep Wants Governor to Trade in SUVs for Electric Vehicles in Response to New Clean Car Standards
A Minnesota Republican plans to introduce a bill forcing Gov. Tim Walz to live up to his own “clean car” standards.
Read MoreDan Feehan Says He Supports Impeachment After Announcing Run
Democrat Dan Feehan, an Iraq War veteran, announced Tuesday that he will make another run for Minnesota’s First Congressional District and told the media that he supports the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump.
Read MoreLawmakers Renew Calls for Privatizing Minnesota’s Twin Cities Public Television After Station Destroyed Embarrassing Footage of First Lady Walz
Minnesota Republicans are renewing their calls to privatize public television stations after new reports revealed that Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) deleted embarrassing footage of First Lady Gwen Walz at the request of the governor’s office.
Read MoreMinnesota Ed Commissioner ‘Encouraged’ Despite Drop in Reading and Math Scores, and Persisting Achievement Gap
The Minnesota Department of Education maintains that the “state of our students is promising” despite continued drops in reading and math scores, and a persistent achievement gap.
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