Legislatures in 23 states and the District of Columbia have passed some form of a carbon-free electricity goal, but many of these measures do not address the ancillary costs of making it happen.
Read the full storyTag: Minnesota
Planned Parenthood in Minnesota Offers $150 Gift Card to Teens to Attend Sex Ed Summer Camp
Abortion and transgender hormone giant Planned Parenthood is drawing teens to its “Sex Ed Summer Camp” in late July with the promise of a $150 gift card to those who complete the program.
“Sex Ed Summer Camp is a sexual health peer education certification program,” Planned Parenthood states about its camp for 15-18 year-olds to be held July 24-28 in Mankato, Minnesota. “Participants will use knowledge they learn to educate friends and peers. Topics covered include sexual anatomy, birth control methods, sexually transmitted infections, healthy relationships and consent, and more!”
Read the full storyMinnesota Ranks Second in the Nation for Highest Corporate Tax Rate
Minnesota’s top marginal corporate tax rate, 9.8%, is the second-highest the nation, according to an analysis the Tax Foundation released Tuesday.
The North Star State is one of the 44 states that levy corporate income taxes. Nationally, on average, these taxes accounted for 7.07% of state tax collection and 4.04% of state general revenue in fiscal year 2021, the report said.
Read the full storyMinnesota Licensure Board to Require All Teachers to Personally Affirm Critical Race Theory and Gender Ideology
Minnesota’s Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) has set new rules for aspiring teachers that require them to personally avow the tenets of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and gender ideology in order to be permitted to teach in government schools.
Governor Tim Walz’s (D) PELSB’s Adopted Permanent Rules Relating to Licensing and Academic Standards have been updated to require, as of 2024, that Minnesota teachers are committed to personally affirm what the licensure board considers the proper “diverse perspectives on race, culture, language, sexual identity, ability,” etc. with their students in order to maintain a license.
Read the full storyAlmost 20,000 Residents Left Minnesota to Live in Other States in 2022
Minnesota lost nearly 20,000 residents to other states in 2022.
According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the state of Minnesota lost 19,400 residents to domestic migration from July 2021 to July 2022.
Read the full storyMinnesota Projects $17.6 Billion Surplus
Minnesota’s Management and Budget estimate a general fund budget surplus of $17.6 billion for the fiscal year 2024-25 biennium.
“Strong collections and lower-than-projected spending add to the FY22-23 surplus,” the agency said. “Economic headwinds lower expected growth but large leftover surplus and healthy net revenues in FY24-25 create estimated $17.6B available for budget.”
Read the full storyMinnesota’s Limited Restrictions on Abortion Could Lead to Increased Taxes
Minnesota is more friendly to abortion than some of its neighbors, and that might impact Minnesota taxpayers.
Some abortion clinics are moving from states that are banning or limiting abortions to states such as Minnesota with fewer abortion restrictions. For example, Red River Women’s Clinic moved from Fargo, N.D., to Moorhead, Minn., to continue performing abortions, and says on its website that it offers abortion care and family planning services to all of North Dakota, northwestern Minnesota and South Dakota.
Read the full storyGoogle Agrees to Nearly $400 Million Settlement with 40 States over Location-Tracking Probe
Google agreed to a $391.5 million settlement with 40 states after an investigation found that the tech giant participated in questionable location-tracking practices, state attorneys general announced Monday.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong called it a “historic win for consumers.”
Read the full storyWalz Defeats Jensen, Holds On for Second Term
Gov. Tim Walz won a second term in office Tuesday night, beating back a challenge from Dr. Scott Jensen in what was a disappointing night for Republicans locally and nationally.
Soaring inflation and rising crime were expected to carry Republicans to victory, but the opposite happened as Walz cruised to a win and the DFL was on the verge of claiming both chambers of the Minnesota Legislature as of late Tuesday night.
Read the full storyRepublican Governors Association Moves In on Minnesota Race
National Republicans now view the Minnesota gubernatorial contest as a potential pickup and are sending in reinforcements with two weeks to go before the election.
The Republican Governors Association (RGA) transferred $750,000 to a local group called Heal Minnesota Tuesday and more money could be on the way. Heal Minnesota placed an initial ad buy with WCCO.
Read the full storyGov. Walz on 2020 Riots: ‘I’m Proud of Minnesota’s Response’
Democratic Gov. Tim Walz and Republican opponent Dr. Scott Jensen faced off for their second debate Tuesday night.
The debate, which was only available online for most Minnesotans, was hosted by Gray Television in the Rochester, Duluth, Mankato, and Fargo markets.
Read the full storyPoll: One-Third of Minnesota’s Small Businesses Couldn’t Pay Rent in September
The rent delinquency rate decreased in Minnesota in September compared to August, Alignable reported.
From Sept. 16 to Sept. 29, the online referral network for small businesses polled 4,232 randomly selected small business owners across the country.
Read the full storySeven Midwest States Enter Hydrogen Coalition
Seven Midwest states entered a coalition to pursue clean hydrogen development as an alternative to gas and diesel fuel.
The governors of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin signed onto the Midwest Hydrogen Coalition. The coalition will accelerate clean hydrogen development, from production and supply chain to distribution in agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and other industries.
Read the full storySecond Military Whistleblower Calls Minnesota Gov. Walz ‘Habitual Liar’
by Rose Williams A second retired command sergeant major who served alongside Gov. Tim Walz in the National Guard is speaking out, saying the governor “left his troops high and dry” before a deployment to Iraq. Paul Herr served in the military for 34 years in a variety of positions — as an engineer on active duty, to a tanker and first sergeant, and eventually as a command sergeant major who was deployed to Iraq in 2011 and retired in 2015. He joined Liz Collin on her podcast this week for an extensive interview. Herr is the second whistleblower to come forward to shed light on Walz’s military record, joining Tom Behrends, who shared his story last week. According to Behrends, a warning order went out to Walz’s First Battalion-125th Field Artillery to mobilize for a mission to Iraq back in early 2005. At the time, Herr said he participated in several meetings with Walz, who initially indicated he would be going on the deployment. However, Walz retired before the time came to deploy, and Behrends took Walz’s place. According to Herr, Walz had been conditionally promoted to the rank of command sergeant major (CSM) before the deployment but never actually…
Read the full storyMinnesota School Board Wants to Scrap Public Comment to Silence Dissent, Residents Say
A Roseville parent compared the school board’s attempt to shut down public comment at board meetings to tactics used to silence dissenters in communist countries.
Even though parents and community members overwhelmingly opposed the policy change, the board is still considering passing the measure later this month.
Read the full storyMinnesota Moms Call Judge’s Decision in Abortion Case an Assault on Parental Rights
A group of moms are seeking to intervene in a case that overturned several of Minnesota’s “commonsense” and “bipartisan” protections for women and girls who obtain abortions.
Read the full storyCalifornia’s Clean Car Rules to Take Effect for Just One Model Year in Minnesota
Because the state of California is amending its “clean car” emissions standards, Minnesota will be abiding by the old California standards it chose to adopt for only one model year.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) admitted as much in a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought against them by the Minnesota Automobile Dealers Association (MADA). The lawsuit argues the MPCA wrongfully outsourced its legal authority.
Read the full storyFellow Veteran Speaks Out on Minnesota Gov. Walz’s Misleading Statements About Military Record
On a 150-year-old farm in Brewster, Tom Behrends hopes his tell-it-like-it-is style will finally get the attention he believes it deserves in Minnesota’s race for governor.
Read the full storyMinnesota Licensure Changes Ask Teachers to Make Students ‘Agents of Social Change’
The Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB), whose members are appointed by the governor, is revising its “standards of effective practice” for teacher licensure that will apply to all new teachers when adopted.
According to the Center of the American Experiment, the changes will impact teacher licensure programs and “require aspiring educators to ‘demonstrate’ ideologically driven content in their coursework to obtain their teaching license.” This goes for educators who end up teaching at private schools, too.
Read the full storyMinnesota Gov. Walz Declines Four Debate Invites, Jensen Says
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is declining to participate in additional debates, Republican challenger Dr. Scott Jensen said in a press release Monday.
Walz and Jensen have only debated once so far this campaign season, meeting for the first time at FarmFest in early August. Since then, the governor has declined to participate in four additional debates, one at the Minnesota State Fair, another at Game Fair, a third with the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, and a fourth on TPT Almanac, according to Jensen.
Read the full storyState Report Confirms Violent Crime Skyrocketed on Walz’s Watch
Gov. Tim Walz’s administration waited until nearly 4 p.m. on a Friday afternoon to release a report showing violent crime has soared in Minnesota in back-to-back years.
In its annual uniform crime report for 2021, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) said violent crime increased by 21.6 percent last year, a bigger jump than the 16.6 percent increase seen in 2020.
Read the full storyFourth Crisis Pregnancy Center Vandalized in Minnesota
A crisis pregnancy center in St. Paul was vandalized this week, marking the fourth attack on a pro-life group in Minnesota this summer.
Abria Pregnancy Resource Center in St. Paul was vandalized in the early morning hours Aug. 1, its executive director announced in an email to supporters.
Read the full storyGovernment Spends $85K on Minnesota National Guard Advertisements in LGBT Magazine
Since 2019, the United States government has spent roughly $85,000 on advertisements for the National Guard in a Minnesota-based magazine geared towards the “LGBT community.”
The Washington Free Beacon reports that the U.S. Department of Defense has awarded tens of thousands of dollars in advertising funds to Lavender, a general interest print and digital magazine for a “local, national and international lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) and LGBTQ-friendly audience,” according to its website.
Read the full story‘Rise in Fentanyl’: Minnesota Reports Record Overdose Deaths in 2021
Minnesota experienced a record number of drug overdoses in 2021, according to a Department of Health report released Thursday.
There were 1,286 overdose deaths reported to the Minnesota Department of Health last year, a 22% increase from 2020. This means an average of nearly four Minnesotans died every day from a drug overdose, the report says.
Read the full storyLive Babies Left to Die After Failed Abortions in Minnesota, Report Reveals
Several infants were left to die after being born alive during botched abortions in Minnesota in 2021, according to a state health report.
Abortion procedures resulted in the birth of live infants in five separate incidents, and life-saving measures were not reported to have been used in any of the incidents, the Minnesota Health Department report found.
Read the full storyConnecticut’s AG Tong Among 20 State Attorneys General Supporting National Gun Control Rule
A coalition of 20 state attorneys general, all Democrats, are backing a federal gun rule in court.
The Final Rule, as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives named it, would enable law enforcement officials to trace any homemade guns used in crimes. In addition, the rule limits trafficking the weaponry.
Read the full storyMajor Pollster Labels Minnesota a Toss-Up as Walz Numbers on Crime, Education Tank
As poll numbers for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz continue to fall, one major pollster has labeled the state’s gubernatorial race a “toss-up.”
RealClearPolitics, an independent poll aggregator and media company, is giving Walz an average point advantage of 3.5 over Dr. Scott Jensen, the Republican-endorsed candidate for governor.
Read the full storyComplaint: 586 Duplicate Registrants on Minnesota Voter Rolls
An election integrity law firm has filed a complaint against Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon after discovering that nearly 600 duplicate registrants appear on state voter rolls.
With the assistance of the Upper Midwest Law Center (UMLC), the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) has requested a hearing on the duplicate registrants at the Minnesota Office of Administrative Hearings in St. Paul.
Read the full storyCrom’s Crommentary: The Irony of Democrats Claiming Choice for Women’s Abortions but Not for the Education of Their Children
Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio for another edition of Crom’s Crommentary.
Read the full storyReport: Minnesota Has Second-Most Expensive Electricity Prices in the Midwest
Minnesota’s electricity prices are lower than just one state in the Midwest, according to data reported by the Center of the American Experiment.
Second only to Michigan, Minnesota’s electricity prices increased 22% from 2011 to 2021, reaching 11.12 cents per kilowatt-hour. This makes Minnesota’s electricity prices the 14th highest in the country — compared to 2001, when Minnesota held the position for 14th lowest in the country.
Read the full storyMinnesota Unemployment Rate in March Reached Lowest Level Ever Recorded
Minnesota’s unemployment rate decreased to 2.5% in March, tying its lowest level ever recorded, the Department of Employment and Economic Development announced Thursday.
The last time it was that low was in February 1999.
Read the full storyMinnesota Has the Most Long-Term Care Facilities with Staffing Shortages, National Report Says
Minnesota’s share of long-term care facilities reporting staffing shortages is the largest in the country, Seniorly reports.
Seniorly’s April 8 report indicated about two of every five long-term care facilities in the North Star State are experiencing staffing shortages this year, up 18.4% since 2020.
Read the full storyMinnesota Offers Up to $87K for New Prison ‘Tattoo Supervisor’
A job board maintained by the state of Minnesota is offering a prison “tattoo supervisor” position that could pay up to $87,000 with benefits.
The posting seeks applicants who are currently licensed as tattoo technicians, have at least three years of experience, and “possess a strong, well-rounded portfolio.” The hiring agency is the Minnesota Department of Corrections, the state’s prison system, and the work is full-time out of Stillwater.
Read the full storyMinnesota DFL Lawmaker Pleads Guilty to Driving Drunk
A Minnesota Democrat pleaded guilty to driving drunk and is now on probation for one year.
Rep. Tou Xiong, DFL-Maplewood, was arrested in January for drunk driving and booked into the Anoka County Jail for one night, jail records show.
Read the full story2020 Alcohol-Attributable Deaths in Minnesota Surpassed Previous Years’
Minnesota saw more deaths that were wholly attributable to alcohol in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic than in the previous three years, Minnesota Department of Public Health data show.
“The majority of alcohol-attributable deaths are related to chronic conditions that develop after many years of excessive drinking,” MDH Public Information Officer Erin McHenry told The Center Square in an emailed statement Wednesday.
Read the full storyExclusive Interview: Basketball Standout Royce White Runs for Congress Against Left-Wing Squad Member Rep. Ilhan Omar
A Minneapolis-born college and professional basketball player told The Minnesota Sun and The Star News Network he is running for the GOP nomination to represent his city from Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District to unseat Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar.
“I think Ilhan Omar’s in on it. I mean, I think she’s in on it with the globalists, the uniparty,” said Royce White, who was drafted in the first round by the Houston Rockets in the 2012 draft. “I think she’s a puppet for this entire agenda to undermine America as a nation and to usher in a new global authoritarian society.”
Read the full storyMinnesota Basketball Standout Runs for Congress to Bench Rep. Ilhan Omar
The Star News Network’s national political editor, Neil W. McCabe, sat down with world-renowned basketball player Royce White to discuss why he’s prepared to unseat Minnesota congresswoman incumbent Ilhan Omar and her globalist agenda.
McCabe: Royce White was world-renowned as a college basketball player and was regarded as one of the most talented men to play in the NBA. White told The Star News Network why now he is running for Congress against Ilhan Omar.
Read the full storyMinnesota Senate Passes $1.1 Billion Plan to Extend Reinsurance Program Through 2027
Minnesota taxpayers will spend about $1.1 billion to keep individual insurance rates five more years if a bill the Senate passed Monday becomes law.
The legislators passed the bill, SF 3472, in a 42-24 vote.
Read the full storyAs Gas Prices Soar, Minnesota Gov. Walz Reverses, Calls for Federal Gas Tax Holiday
In a tough reelection battle this year, Gov. Tim Walz is changing his tune on gas taxes.
The Minnesotan joined five other Democratic governors urging the U.S. Congress to suspend the federal gas tax amid soaring prices at the pump caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and President Joe Biden’s ban on importing Russian oil this week.
Read the full storyPublic School Enrollment Continues to Fall in Minnesota
Private and charter schools are the beneficiaries of a continued decline in Minnesota public school enrollment.
Data from the Minnesota Department of Education’s annual report shows that compared to the 2020-21 school year, roughly 2,000 fewer students were enrolled in public schools for the 2021-22 school year.
Read the full storyRedistricting Panel Sets New Political Boundaries for Minnesota
A judicial panel has finalized the boundaries that will shape Minnesota politics for the next 10 years.
The five judges appointed to a special panel by the Minnesota Supreme Court released the state’s new legislative and congressional maps Tuesday. The process, known as redistricting, happens every 10 years after the census and puts every legislative seat in the state up for grabs.
Read the full storyHennepin County Sheriff David Hutchinson Won’t Seek Reelection
Hennepin County Sheriff Dave Hutchinson won’t seek reelection in November, multiple sources told Alpha News.
This was confirmed Wednesday morning when Hutchinson told his staff that he has “made the difficult decision not to seek reelection in the 2022 election.”
Read the full storyExclusive: Jailed for Violating Walz’s ‘Indoor Service’ Ban, Lisa Hanson Shares What Her Ordeal Taught Her
The owner of Albert Lea’s now-closed Interchange Coffee and Wine Bistro told The Minnesota Sun she has learned the value of family and true friendship as she serves her 90-day sentence for violating Democrat Gov. Timothy J. “Tim” Walz’s ban on indoor service.
“Probably the biggest thing I miss about running the bistro is the guests,” said Melissa “Lisa” Hanson, who, December 9, began her sentence at the Freeborn County Adult Detention Center.
“To be able to provide a great product coupled with a unique atmosphere and thoughtful joy was to sit and observe,” she said.
“Whether it was a busy summer lunch with guests enjoying the patio under the pergolas or a ‘Live Music Friday Night’ watching the guests relax and enjoy themselves while all their worries melted away to the tunes the musicians were strumming or plunking out,” she said. “Seeing family and friends laugh and relax together was so special – these are some of the things I miss.”
Read the full storyKendall Qualls Steps Down from TakeCharge, Hinting at Run for Minnesota Governor
Republican Kendall Qualls announced Tuesday that he is stepping down as president of TakeCharge, a nonprofit he founded earlier this year, prompting speculation that he will be running for governor of Minnesota.
Qualls first gained notoriety in 2020 during his unsuccessful bid against Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips in Minnesota’s Third Congressional District. A few months later, he launched TakeCharge, which has focused on inspiring a “new movement in the black community to return it to its cultural roots of faith, family and education.”
Read the full storyMinnesota Has Room to Improve Its Disclosure of COVID Relief Funds, Report Says
Minnesota neither is an “exemplary state” at disclosing CARES Act assistance spending nor a state that has “inadequate or no disclosure,” a new report from national policy resource center Good Jobs First says.
Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan and Wyoming provide a clear picture of how they spend Coronavirus Relief Fund monies, earning them designation as having “exemplary disclosure,” the report said.
Read the full storyMinnesota Cities Are Preparing Coordinated Effort to Declare a ‘Climate Emergency’
Nearly 20 jurisdictions throughout the state of Minnesota are preparing a coordinated effort to declare a “climate emergency” this coming January.
Alpha News has obtained documents on the coordinated effort, including a one-page summary of the plan and a three-page resolution template.
Read the full storyMinnesota Lawmakers to Push for Legalized Sports Betting Next Session
Surrounded by states that have legalized sports betting, some Minnesota lawmakers will push to create additional tax revenue and entertainment next session.
Rep. Zack Stephenson, DFL-Coon Rapids, held a press conference to announce his plan to pursue legalized sports betting.
“Minnesotans deserve the chance to engage in safe and legal sports betting right here in Minnesota,” Stephenson said. “That is why I am announcing I will lead an effort to legalize sports betting during the next regular session of the Legislature.”
Read the full storyMinnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar Reveals Previous Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Successful Treatment
Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar revealed Thursday that she was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer earlier this year and successfully underwent radiation therapy.
“In May, I completed a course of radiation treatment, and after additional follow-up visits, it was determined in August that the treatment went well,” she wrote in a Medium post. “Of course this has been scary at times, since cancer is the word all of us fear, but at this point my doctors believe that my chances of developing cancer again are no greater than the average person.”
Read the full storyMinnesota Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka Steps Down
Minnesota State Senate majority leader Paul Gazelka stepped down on Wednesday in what some are saying is a likely precursor to entering into the race for governor. A statement from Gazelka said that he will be a part of Minnesota’s “future success” as he pursues “the next chapter” in his “political life.” Gazelka has held the majority leader position for five years. His letter, announcing his stepping down from the position, listed his accomplishments. He said that, “These accomplishments were possible because we stuck to our principles and communicated directly with the people of Minnesota.”
Read the full storyMan Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Whitmer Kidnapping Plot
A man upset over Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s COVID-19 policies plead guilty to one count of a kidnapping conspiracy and accepted a plea deal to serve six years and three months in prison.
Ty Garbin, 25, is the only known member of the Michigan militia group “Wolverine Watchmen” to plead guilty to the alleged plot.
Federal prosecutors suggested he serve a nine-year sentence, citing his cooperation with authorities and plans to testify against other alleged kidnappers.
Read the full story