A proposed statewide “ban on book bans” in public schools and libraries is just one of about 100 new provisions contained in a DFL-backed omnibus education policy bill that passed off the Senate floor this week.
SF3567 is sponsored by Democratic Sens. Steve Cwodzinski of Eden Prairie and Mary Kunesh of New Brighton. It passed on a 35-31 vote Tuesday, with Sen. Jim Abeler of Anoka casting the lone vote for Republicans.
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A federal district judge in St. Paul on Wednesday put the brakes on a campaign finance law set to take effect next month that would bar businesses in Minnesota with minimal investment from foreign-based persons or entities from contributing to political campaigns.
The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce filed the lawsuit in June, a little more than a month after Gov. Tim Walz signed HF3 into law.
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The Minnesota Campaign Finance Board (CFB) filed a lawsuit in September against former Rep. John Thompson, a Democrat, claiming he is liable to pay $4,250 to the CFB for a series of campaign finance violations. As such, the lawsuit seeks $4,250 in damages.
According to the CFB, former Rep. Thompson committed multiple violations of campaign finance law. Among the violations listed by the CFB, Thompson failed to file various campaign finance reports that are required by law. Additionally, CFB claims that Thompson accepted political donations that exceeded statutory limits. The Center of the American Experiment first reported on the lawsuit Saturday, noting that Thompson also has several unpaid fines in other court cases.
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While Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips continues his longshot campaign to wrest away the Democrat nomination for president from incumbent Joe Biden, the Wayzata millionaire officially announced on Friday that he’ll no longer pursue a fourth term in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Representing our nation’s most civically engaged community in Congress has been the most joyful experience of my life,” Phillips said in a social media post shortly after noon on Friday. “Now it’s time to pass the torch — with gratitude and optimism.”
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The next legislative session doesn’t begin for another three months. But a duo of DFL legislators who represent swing districts up for re-election in 2024 and 2026 are getting a head start on a bill they plan to push early next year that would provide significant childcare subsidies for Minnesota families above the median household income.
Rep. Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn of Eden Prairie and Sen. Grant Hauschild of Hermantown are calling their bill-to-be the “Great Start Affordability Program.” And they say it would aim to subsidize the cost of daycare and preschool for families who are currently just above the income threshold to qualify for state-funded Early Learning Scholarships. Kotyza-Witthuhn and Hauschild said in a hearing at the State Capitol on Monday their goal for such a program is to shore up enough state funding to bring the childcare costs down for Minnesota families to just 7 percent of their monthly income.
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A new organization fronted by two Democrat-allied political consultants has entered the battleground for political control of school boards holding elections this fall.
The Minneapolis-based School Board Integrity Project was officially formed in May. Its mission, according to its website, is to help “guide potential and registered candidates and incumbents who align with our principles and equip them with the tools they need in their ‘campaign toolboxes’ in order to run successful school board campaigns.”
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A Minnesota DFL leader who once expressed support for “dismantling” the police is now benefiting from a heightened police presence in her neighborhood after she was allegedly carjacked.
Sources told Alpha News that Minneapolis police were “instructed to do extra patrols in her neighborhood,” saying the request “came from downtown.”
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Celebrating their “undeniable force” at the Minnesota Capitol, members of the DFL’s “Queer Caucus” said they plan to pursue legislation next session to grant “everyone” a “fundamental right” to gender transition procedures.
This language appears to mirror that of the radical “Protect Reproductive Options Act,” which grants all Minnesotans a “fundamental right” to abortion and was criticized by Republicans for, among other concerns, its lack of clear age restrictions.
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Former Republican attorney general candidate Jim Schultz said he has reached “successful outcomes” in two complaints made against him in the final days of the 2022 midterms.
In late October, the Minnesota DFL accused Schultz of illegally coordinating with an independent expenditure group, Minnesota for Freedom, by purchasing ads using the same agent.
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A proposed 75-cent delivery fee on most retail goods sent to homes and businesses that DFLers in the House and Senate have included in their $8 billion transportation budget appears to have lost momentum.
Democrat legislators in a Senate committee on Thursday voted to remove the highly controversial provision from SF3157 that has been opposed by a number of small business associations since it was introduced last month. Those organizations opposing the delivery fee include: the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, Hospitality Minnesota, Minnesota Retailers Association, Minnesota Grocers Association, Minnesota Service Station & Convenience Store Association, National Federation of Independent Business, Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association, and Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association.
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Democrats just passed the Protect Reproductive Options Act, which critics are calling the most radical abortion law in the nation, if not the world. But they’re not done yet.
Next on the Minnesota DFL’s agenda is HF 91/SF70, which would essentially repeal what remains of Minnesota’s regulations on the abortion industry, including medical protections for infants who survive abortions and a ban on using public funds for the procedure under MinnesotaCare.
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Despite a projected $17.6 billion surplus, Gov. Tim Walz pitched a future payroll tax hike to fund paid family and medical leave in his soon-to-be released budget plan.
Walz said $1.7 billion of surplus seed money would start the program, funded in the future by a payroll tax.
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With more than a $17 billion projected surplus, the Democrats released their priorities at a capitol news conference Wednesday.
“We are moving swiftly because that’s what Minnesotans expect and deserve,” House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, said. “Although there were bipartisan wins over the last four years, many of Minnesotans’ priorities were blocked by the Republican Senate majority. With unified DFL control of state government, we now have an opportunity to work quickly to improve people’s lives. The DFL-led House and Senate are going to work hard and work together to meet the needs of Minnesotans and build a state that works better for everyone.”
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by Anthony Gockowski State Rep. Tony Jurgens, a Republican, endorsed a Democrat in a crucial race that helped the Minnesota DFL reclaim the majority in the Senate for the first time in six years. With Democrats already controlling the governor’s mansion and the House before the election, the Senate was the last line of defense for state Republicans. Come January, Democrats will control that chamber (and the whole of state government) with a narrow 34-33 majority. A key race that helped flip the Senate was in District 41, covering the Cottage Grove and Hastings areas. Democrat Judy Seeberger pulled off an upset victory over Republican Tom Dippel, winning by just 321 votes. Jurgens, who has represented the area in the House since 2016, endorsed Seeberger over Dippel just days before the election. “I won’t agree with Judy on all political issues, but the job is much more than partisan politics,” Jurgens said in his endorsement before taking shots at “extreme right-wing organizations.” Importantly, Jurgens lost to Dippel in the Republican primary for this seat by more than 20 points. He also lost the party’s endorsement to Dippel but still went to the primary. According to Hastings Progressives, a group backing Dippel’s opponent, Jurgens also placed a Seeberger…
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The DFL coverup of the great Feeding Our Future (FOF) caper has now begun. We need to begin with the mess Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) created. Make no mistake, their malfeasance cost taxpayers $250 million.
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A DFL candidate who has the support of some of the party’s top officials wants to abolish the police and defended rioting during a June speech.
Leigh Finke won the DFL nomination for House District 66A in August and will likely win November’s election in the solidly-blue district.
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Rep. Ilhan Omar’s reelection campaign has fractured the Minnesota DFL, with one of the party’s most prominent officials endorsing Omar’s opponent in Tuesday’s primary.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, whose city Omar represents in Congress, announced his support Thursday of Don Samuels, a former Minneapolis City Council member running against Omar in Minnesota’s Fifth District.
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Democratic leadership in the Minnesota House decided to close the chamber gallery Thursday after a group of maskless protesters gathered inside the building to support medical freedom.
The protest took place at the Capitol rotunda, but House Democrats closed the gallery overlooking the chamber, presumably on the orders of House Speaker Melissa Hortman, after it was scheduled to be open to the public Thursday.
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A Democrat Farm-Labor Party (DFL) member of the Minnesota House of Representatives has introduced a bill that would give private citizens power to oversee the police, and punish them for wrongdoing.
“[Police Officer Standards and Training Board] (POST) directed to amend portable recording systems policy to require showing and releasing video; civilian oversight councils permitted by local governments to impose discipline on peace officers; citizen oversight councils required to provide information to POST,” says HF 2724, introduced by Rep. Cedric Frazier (DFL-District 45A).
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The Minnesota Republican Party accused the DFL Party of breaking the law when they allowed felons and non-US citizens to participate in their caucus process.
The party pointed to the state’s voter eligibility requirements as cause for their concern.
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The Minnesota Democrat Farmer Labor (DFL) Party released a statement commemorating President Joe Biden’s first year in office, saying that Minnesotans are better off today than they were last year.
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The Minnesota Democrat Farmer Laborer Party (DFL) released a statement on Friday, criticizing all the Republican gubernatorial candidates for their stances on abortion, saying “Abortion rights are under attack at the national level.” The DFL was referencing the Supreme Court case, Dobbs v. Jackson, where the state of Mississippi is challenging Roe v. Wade.
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Minnesota Democrats responded to a Republican lawmaker’s call for enacting abortion bans similar to the laws passed in Texas. In his legislative update, State Representative Tim Miller (R-Prinsberg) praised the new legislation in Texas that prohibits abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be detected.
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A controversial State Representative, known for his multiple run-ins with law enforcement, domestic abuse allegations, and a recent residency controversy has been expelled from the Minnesota House Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) caucus.
Rep. John Thompson (DFL-MN-67A) was expelled by his own party Wednesday, following a string of outlandish behavior and resurfaced allegations of domestic abuse, according to multiple reports.
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According to Minnesota State Senator Gene Dornik, the Senate Democrats asked Republicans to remove their Thin Blue Line lapel pins that symbolized their support for police officers. The Democrats made the request under the Senate rule that prohibits advocacy. The Thin Blue Line symbol has been criticized in other public venues as well. In Maryland, a judge banned court employees from wearing Thin Blue Line face masks, citing “bias.”
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In a recent interview, Minnesota Republican Party Chairwoman Jennifer Carnahan did not take a position regarding the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election. Carnahan was being interviewed regarding the location of the Minnesota GOP convention where a candidate will be selected to run against current Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
When Carnahan was asked if the 2020 election was “stolen” from former President Donald Trump, she refused to say one way or the other. Instead, she acknowledged the concerns that many voters have and that if there are concerns, they should not be overlooked. She said, “If there’s ever any question or doubt, or people don’t feel that they have the full transparency on enough things, what is wrong with just looking into things and answering those things?”
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The Minneapolis Democrat Farmer Laborer (DFL) Party moved their caucus process online and are now being accused of discrimination. Three DFL leaders, DFL Party activist Ken Vreeland, and former Minneapolis Council members Tony Scallon and Lisa MacDonald, have come out in opposition to the online system, saying that it prohibits people who don’t have the resources to access the online system from participating.
They say that the online system has led to the “disenfranchisement of thousands of voters, fraudulent registrations, and preferential treatment of campaigns.” According to Vreeland, MacDonald, and Scallon it disproportionately affects minorities and the elderly, because of a lack of resources to access the online caucus. Scallon also said that “the party’s request for voters’ ages amounts to discrimination.” According to the Star Tribune, Scallon said that “They [caucus participants] thought they were done when they got done registering. We’ve never had a required verification before and so a lot of people have been denied and they did not get to be delegates. It’s just really a mess.”
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A group of black legislators in Minnesota wants the state to begin awarding contracts on the basis of race, according to a Monday report.
“The United Black Legislative Caucus, made up of 10 Black Minnesota state senators and representatives, announced in a recent virtual town hall that they’ll push for the state to require 15% of all public contracts to be awarded to businesses owned by people of color,” The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal said.
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Representative Ilhan Omar (DFL-MN-5) stated that the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) hasn’t solved half the homicides and destroys rape kits. Because of this, she says, the MPD should be dismantled.
“We can reimagine a public safety system that empowers and provides safety for every person in our city regardless of the color fo their skin or zip code,” the freshman congresswoman tweeted. “Dismantling the Minneapolis Police Department is necessary in order to heal and move forward as a community.”
President Trump is scheduled to visit Minnesota on Monday, the first stop in a three-part campaigning tour including Wisconsin and Arizona. Each speech will address “Joe Biden’s failures on jobs and the economy.”
Ken Farnaso, the deputy press secretary for the Trump campaign, confirmed Trump’s visits in a tweet Friday morning.
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Republican candidate for MN’s 3rd Congressional District Kendall Qualls has outraised incumbent Dean Phillips (DFL-MN-03) once again. According to the Federal Election Commission’s (FEC) July pre-primary reports released last Thursday, Qualls accumulated significantly more campaign contributions and cash-on-hand than Phillips.
In total, Qualls raised over $106,000 more than Phillips, and has about $68,000 more cash-on-hand. Representative Phillips’s $250,000 debt from his previous campaign was also listed on the report.
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Minnesota DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin falsely claimed that Republican Senate candidate Jason Lewis is “denouncing the need for police reform.”
Lewis, a former congressman who’s running against Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), hosted a press conference Monday outside the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct to express his support for the “good men and women of law enforcement,” and condemn Democratic efforts to abolish the police.
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The Minnesota DFL Party announced Tuesday that former Vice President Joe Biden will be the keynote speaker for its upcoming state convention.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the two-day convention will be held virtually on Saturday and Sunday. During the convention, the DFL will announce its U.S. Senate endorsement, as well as Minnesota’s DNC representatives, presidential electors, and delegates to the Democratic National Convention.
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The Minnesota House passed two controversial gun control bills Thursday night after hours of contentious debate.
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A House bill that seeks to replace all male pronouns in the Minnesota Constitution with gender-neutral language cleared its first committee Tuesday.
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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.”
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Minnesota House Democrats have reintroduced a bill that would establish a “legislative task force” to look into redesigning the state flag.
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House DFLers announced a package of one-time appropriations last week totaling more than $190 million for “solutions that address the climate crisis.”
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A Minnesota Democrat introduced a bill last week that would ban discrimination based on “hair texture and hair styles.”
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Sen. Susan Kent (DFL-Woodbury) defeated Sen. Tom Bakk (DFL-Cook) for the role of Senate DFL minority leader during a Saturday meeting, a move Republicans think signals the party’s shift to the left. Kent (pictured above) emerged victorious Saturday evening after the 32-member caucus met at the Carpenters Union Hall in St. Paul for nearly six hours. Bakk had served as leader of the Senate Democrats for seven years and often faced criticism for breaking with his caucus on the issues of gun control and mining. He spent eight years in the Minnesota House prior to his election to the Senate in 2002. Kent was first elected to the Senate in 2012 but Republican Party Chairwoman Jennifer Carnahan thinks her leadership role will be short-lived. Republican Giuliani Stephens, the former mayor of Woodbury and a 2018 candidate for governor, announced a campaign for Kent’s seat in January. “You know the Democrats are in trouble and scrambling when they oust leadership midstream,” Carnahan wrote on Twitter. “Susan Kent may be in leadership now, but it’ll be short-lived. She’ll be defeated on Nov. 3. Woodbury is ready for a change.” Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-Nisswa) said Kent’s ascent to power shows…
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Minnesota’s DFL Party launched a new “money blizzard” fundraising campaign this week and admitted in an announcement that it “just can’t keep up” with President Donald Trump’s campaign efforts in the state.
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