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The Week at a Glance

Last Weekend

  • Saturday, March 27: Governor Walz rescinded five executive orders related to COVID-19 over the weekend.

  • Sunday, March 28: Governor Walz delivered the State of the State address from his former Mankato West high school classroom. “The state of our state is strong, Minnesota,” said Governor Walz. “This is our goal-line stand. Get vaccinated. We’re coming back.”

    • Majority Leader Paul Gazelka: “The state of our state is hopeful.”

Key Events, Court Rulings & Executive Branch Developments

  • Monday, March 29: According to new data from the Duluth Police Department, over 50% of people involved in police use-of-force incidents are people of color in spite of the fact that people of color make up just 10% of the population of Duluth.  

  • Monday, March 29: The Saint Paul Building Trades is boycotting Speedway gas stations to draw attention to the labor practices of Marathon Petroleum Corporation, the parent company of Speedway.

  • Tuesday, March 30: Governor Tim Walz received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on Tuesday alongside Former Governor Tim Pawlenty and Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm. 

  • Tuesday, March 30: The Bush Foundation, which is based in St. Paul, has committed $100 million in money for trust funds to be given to Black and Native Americans in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and 23 Native nations. “This is not reparations, but it’s in the spirit of reparations,” said Grantmaking Director Jackie Statum Allen.

  • Tuesday, March 30: The Saint Paul City Council has changed the process for drafting, amending, and passing new laws. The new streamlined system went into effect on April 1st.  

  • Wednesday, March 31: Downtown Minneapolis lost a large employer for the first time in years this week when Portico Benefit Services announced that they will be moving their corporate headquarters to Edina. The move comes amid a major shift in office leasing patterns as companies allow employees to work remotely. 

    • Wells Fargo, the third-largest employer in downtown Minneapolis, says its employees will return to work in September.

  • Wednesday, March 31: After months of reconsidering their relationship with the Minneapolis Police Department, the Minnesota Twins will continue to hire off-duty police officers to provide security at Target Field this season. "The Minnesota Twins remain supportive of Chief Arradondo and Mayor Frey, and, with a belief in their continued efforts to create meaningful change that advances racial justice and equity, we are continuing our relationship with the Minneapolis Police Department for the 2021 season," said a Twins spokesman to Torey Van Oot of Axios.

  • Thursday, April 1: Governor Walz’s budget plan would make it significantly easier for families to receive the state benefits to which they are entitled under the Minnesota Family Investment Program. 

  • Friday, April 2: Amtrak introduced its 2035 vision, a blueprint for high-speed passenger rail across the U.S. If completed, the plan would expand existing rail in Minnesota and create stops in Saint Paul, Minneapolis, Duluth, and Fargo. 

Update from the Minnesota Legislature

  • Monday, March 29: Session is adjourned until Monday, April 5th. 

  • Monday, March 29: The Minnesota Rehabilitation and Reinvestment Act, which is included in Governor Walz’s revised budget, would be “a complete game changer,” says Rep. Jamie Becker Finn (DFL-Roseville). The Senate companion bill is carried by Sen. Ron Latz (DFL-St. Louis Park).

  • Monday, March 29: Rep. Jon Koznick (R-Lakeville) is pushing to shut down the Northstar line, a commuter rail train that runs between the Twin Cities and the northern metro. 

  • Tuesday, March 30: Hundreds demonstrated outside the Capitol on Monday in an effort to pressure state legislators to adopt tougher sexual assault laws. 

  • Thursday, April 1: The rise of anti-Asian hate crimes has inspired renewed calls for stronger hate crime legislation at the legislature. The DFL-controlled House is likely to take action, but Senator Warren Limmer (R-Maple Grove), Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, is unlikely to take up the topic in the Senate.

Congressional Delegation Update

  • Monday, March 29: Congressman Pete Stauber called for bipartisanship in the proposed $3T infrastructure package before scapegoating Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez during an appearance on Newsmax.

  • Monday, March 29: In an interview with KAAL-TV, Congressman Jim Hagedorn discussed details of the immigration situation at the southern border.

  • Monday, March 29: via press release, “Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) and a coalition of bipartisan Representatives and Senators introduced the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act.”

  • Tuesday, March 30: via press release, “Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) recently introduced new legislation to help prevent the implementation of disastrous economic shutdowns like those imposed unilaterally by Governor Walz and other leaders as a response to COVID. The Stop Shutdowns Now Act would require the Small Business Administration to create an impact report on any future state, federal, or executive COVID-19 requirements that would restrict or otherwise prevent small businesses from operating at normal capacity.”

  • Wednesday, March 31: New Morning Consult/POLITICO poll shows that by a 2-to-1 ratio, voters prefer a $3 trillion infrastructure bill that includes tax hikes on profitable corporations and individuals earning $400,000+ over a proposal that excludes tax hikes on corporations and the rich.

  • Wednesday, March 31: via press release, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar voiced support for President Biden’s Build Back Better infrastructure plan: “I applaud President Biden for continuing to propose solutions to the deep challenges we face as a nation. …We must not waste this historic moment. In addition to the proposals the President laid out, we must use this moment to dramatically lower drug prices, expand Medicare to millions of people, make college more affordable, strengthen the care economy, provide a roadmap to citizenship for our immigrant communities, address the housing crisis and make much bolder investments in green jobs.”

Thursday, April 1: via Hannah Shirley of Forum News Service, during a call between four greater Minnesota school district superintendents and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, education leaders mentioned concerns that some students prefer virtual learning relative to in-person schooling. Superintendents are worried that the loss of students to virtual academies could lead to a loss in resources for public schools.

 

Friday, April 2: via press release, “U.S. Representatives Angie Craig (D-MN) and Pete Stauber (R-MN) introduced the bipartisan Supporting Apprenticeship Colleges Act of 2021 to provide grants to eligible apprenticeship colleges throughout the country to expand and support enrollment.

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