Good morning, and happy Tuesday.
Gov. Tim Walz is scheduled to be in Moorhead today where he will promote his plan to give $2 billion of the state’s projected budget surplus in the form of one-time “Walz checks.” Neither the Senate nor the House tax bills include the governor’s plan. Meanwhile, Walz and his wife Gwen released their 2021 tax return Monday. The Pioneer Press reports the couple earned $159,696 and paid $22,111 in federal taxes and $7,885 in state taxes. Walz has previously released more than 10 years of his tax forms. “Minnesotans need to be able to trust their leaders, and that starts with transparency and accountability,” said Walz in a statement. “Candidates from both parties have committed to releasing their returns in previous elections, and I am releasing mine today to maintain that commitment to transparent elections. I encourage all candidates running for governor to release their tax returns so that Minnesotans can make informed choices in this election.”
The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association endorsed Republican Sen. Paul Gazelka for governor on Monday. "He is an extraordinary supporter of first responders and public safety officials and stands against attempts to defund and dismantle the police,” said MPPOA Executive Director Brian Peters in a statement. “He will always promote public safety proposals that keep communities safe.” Gazelka said he was “humbled and honored” to receive the group’s endorsement. “This endorsement is further acknowledgement of the ongoing work we have done to support our women and men in blue—the people who risk their lives every day for all of us in Minnesota,” Gazelka said in a statement.
Minnesota U.S. Reps. Michelle Fischbach and Pete Stauber endorsed Brad Finstad for Congress in the 1st District. Finstad is one of 10 Republicans competing to be the party’s nominee in the August special election. The special primary is May 24. “This special election is extremely important as Republicans prepare to take back the majority in Congress – and Brad Finstad is hands-down our strongest Republican candidate,” Stauber said in a statement Monday. “Brad Finstad will deliver on our conservative rural values in Congress,” said Fischbach.
MPR’s Jon Collins reportsthree former Minneapolis officers charged in the death of George Floyd rejected plea deals from prosecutors last month. That's according to a Hennepin County District Court judge's statements during a pre-trial hearing Monday. J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao are charged with aiding and abetting murder and manslaughter in Floyd's killing. Their former Minneapolis colleague Derek Chauvin has already been convicted in state court. This will be the third trial in state or federal courts about Floyd's death. Judge Peter Cahill revealed during the pre-trial hearing that prosecutors had offered the defendants plea deals in late March, but that none had accepted the deals. Details of the plea offers are being kept confidential by the court. The trial is set to start in June.
NPR reportsPresident Joe Biden will announce Tuesday that his administration will temporarily allow E15 gasoline — gasoline that uses a 15 percent ethanol blend that is typically banned from sale from June to September — to be sold this summer. The announcement comes on the day that the president is scheduled to visit an ethanol plant in the small town of Menlo, about 50 miles west of Des Moines, Iowa. "The President is committed to doing everything he can to address the pain Americans are feeling at the pump as a result of Putin's Price Hike," the White House said in a statement. "The Administration's strategy to spur the development of homegrown biofuels is critical to expanding Americans' options for affordable fuel in the short-term and to building real energy independence in the long-term by reducing our reliance on fossil fuels." | 