Good morning and happy Wednesday.
Schools, workplaces and even the Minnesota Legislature are closed because of a snowstorm that is only supposed to get worse tonight. Find the latest at MPR News.
The Minnesota Senate passed a bill Tuesday that speeds up the restoration of voting rights for people convicted of felonies. The vote was 35-30, with Republican Jim Abeler joining all the Democrats in the Senate voting for it. MPR’s Brian Bakst has more: It follows many years of legislative consideration and a recent state Supreme Court court setback. Last week, justices upheld a law withholding the ability of felons to vote until after they finish all parts of their sentence — prison, parole and probation. DFL lawmakers had simultaneously been moving bills that would change the underlying 1963 law that the court kept in place. “If a person is not incarcerated and if they are living in our communities, they should have the right to vote,” said bill sponsor, Sen. Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis. Experts framed the action as the biggest expansion of voting since the 1971 ratification of the 26th Amendment, which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. That action made millions nationwide newly eligible to vote. The number of felons restricted from voting because they’re “on paper” — that is, supervised release or probation — is in the neighborhood of 50,000 to 55,000, according to the ACLU of Minnesota. That group was one behind the recent litigation.
The Senate also passed a bill early this morning to allow people to get a driver’s license or state ID regardless of their immigration status. MPR’s Dana Ferguson has the story: Roughly 81,000 Minnesotans lacking permanent legal status could be affected by the change. Eighteen states, along with the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico currently let residents apply for and obtain driver’s licenses, regardless of their immigration status. The measure garnered support from immigrants, faith leaders, businesses, public safety and agriculture groups on its path through the Capitol. And supporters said Minnesota should approve the policy to improve public safety on roadways and to open up more opportunities for people in the state without proper authorization. “Just outside this chamber, there are hundreds of immigrants whose lives will be completely transformed by this bill,” Sen. Zaynab Mohamed, DFL-Minneapolis, said. “And we have the power to do that. They'll be able to drive to work. They'll be able to take their kids to school, they'll be able to take their kids to the playground. And they'll be able to live their lives with dignity.” Minnesota granted driver’s licenses no matter a person’s immigration status until 2003. But former Gov. Tim Pawlenty at that time prohibited people in the country illegally from obtaining licenses. The Pawlenty administration raised concerns about security following the Sept. 11 attacks. In the two decades since, supporters have pressed lawmakers to change the rule back to what it was before 2003. And they held out hope Tuesday that lawmakers would act.
A year after a sports betting bill stalled in the state Senate, Democrats are partnering with tribal nations in an effort to legalize betting. MPR’s Jon Collins reports that the bill would allow people to place bets online or at tribal casinos, but not at horse racing tracks or sports stadiums. ”We want a product that’s safe, that has great consumer protections, and that works across the state of Minnesota, and that helps all communities in the state of Minnesota,” Rep. Zack Stephenson, DFL-Coon Rapids, said. “Only the tribes operate in all corners of the state in terms of people we could partner with for this. So I think it really makes sense having the tribes be the significant partner that we work with.” Stephenson said proceeds from the betting would be used to fund gambling oversight, youth sports and help for problem gamblers. Executives with the Minnesota Twins, Vikings, Wild, Timberwolves and Lynx signed a letter supporting the bill’s approach of partnering with tribes. Under the bill the major sports teams would not operate sports betting. The bill’s state Senate sponsor, Sen. Matt Klein, DFL-Mendota Heights, said it’s too early to know yet whether there are the votes in the closely divided chamber to pass the bill this session. The two horse racing tracks in the state are not currently part of the sports betting proposal, despite calls from some Republicans to have them included.
Families of Minnesotans who have died of opioid overdoses are pressing state lawmakers to do more. The Star Tribune reports: Deadly overdoses have reached an all-time high in the state, killing twice as many people as car crashes in 2021. Most of the deaths are linked to fentanyl. "It's unfathomable to me that our government has not done more to stop this drug from infiltrating every community, every demographic in our country," said Michele Hein of Lindstrom, who lost her son to an overdose. "This is a public health emergency." At a Capitol rally Tuesday, advocates said Minnesota could help prevent more deaths if it required schools and first responders to carry naloxone, the drug that can reverse an overdose. Some, including Hein, wonder why the more-deadly fentanyl isn't classified by law on par with heroin, and they see increased penalties as critical. Disagreements abound over how best to respond to the crisis. But advocates agree on one point: The government has not done enough as deaths have climbed.
DFL legislators introduced a bill on Tuesday to make college tuition-free, following a push from student advocates to place college affordability and student basic needs on the legislative agenda. MPR’s Feven Gerezgiher reports: The proposed bill would cover the cost of tuition and fees to Minnesota public colleges and universities for all Minnesota students with a gross adjusted family income under $120,000 by fall of 2024. Chief author state Sen. Omar Fateh, DFL-Minneapolis, introduced the bill on Tuesday, and it was heard in the Senate higher education committee, which he chairs. Beyond making education more accessible, he said, covering tuition would address the state’s workforce shortage and declining enrollment. “We've seen across the state — whether it's urban, rural, suburban — declining enrollment across the board. And right now we are really in a crisis, I would say we're in an emergency,” Fateh said.
There was a primary election in Wisconsin yesterday. The Associated Press reports: A liberal Milwaukee judge and a conservative former state Supreme Court justice won Tuesday’s primary to face off in a Wisconsin Supreme Court race that will determine majority control. Liberal Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Janet Protasiewicz and former Justice Dan Kelly advanced to the April 4 general election. Conservatives currently hold a 4-3 majority on the court. Conservatives have controlled the court for 15 years, but an open seat this year gives liberals a chance to take over the majority with issues like abortion access, gerrymandered legislative districts and voting rights heading into the 2024 presidential election at stake.
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