Capitol View for January 26

Good morning. A follow to our diligent reporting on ice rink conditions from yesterday: the sudden thaw means the U.S. Pond Hockey Championships are canceled.

President Joe Biden made a visit to Superior’s shore to talk infrastructure, pop into a bar and visit a firehouse. In the main event yesterday, Biden proclaimed the country to be in an “infrastructure decade” and highlighted his ambitious plan, which includes a $1 billion investment for renovations to the aging bridge that connects Duluth and Superior. Without naming Donald Trump, Biden said he has delivered on things the former president only talked about. Biden only spoke for about 25 minutes at Earth Rider Brewery in Superior and the crowd was small and invite-only. Wisconsin and Minnesota would seem like must wins for Biden in 2024. He was flanked by a cadre of local Democrats, or as our Clay Masters observed, a tongue twister of northern Midwest Democrats — Tim, Tina, Tony, Tammy, Amy. Say that three times fast!

Biden’s visit was not without opposition. Along the route, the Biden brigade was confronted with Trump supporters and a group of protestors chanting for Biden to seek an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Minnesota’s legislative auditor won’t launch a further probe into the flawed cannabis boss hire, but missteps were outlined. Minnesota Legislative Auditor Judy Randall released a preliminary assessment Thursday into the hire of Erin Dupree, who resigned quickly after local media outlets found she had past financial problems and that she stocked too-potent products at her CBD store in Apple Valley, which she denied having knowledge of doing. The audit found that the Walz administration missed standard background check steps, including the lack of a standard review from the Department of Revenue for a position of this level. But as Brian and Clay report , Randall does not think a more exhaustive investigation is necessary or that “it was something more systemic or nefarious or anything like that.” Dupree’s appointment was one of 750 appointments the governor’s office made last year. A top lawyer in the governor’s office told Randall in a letter that changes have already been made to avoid this type of situation in the future.

Minnesota lawmakers are getting their plans in place for the session now less than three weeks away. Education is one big area of focus. MPR’s Elizabeth Shockman reports that following a legislative session that delivered a big boost in K-12 funding, Minnesota lawmakers say the coming session for schools will be one of adjustments around literacy, school meals, civics education and school resource officers. “We just want to continue on with the momentum that we built from the previous session, and bring things to a higher level of completion in this next session,” House Education Policy Committee Chair Laurie Pryor, DFL-Eden Prairie, told Elizabeth. Republicans say they’ll be looking to ease the requirements on schools. “Our schools are spending too much time complying with new bureaucratic funding mandates to that don’t focus on academics and learning," said state Sen. Jason Rarick, R-Pine City.

Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Chief Executive Melanie Benjamin will not seek re-election in 2024. MPR’s Melissa Olson reports that Benjamin has led the nearly 5,000 member Ojibwe nation for more than two decades. She was first elected to the tribe’s top executive position in 2000. Benjamin led the Mille Lacs Band through a series of court battles with neighboring Mille Lacs County, and was charged with growing and maintaining relationships with tribal, state and federal governments and agencies. The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe will hold its general election on June 11 and the new chief executive will take office on July 8.

Second District Republican hopefuls are in a MAGA battle. It’s become a "Who's more Trump” proxy battle between GOP hopefuls Tayler Rahm and Joe Teirab. Over the weekend, Rahm challenged Teirab to come out harder for Trump. This week, House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, a close Trump ally and potential vice presidential pick, endorsed Teirab. Key Rahm campaign adviser Kevin Poindexter ran Trump’s Minnesota campaign in 2020. They’re competing for the chance to run against Democratic U.S. Rep. Angie Craig. Rahm reported yesterday that he had $276,956 by the end of 2023. Teirab previously said he raised $300,000 since entering in the fall.

DFL state Rep. Brion Curran has pleaded guilty to DWI.Ellie reports that the first term state representative pleaded guilty to a fourth degree DWI charge. Curran was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving in October after a sheriff's deputy pulled them over on I-35 in Harris. Their alcohol-blood level was twice the legal limit. Curran reportedly told police the lawmaker was trying to get home and thought they were in St. Paul — 50 miles from where police pulled them over. In a statement to MPR News on Thursday, Curran said, “I accept the responsibility for driving under the influence of alcohol. I regret my decisions and I am sincerely grateful that no one was hurt.” Curran has degrees in law enforcement and previously worked as a deputy in Chisago County, the same county of the arrest. Curran was one of three state lawmakers arrested for drunk driving last year.

A new study has found housing is now unaffordable for a record half of U.S. renters. A newly released report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University found that a record half of U.S. renters paid more than 30 percent of their income for rent and utilities. When we look at the amount of cost-burdened renters by state, Minnesota ranks pretty much smack dab in the middle. The areas in Minnesota with the most cost-burdened renters — those who spend 30 to 50 percent of income on rent — are Rochester and the cities surrounding it. But the areas in Minnesota with renters that have the most severe cost burdens — more than 50 percent of income goes to rent — are Duluth, Fergus Falls and Mankato.