Good morning. Twice as much thought went into this one.
Gov. Tim Walz is predicting a limited to-do list for Minnesota’s 2024 Legislative session. Walz spoke with MPR News host Cathy Wurzer on Tuesday morning about what we can expect during this year’s legislative session. After the whirlwind of 2023, Walz said lawmakers will have a shorter list of priorities this year. The main focus this session? A public construction projects bill. State agencies and local governments have requested billions of dollars for construction projects and lawmakers will put together a list of projects that will receive state funding when they return to the Capitol next month. There are also constraints around new program spending because Minnesota’s fiscal fortunes could fall into deficit territory if too much gets added to budgets in the coming year.
Legislative leaders are set to meet with law enforcement officials this month to consider potential fixes to the state's student restraint law. Yesterday, Gov. Tim Walz told reporters that he had reviewed a new report on the law that led some police departments to pull school resource officers from schools last year. The law bars school staff from restraining students in a way that impairs their breathing. The governor says he hopes to strike a balance with a legislative fix. "We’ll meet with law enforcement because we've been working together in this trying to reach a compromise that satisfies everyone on this. They have concerns about the legal vulnerability with SROs. But the ability to make sure that we're not using restraints on our children in schools that are dangerous." Lawmakers are set to return for the 2024 legislative session on Feb. 12.
Duluth’s new mayor has taken office. Roger Reinert took his oath yesterday, as MPR’s Dan Kraker reports . Reinert is an attorney, a commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve and a former DFL state legislator. He defeated incumbent Emily Larson handily to be the 40th person to lead the city that is the gateway to the North Shore. “We spent months talking about the work and now we get to do it. You have entrusted me with Duluth’s next chapter and I do not take that responsibility lightly,” Reinert said in his city hall inaugural ceremony.
The state of Minnesota is asking the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse a lower court ruling that temporarily bars Minnesota from limiting generic drug price increases. An industry trade group challenged the new law that was enacted last year. The Association for Accessible Medicines claimed it will make it more difficult for Minnesotans to get drugs, which are often less expensive than brand-name prescription medicine. Last month, a federal judge granted the group's request for a temporary injunction. On Tuesday, DFL Attorney General Keith Ellison appealed the ruling.
The Legal Marijuana Now Party has submitted its presidential primary ballot, and it includes one candidate from Minnesota. Dennis Schuller is one of six on the ballot. Schuller served on the Richfield Planning Commission and has run for Congress, the Senate and the Minnesota House on the party’s ticket. Other candidates on the ballot are Edward Forchion, Krystal Gabel, Rudy Reyes and perennial candidate Vermin Supreme, who is known for wearing a boot (yes, an actual boot) on his head. At the Lesser-Known Candidate Forum in New Hampshire in December, he said, "Vermin Supreme will take away your guns ... and give you better ones. And these better guns will shoot marshmallows, but they will still be lethal."
Yesterday, we mentioned that multiple seats on Minnesota’s Supreme Court are on the 2024 ballot. Minnesota has so far escaped the costly, no-holds-barred contests for control of its judiciary (here’s looking at you, Wisconsin). But that specter is worth watching. A keen-eyed reader noted the use of “at least three” justices being on the ballot. We hedged because there has been casual debate over Chief Justice Natalie Hudson’s status given that she moved from an associate justice seat to the chief role. She formally resigned her associate spot to take on the top job, which is a separate judicial term. That means under Minnesota’s Constitution she’ll face voters in 2024, according to a judicial branch spokesperson. Justice G. Barry Anderson hits the judicial retirement age of 70 in October, but his seat won’t necessarily be before voters depending on how long he stays. One reading of Minnesota law is that he can remain there until his term is up in early 2025. But there has also been litigation in the past around the timing of a Supreme Court justice’s retirement as it relates to choosing or electing a successor. (See Page v. Carlson). If Anderson lets Walz pick his replacement, that person won’t be on the ballot until 2026. So four seats — a majority — seem certain to be before voters, but potentially up to five.
Finally, you might have spotted that today’s newsletter has a second byline — one of two new additions to our politics team that you’ll meet in coming days. Here’s MPR Political Fellow Ellie Roth telling us about Ellie Roth: "I’ve spent the past few years at internships with the Star Tribune, Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, the Pioneer Press and most recently a six-month stint at APM Reports, our investigative journalism unit at American Public Media, right down the hall from the MPR newsroom. I graduated from the University of Minnesota in May 2023 with a degree in journalism and political science. I grew up in De Pere, Wis., a suburb of Green Bay. I’ve had so much fun exploring the Twin Cities and the rest of the state, camping and hiking up north, enjoying the incredible restaurant scene, skiing at Lutsen and attending a Vikings game or two (don’t tell the family back home). I’m really excited to join this team during what will no doubt be a crazy year in politics. I have a special interest in engaging with younger voters and hope to find ways we can keep expanding our coverage to new audiences." | 