Requested audit of state's COVID response not coming
Good afternoon,
Welcome back to those of you who've been taking a well-deserved vacation!
If you missed it, I'm running a contest to identify the best orators in the Minnesota Legislature. Submit your nominations via email here. On Wednesday, I'll announce finalists and post a poll to vote for a winner!
One of the components of the just-passed budget was a provision requesting the Office of the Legislative Auditor to conduct a comprehensive review of Minnesota's COVID-19 response. But Jim Nobles, the widely respected legislative auditor, says he doesn't have the resources to conduct the requested COVID response investigation and so isn't planning to do it. He'll still conduct some smaller audits of parts of the state's response, starting later this week with a look at some COVID testing contracts. [ Read more from Brian Bakst]
Another part of the budget were provisions setting out security requirements for ballot drop-boxes, which previously had no legal guidelines. The measure had bipartisan agreement, though Republicans say Minnesota needs even tighter election security. [Read more from Tim Pugmire]
Minnesota finished its fiscal year with $2.684 billion more in revenue than predicted last February, an 11.2 percent increase. The state's economic forecasters predict Minnesota's GDP will grow faster than 5 percent per year for the next two years, which would be the fastest growth rate since 2000. [Read more from Minnesota Management and Budget]
But of course all the energy in Minnesota politics right now is directed at the curious case of Rep. John Thompson, who has a Wisconsin drivers license despite being a Minnesota lawmaker. St. Paul police say they can't yet release body camera footage of Thompson's recent traffic stop without the lawmaker's consent, which he hasn't givenSome of Thompson's fellow Democrats criticized him, with DFL chair Ken Martin saying he is "disappointed by his recent actions" and Gov. Tim Walz saying the footage should be releasedThompson renewed his Wisconsin drivers license last November, using a Wisconsin address to do soHis traffic ticket listed a St. Paul address, but one on Blair Avenue in Frogtown, outside Thompson's East Side district Thompson, or someone sharing his full name and birth year, is a registered Minnesota voter on York Avenue in District 67A, which he represents. My database — which doesn't include last fall's election yet — shows Thompson voted in the 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 general elections, as well as a 2017 municipal election and the 2020 primary.There is no one sharing Thompson's name and birthday currently registered to vote in Wisconsin, nor has there been since at least 2006, when Wisconsin's current database launched Republican Rep. Eric Lucero filed an ethics complaint against Thompson for an unrelated incident, in which Lucero alleges Thompson called him a racist on the House floor Thompson has largely not commented publicly since news of the incident came out last week, though he texted the Minnesota Reformer that, "I live on the Eastside of (St. Paul). Raised kids on the Eastside and I plan on retiring on the Eastside!" [Read more from the Pioneer Press, Minnesota Reformer and FOX 9]
It may be worth noting that this incident apparently only became news because Thompson himself discussed his recent traffic stop and the alleged racial profiling to which he was subjected in a recent speech, which prompted reporters to investigate the incident.
Outside of Minnesota, Texas Democrats have fled the state to prevent votes on Republican-backed elections bills. Without the Democratic lawmakers, the Texas House and Senate won't have a quorum; law enforcement is allowed to round up missing lawmakers but doesn't have jurisdiction over state lines. The fleeing lawmakers will have to remain beyond state lines until the end of the special session in early August, at least. [Read more from NPR's Paul DeBenedetto]
Something completely different: Cover songs are a musical staple in a host of genres, from classical to jazz to folk to rock. One exception? Rap, where covers are extremely rare. Adam Neely breaks down the various reasons why this is (or might be the case), including an interesting taxonomy of four types of covers: The "minor cover," which is just mimicry (as you might see from a cover band)The "major cover," which reinterprets a song (like Jimi Hendrix covering Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower")The "send-up," which ironically subverts the original song (like Sid Vicious' version of Frank Sinatra's "My Way") The full "parody" (such as "Weird Al" Yankovich) [Watch]
Listen: The true triumph of a cover is when it becomes even better than the original. I don't know if you can actually say that of Weird Al's "Word Crimes," given that it never quite transcends its novelty nature, but given the original I'm certainly glad we have this amusing parody. [Watch] | |
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