Capitol View for June 1

Good morning, and what do you know? It’s Wednesday and June 1 already. Time sure flies when you get a couple days off.

Candidate filings are closed, and there’s some clarity about who’s running for what. In the governor’s race there are no major primary challengers for either the DFL incumbent or the Republican candidate. A potential hurdle for Republican-endorsed Scott Jensen disappeared when former Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek decided not to enter the race. Two Legal Marijuana Now candidates filed — Chris Wright and James McCaskel. Steve Patterson filed as the Grassroots-Cannabis candidate. One third party campaign didn’t make it to the filing deadline — Forward Party candidate Cory Heppola’s campaign fizzled on the launch pad.

There will be a contested Republican primary for Minnesota attorney general. Doug Wardlow filed to challenge GOP-endorsed candidate Jim Schultz. “Since day one, the establishment in our state has fiercely opposed our campaign. The coordinated effort to keep actual conservatives off the ballot is the swamp at its worst,” Wardlow said in a statement. "I am confident that, on August 9th, Minnesota Republicans will send the establishment a clear message: they want true conservatives who they can trust to secure our elections, restore law and order, and stand up for our constitutional rights.” Republican leaders were not pleased. “Doug Wardlow broke his promise to abide by the endorsement and has instead proven himself to be a shameless politician motivated only by his personal ambitions,” Republican Party of Minnesota Chair David Hann said in a statement. “Doug Wardlow has an infamous track record of failed election bids. With this futile primary challenge, he will add one more loss to his record.”

A week after losing in the Republican primary, two GOP candidates filed to run for the 1st District congressional seat in November. It’s not clear why Jeremy Munson and Matt Benda filed. Just a week ago Munson said he would support the Republican primary winner Brad Finstad. GOP chair Hann issued another statement saying the party is “strongly disappointed” to see Munson and Benda file to run.

In special session news, DFL Gov. Tim Walz says small differences shouldn’t get in the way of finalizing a big deal for using Minnesota’s budget surplus. MPR’s Brian Bakst reports the governor stood in front of a C-130 cargo plane to tout legislative approval of $25 million in military service bonuses. He said that's a template for a bigger deal to be had around billions in projected surplus dollars. The Legislature adjourned without finishing a plan to put $4 billion each toward tax cuts and new program spending. “We have a golden opportunity to return to Minnesotans in forms of the largest tax cut in state history,” Walz said. “We can invest in things like education and transportation.” Walz said he hopes Republicans are willing to consider a special session to complete the package. “Out of this basically $12 billion we're quibbling about no small amount, but it's 200 million of that is really where the difference is,” Walz said. Some Republicans say they’d be willing to let the surplus carry over until the 2023 session.

Hundreds of teenagers marched in downtown Minneapolis Tuesday to protest the shooting in Uvalde, Texas that killed 19 students and two teachers.MPR’s Elizabeth Shockman reports they gathered outside the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, hundreds of K-12 students with them, holding signs and chanting, “No justice, no peace!” and “Hands up, don’t shoot!” “We’re here today because time and time again we’ve seen our lives have not mattered within our democracy, within our legislative floors, within our communities and within our schools,” said Highland Park High School senior, Jerome Treadwell. “It is a shame that time and time again we can go to school or our grocery stores with the fear of, ‘are we going to live?’” Treadwell and other students took turns reading a list of demands. Drawing in part on recommendations for school safety from Minnesota researchers, they asked for a change in state law to have fewer active shooter drills in schools. They also want government leaders to create a statewide advisory committee on student safety that includes student and teacher members and for school leaders to start annual mental health assessments for students. Demands also included a ban on AR-15 rifles as well as ramped up purchase, permit and registration requirements.