| Give them this, they’re all projecting optimism. That’s about the only constant these past few weeks. The target for a special session has moved repeatedly . The agreements that were seemingly firmed up are a bit more mushy. A potential partial government shutdown that was once far in the distance is creeping more into the picture. Legislative leaders and Gov. Tim Walz haven’t been able to close the deal to close up the budget. Even when they do, we will have to watch to see if they can muster the votes to ratify it and do it in a day — as all the main players say they want. A Saturday special session is possible but don’t bet your house on it. Getting to the point of Walz calling one is just the first step. Then, it’s getting lawmakers back to town, getting them to suspend the rules for rapid consideration and getting the majorities required to pass it all.
Minnesota Congressman Tom Emmer praised the Trump administration's tax bill during a telephone town hall Wednesday night. Kirsti Marohn reports that during the hour-long call, the 6th District Republican praised Trump's "big, beautiful bill," saying it will cut taxes, reduce spending and improve border security. He pushed back on a Congressional Budget Office report that the bill would add $2.4 trillion to the debt over 10 years. The callers were mostly friendly. One did ask why Emmer and other members of Congress are willing to give up so much power to the president. Emmer disputed that, and said the vast majority of Americans think the administration is on the right track. "I think they're doing exactly what they're supposed to do, and Congress is doing what it's supposed to do by making sure that we're passing the legislation that's necessary for the administration to continue." Reporters were allowed to listen in on the call, but not ask questions.
Sen. Nicole Mitchell is requesting to appear remotely at a Monday hearing ahead of an upcoming trial on burglary charges. The remote appearance request was filed Tuesday in Becker County District Court. In it, attorney Dane DeKray said the Woodbury DFLer is seeking the accommodation because “there is a good chance the Minnesota state Senate will be in special session that day, and Nicole would like to attend her hearing and also fulfill her duties as an elected official.” Mitchell was permitted to attend a previous hearing in January by virtual hookup. The trial is approaching on two felony charges stemming from an April 2024 arrest. Unless there are additional delays or a settlement, the trial would start on June 16 in Detroit Lakes.
Today is the long-awaited lotteries to determine which potential cannabis businesses will get to move forward with the licensing steps. It’s actually a pair of lotteries, with one in the morning reserved for social equity applicants seeking four types of cultivator, manufacturer, mezzobusiness and retailer licenses. In the afternoon, there is another broader lottery for three types of licenses. It’s a digital drawing system and involves applicants who have already gone through a review and vetting process. This is a big step toward the retail market launching later this year. The Office of Cannabis Management has set up a livestream on its YouTube channel. Only application numbers will be announced so it’ll take some legwork to determine which operators are selected.
Limits on those so-called forever chemicals in drinking water are getting a fresh look from President Donald Trump’s administration. Kirsti Marohn reports that the EPA intends to uphold limits on the two most common chemicals known as PFOA and PFOS. But a deadline for water utilities to meet standards could be delayed on four other potentially harmful PFAS chemicals. Twenty-two Minnesota public water supplies have PFAS levels above the limits. Several cities with elevated PFAS levels are moving ahead with plans to install treatment systems to remove the chemicals from their water supplies — some with money from the state of Minnesota’s 2018 legal settlement with 3M over contamination in the east Twin Cities metro.
The Department of Corrections has begun laying out its plans for closing the door on the Stillwater prison. Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell sent a memo to family and friends of incarcerated people Wednesday that describes how the DOC has put together working groups to assess and plan out impacts on workers, how incarcerated people would be moved to new locations, what programming will look like during the phased shut down and communications and engagement around the closure. Schnell has already rolled out the larger two-phase shut down, which would transfer the nearly 1,200 people in the prison to other facilities and then fully close the prison by 2029.
Anyone who knows Brian, knows one of his pet peeves is when people use DMV (that doesn’t exist in Minnesota) as a substitute for DVS (that does exist). So it was easy to spot the latest text scam from a mile away. The barrage of texts that hit Minnesota from international phone numbers alerted recipients to delinquent traffic tickets and warned that failure to pay up would lead to suspended licenses, added fees and prosecution. Again, it’s all a scam, just like those tardy toll charge messages that went out in waves over the last year or so. The legitimate Department of Public Safety, where the Division of Vehicle Services is housed, points out that the messages are fake and that they’ll never pursue collection in this fashion. “Don’t click links. Delete the message,” is their advice. The State Patrol added that anyone who did fall victim should file a complaint through the FBI. Stay vigilant, my friends. | 
