Capitol View for March 7

Good morning, and welcome to Monday.

This could be the week teachers in Minneapolis and St. Paul go on strike. They spent the weekend bargaining ahead of a strike deadline that could stop classes for more than 64,000 students in the Twin Cities starting Tuesday. Saint Paul educators said early Monday that they had just received a district response to their contract proposals, regarding class sizes, mental health support and teacher pay. The union says it is reviewing the offer and will resume bargaining today. In Minneapolis, the union said in an overnight update it sees little hope for avoiding a strike and said the district was not making significant movement. They are also seeking higher pay, lower class sizes and more mental health supports. Meanwhile MPR’s Elizabeth Shockman reports some families have begun to organize their own child care options.

At the Minnesota Capitol, a month of the legislative session has gone by, and deals on major issues are proving elusive. MPR’s Brian Bakst reports that the Republican-led Senate has approved a $2.7 billion bill to restock the unemployment trust fund and pay off a debt to the federal government for floating that account. Walz’s administration has said if nothing becomes law by March 15th, most Minnesota businesses will have to pay more in unemployment taxes.The DFL-controlled House has an unemployment fund bill lined up for a vote but hasn’t scheduled that yet. Leaders there have questioned whether blanket relief is warranted. The House has approved a $1 billion plan to provide pandemic frontline worker checks of up to $1,500. They’d go to as many as 677,000 people who couldn’t work from home during the early days of COVID-19 and who were seen as performing essential duties. Senate leaders have been cool to a proposal of that amount and scope of eligibility. Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller, R-Winona, has been reluctant to move off a previous agreement for a $250 million pool of bonuses, which he said should go mainly to health workers. On Friday, he suggested the window on any deal might be closing. “And given the forecast situation, Republicans are really focused on providing tax relief to all working Minnesotans,” Miller said. “And that's what our tax relief package does is it provides more money to working Minnesotans every single paycheck on a permanent, ongoing basis.” This is turning into a test of wills. Many around the Capitol expect something to happen in tandem, but that kind of agreement has yet to emerge.

Hundreds gathered on the steps of the Minnesota Capitol Sunday to express their support for the people of Ukraine, as Russia’s invasion continues. MPR’s Matt Sepic reports the rally brought together a cross-section of groups and faiths. The crowd heard prayers from Ukrainian Orthodox and Catholic priests and a rabbi. Liliia Muslimova is from Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that Russian forces invaded and annexed in 2014. "I came to support peace. I came to stand up against Putin's regime, Putin's leadership, against his aggression, against his murders,” she said. Dmitriy Pogorelsky is a native of Russia. He said he opposes the invasion, and was among those in the crowd who demanded that western countries take stronger action. "No fly zone. There is only one option,” he said. “Without this, [the] Ukrainian people of course win the war, but it's much harder for Ukraine to defeat Russia.”

Gov. Tim Walz was at that rally, and on Friday he signed an executive order that condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine and offers support to the people there.MPR’s Tim Pugmire reports the governor’s order requires state agencies to terminate any existing contracts with Russian entities and refrain from entering future contracts. It also encourages companies and organizations to do the same. The order helps ensure that the state does not aid the Russian government’s aggression, Walz said. He added that Minnesota stands firmly with Ukraine. “I encourage other individuals, companies and organizations to stand with their Ukrainian neighbors and end support to Russian entities,” the governor said in a statement. “I also urge Minnesotans to support our fellow Russian Minnesotans, many of whom are horrified and alarmed by the Russian government’s aggression toward Ukraine.”

Sahan Journal reports that the FBI questioned several Somali residents of a south Minneapolis highrise last month about voting in a 2020 special city election. The reason for the questions isn’t clear, and the FBI isn’t talking. Shahan Journal says it talked to five people and they said they were shaken by the questioning. The special election was to replace city council member Abdi Warsame. In their accounts to Sahan Journal, they said they voted by requesting absentee ballots and then dropped them off before Election Day at the city’s election center. They say several cars picked them up and brought them to the election center to drop off their ballots. One of the apartment residents described receiving help from interpreters to complete her absentee ballot application.