Good morning. Who invited winter?
The U.S. House is speakerless no more. Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson gained the gavel in something of a feat: He didn’t lose any Republican votes en route to one of the most powerful jobs in the federal government. And he’s only been in Washington for a half-dozen years. If you hadn’t heard of Johnson until this week, you’re probably not alone. The AP has a quickie profile of the new speaker, calling him “a quiet force within the Republican conference he now unexpectedly leads.” Minnesota’s delegation split its votes along party lines. All four Republicans – Reps. Tom Emmer, Brad Finstad, Michelle Fischbach and Pete Stauber – were with Johnson. The four Democrats – Reps. Angie Craig, Betty McCollum, Ilhan Omar and Dean Phillips – backed New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries.
Meanwhile, Minnesota’s 7th District Rep. Michelle Fischbach is looking to step into a leadership role. She sent a letter last night to colleagues about her bid for House Republican Conference vice chair. That’s the post that new Speaker Johnson held until his ascension. Fischbach notes that she was Minnesota Senate president when the GOP had a one-seat edge.
Speaker Johnson served notice that the House will make up for lost time by acting on stalled items, even shortening an upcoming recess. First up was a resolution condemning Hamas and reaffirming the U.S. commitment to Israel’s security. It passed on a 412-10 vote. Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar of the 5th District was one of those against the resolution. She explained her vote as consistent with her view there should be a ceasefire and more diplomacy.
With all of the attention on unrest abroad and dysfunction in D.C., it would be easy to forget that an election is approaching. MPR’s Dan Kraker checks in on a hotly contested Duluth mayoral race. Incumbent Emily Larson is trying to hold off challenger Roger Reinert, a former DFL state senator. Kraker writes that the debates have been pointed and mailers have been sharp, reflecting the most competitive race there in 15 years.
More than 100 school board seats are on the line around the state. Most are sleepy elections, but some races are intense. MPR’s Kyra Miles took a step back to offer a primer on what school boards do, how much power they have and who sits on them.
Court cases will have an impact on who gets to vote. Challenges to a new Minnesota law giving people with felony convictions a quicker path back to the voting booth are pending. MPR’s Dana Ferguson had an update on a petition before the Court of Appeals. That panel allowed cases brought forward by two defendants in Mille Lacs County to be consolidated into one. At issue is a handful of sentences from Mille Lacs judge who sentenced defendants convicted of felony charges to probation and barred them from voting despite the law change. Another lawsuit will be heard in an Anoka County courtroom on Monday. Accelerated decisions are expected in both venues.
The money is now in hand for the extensive renovation and expansion of a Capitol campus office building. Dana followed up on the financing for the State Office Building project expected to get started soon. The state lined up $454 million in financing to pay for it. DFL House Majority Leader Jamie Long told her he still hopes the project could come in under budget, but noted the updates also address safety concerns and disability access. “The building that we're going to be constructing I think is going to last 40, 50 years or more. And it's going to be one that will pay dividends in the long run because of the quality of the construction, and because we're not going to be doing cutting corners the way that they did in the 1980s,” Long said. Republicans have urged a less costly project. | 