Minnesota News Network

The fire that destroyed a 90-year-old pavilion in Minneapolis last week is now being investigated as a crime. Minneapolis Police today released city camera footage of a man and a woman loitering near Lola on the Lake restaurant at Bde Maka Ska the night the fire broke out. Minneapolis Police Sergeant Darcy Horn says the two are “people of interest that the investigators would like to speak to.” Anyone with information is asked to call the department’s arson investigation tip line at 612-673-3070.  Information leading to the identification of these individuals may qualify for a reward. No one was hurt in the fire.

The Minnesota Legislature did not finish its work before last night’s (Mon) midnight deadline to adjourn, meaning a special session will be needed. Senate Republican Majority Leader Paul Gazelka says they’re “very close” to wrapping up most of the budget bills for a special session. “We all want to get done Thursday or Friday, want to be done in front of Memorial Day weekend,” he says.

House Republican Minority Leader Kurt Daudt blames Democrats for putting the legislature into overtime. “They passed one budget bill to the governor’s desk — one budget bill. The last time they passed only one budget bill or less was 1985,” Daudt says.

But the reason why the legislature missed its deadline is because Republicans as well as Democrats and the governor couldn’t agree on the budget until Sunday.

A 3.4-billion-dollar higher education measure was the only budget bill the Minnesota Legislature was able to pass before the regular session clock ran out at midnight Monday. The measure is 150 million dollars over current budget and Saint Louis Park Democrat Ron Latz lamented, “We are inadequately funding the University of Minnesota.” Chaska Republican Scott Jensen responded, “The pie is only so big, Senator Latz, and we know that. Where are we gonna take the money [from]? We’re all feeling the pinch.” Latz fired back, “The majority caucus in this body [Republicans] today created the size of the pie.” Republicans respond they resisted billions of dollars of tax increases that Democrats and Governor Tim Walz wanted.

The U-of-M gets about a 43-million-dollar increase in the bill and the Minnesota State system around 80 million dollars. Tuition increases at state colleges and universities (Minnesota State) would be capped at three percent each of the next two years, and lawmakers are also asking the U-of-M to do the same.

State Higher Education Commissioner Dennis Olson calls it a “good, strong bill” that he thinks the governor “will be proud to sign.”

Activists are marching around the State Capitol the last night of the regular session tonight, demanding lawmakers pass a bill allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain drivers licenses in Minnesota. They contend it will make Minnesota roads safer because immigrant drivers will be better trained and more will have insurance. Opponents warn it will allow more illegal immigrants to remain in Minnesota in violation of federal law. There’s little chance the bill would pass the Republican-controlled Minnesota Senate.

The state Department of Public Safety today is marking 10 years since Minnesota passed its primary seat belt law.  The year before the primary seat belt law, 152 unbelted motorists lost their lives on Minnesota roads. In 2018, preliminary numbers show that number decreased to 92. The state’s seat belt law, which requires drivers and passengers in all seating positions to buckle up or be seated in the correct child restraint, took effect on June 9th, 2009 in honor of Meghan Cooper, who was killed at the age of 15 in a 1999 crash. Meghan’s family was a driving force behind the passing of the primary seat belt law.  Today also marks the beginning of the latest Click It or Ticket campaign, which runs through June 2nd.

Governor Tim Walz and legislative leaders announced Sunday night they’ve agreed on the framework of a new state budget, but all the details won’t be worked out before Monday’s midnight deadline for the legislature to adjourn — meaning a special session will be needed. Republicans get income tax cuts for many middle-class Minnesotans and got the governor to back off from a gas tax increase. But Republicans had to agree to Walz’s demand for a permanent extension of the medical provider tax (at 1.8 percent). Senate G-O-P Majority Leader Paul Gazelka says the budget deal, “It was a draw, and it was good for Minnesota.”

Governor Walz had to go along with Republicans’ push for two years of “reinsurance” to hold down health care premiums, and his expansion of MinnesotaCare is *not* in the deal. “We weren’t ready at this point in time to say what’s coming next, that we’re going to try and work on it together, and I agree,” Walz said.

As for getting the deal so close to the adjournment deadline, the governor said, “I’m gonna count this as on-time, as a football coach. This is just an overtime period. That’s all this last one is, to get it finished. So we are on time.” Senate Republican Majority Leader Paul Gazelka agreed. House Speaker Melissa Hortman says, “I would suspect that we can get a special session completed in one day on Thursday, if everybody agrees and everybody’s schedules work out.” But House Republican Minority Leader Kurt Daudt says, “I would guess probably five days at the minimum would be as quick as we could get out of here, but we’ll see if they’re interested in engaging us in some conversation.”

Governor Walz and Senate Republicans also plan a 500-million-dollar bonding bill for roads and bridges — but will need help from Republicans in the House, and Minority Leader Daudt said Sunday night, “We don’t know anything about a 500-million-dollar bonding bill. No one has talked to us at all about bonding, and here we are the day before the end of session.”