>>Flags Half-Staff Wednesday, Thursday in Honor of Rev. Jesse Jackson
(St. Paul, MN) – Flags in Minnesota will be flying at half-staff on Wednesday and Thursday in honor and remembrance of the late Reverend Jesse Jackson. He died last week at age 84. The proclamation from Governor Tim Walz says Jackson’s fight for civil rights, dignity, and fairness changed our country and will inspire generations to come. Jackson ran for president in 1984 and 1988 and helped broaden civic participation. He spoke at a church in Minneapolis on May 28th, 2020, following the police killing of George Floyd.
>>MN’s New Roadmap to Program Integrity, Fraud Prevention Plan
(St. Paul, MN) – The 250 million dollar Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, as well as other fraud allegations across state government programs, led to today’s announcement of the Roadmap to Program Integrity and Fraud Prevention plan. Director Tim O’Malley, appointed in December by Governor Tim Walz, says that since at least the 70s, every administration and legislative body was notified of weaknesses to the program’s integrity. He says plans were “repeatedly put in place but not executed effectively.” O’Malley says the causes are multifaceted, require multiple reforms, and the Roadmap will provide a workable improvement plan. The report targets nine reform recommendations, which the state Legislature will use to make budget and policy decisions this session.
>>Republicans Launch Minnesota Freedom Caucus
(St. Paul, MN) – Minnesota is the 15th state to launch a Freedom Caucus chapter. House lead, Republican Representative Drew Roach of Farmington, says the Minnesota Freedom Caucus marks a new chapter for conservative leadership in our state. He says, “We are a unified bloc of principled conservatives from both the House and Senate who refuse to compromise on the core values that built this great state.” Roach is calling for single-subject bills and no more backroom budget deals with zero debate. Republican Senator Eric Lucero of St. Michael is the chair of the new Minnesota Freedom Caucus. Lucero announced today the founding members include Senator Nathan Wesenberg as Senate leader, Senator Bill Lieske as assistant Senate leader, Senator Michael Holmstrom, Representative Drew Roach as House leader, Representative Ben Davis as assistant House leader, and Representative Michael Wiener.” Lucero says the Minnesota Freedom Caucus is not a breakaway caucus, but a sub-caucus of Republicans. The Freedom Caucus in the Missouri Senate led to sharp division in a Republican-controlled legislature.
>>Gov. Walz Appoints Gandhi as DHS Commissioner
(St. Paul, MN) – Shireen Gandhi will continue to serve as Minnesota’s commissioner of Human Services (DHS) permanently. Gandhi has been the department’s temporary commissioner for the past year, leading efforts to strengthen program integrity and crack down on Medicaid fraud. Governor Tim Walz says Gandhi has shown “steady, decisive leadership,” calling her work vital to ensuring taxpayer dollars reach Minnesotans who rely on state services. In her time, DHS brought in a new inspector general, expanded the use of data analytics to flag suspicious billing patterns, and increased oversight of high-risk Medicaid providers. State employees are also in the process of revalidating more than 5,800 providers through on-site visits. Gandhi joined DHS in 2017 and previously served as a deputy commissioner overseeing budgeting and agency operations.
>>Supreme Court Declines Challenge to MN’s Captive Audience Ban
(St. Paul, MN) – Minnesota’s ban on captive-audience meetings will remain in place after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge. The decision affirms an earlier Eighth Circuit ruling that dismissed the lawsuit. Passed in 2023, the law protects employees from retaliation if they choose not to attend mandatory employer-sponsored meetings about political or religious views or about union organizing. The statute does not restrict what employers can say. With the Supreme Court denying review, the litigation is over, and the law remains fully enforceable.
>>Flights From MSP to Puerto Vallarta Canceled Amid Unrest in Mexico
(Bloomington, MN) – Air travel between Minneapolis-St. Paul and Puerto Vallarta are being disrupted following violent unrest tied to the killing of a major cartel leader in Mexico. Delta Air Lines canceled two scheduled flights from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport today, and two Delta flights that left Puerto Vallarta on Sunday were forced to return to the Twin Cities. Sun Country Airlines also canceled two flights. The disruptions follow widespread violence triggered by the killing of Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, during a Mexican military operation. The unrest has spread throughout several regions of the country, including Jalisco State, where Puerto Vallarta is located. The U.S. State Department has issued a warning urging Americans in Jalisco to shelter in place until conditions stabilize.
>>Duluth Faces Fines in 2024 Tischer Creek Fish Kill
(Duluth, MN) – Duluth is facing more than $200,000in penalties following a 2024 incident that led to a fish kill in Tischer Creek, a designated trout stream. According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), the issue began on July 31st, 2024, when the city released nearly two million gallons of water containing chlorine and monochloramine into the creek. Both chemicals are toxic to aquatic life, and MPCA officials say the levels detected were lethal to fish in the waterway. The agency’s investigation took nearly two years to complete. With the findings now finalized, the city is expected to pay just over $200,000 in fines connected to the incident.
