>>Congresswoman, Senate Candidate Angie Craig Skipping DFL Convention
(St. Paul, MN) – Congresswoman Angie Craig is stepping away from the DFL endorsement contest in Minnesota’s U.S. Senate race and will instead focus on competing in the August primary for the open seat. The announcement came today just days before delegates gather in Rochester for the state DFL convention, where Craig and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan had been expected to battle for the party’s backing. Flanagan’s campaign said she currently holds a sizable advantage among convention delegates. In remarks to supporters, Craig said she remains committed to the DFL Party but argued the endorsement process no longer represents the full range of voters across Minnesota. She also pointed to the state’s increasingly competitive political landscape as part of her decision to bypass the convention fight.
>>Congresswoman Morrison Introduces “Housing for All Veterans Act”
(Bloomington, MN) – U.S. Representative Kelly Morrison (MN-03) was in the Twin Cities to announce her legislation to end veteran homelessness called the “The Housing for All Veterans Act.” This legislation is modeled after a program in Minnesota that guarantees housing vouchers to all low-income veterans to prevent and end homelessness. Representative Morrison is a member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and says the bill has bipartisan support. Minnesota Senator Tina Smith is leading the bill for passage in the Senate.
>>Governor Walz Signs Kayla’s Hope Act Into Law
(St. Paul, MN) – Governor Tim Walz today signed Kayla’s HOPE Act into law during a ceremonial signing at the State Capitol. The bill directs the Minnesota Department of Transportation, in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Health, to develop statewide criteria and best practices for determining when and where suicide prevention measures should be incorporated into bridge and infrastructure projects. This will include both new construction and repaired structures. The bill is named after 29-year-old Kayla Gaebel, who took her own life in 2023 at the Washington Avenue Bridge in Minneapolis.
Walz, Lawmakers Approve $4.5 Million For Wrongfully Convicted Minnesotan
(Minneapolis, MN) — Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and state lawmakers have approved a $4.5 million compensation payment for Marvin Haynes, who spent nearly 20 years in prison for a murder conviction that was later overturned. Haynes was convicted in the 2004 killing of a Minneapolis woman, but a judge vacated the conviction in 2023 after determining key eyewitness testimony had been coerced. Governor Walz recently signed the Minnesota Imprisonment and Exoneration Remedies Act, which provides compensation for people who are wrongfully imprisoned. Under the law, exonerees can receive up to $100,000 for each year spent behind bars. Haynes also has a pending lawsuit against the Minneapolis Police Department.
>>Advocates hope new federal law will help expand broadband access in rural Minnesota
(Undated) – A new federal law led by Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar aims to strengthen oversight of broadband funding in rural communities. The Rural Broadband Protection Act requires the FCC to more carefully vet companies receiving federal dollars-after past cases where providers failed to deliver on promised projects. Minnesota Telecom Alliance CEO Brent Christensen says reaching the last rural connections is the most expensive, making accountability critical. He says the law will help ensure funding goes to reliable providers. Supporters say expanding broadband access could improve healthcare, education, and daily life across rural Minnesota.
