>>Minnesota Voters To Decide School Funding Amendment
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota voters will decide this fall whether to increase payments to public schools from the state’s Permanent School Fund. The roughly $2.3 billion fund paid schools $58 million last year. The constitutional amendment would increase the distribution rate from about two-and-a-half percent to four-and-a-half percent of the fund’s three-year average value. Supporters say that would have meant about $33 more per student last year. The bipartisan proposal will appear on the November 3rd ballot. A blank vote counts as a “no.”
>>Craig Calls for Congressional Hearings on Farm Economy
(Washington, DC) — Minnesota Congresswoman Angie Craig is calling for congressional hearings on challenges facing American farmers. The Second District Democrat and Ohio Congresswoman Shontel Brown are urging House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson to examine the condition of the farm economy and possible policy changes. Craig says farmers are facing rising input costs and other economic pressures. She serves as the ranking Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee.
>>Rising Medicaid Costs Put Pressure on Minnesota Budget
(St. Paul, MN) — Rising Medicaid costs are putting increasing pressure on Minnesota’s state budget. Medical Assistance, Minnesota’s Medicaid program, provides health coverage to more than 1.2 million people. State budget officials say health and human services spending is expected to continue climbing through 2029, with Medical Assistance accounting for the largest share. The growing costs come as Minnesota also faces uncertainty over billions of dollars in federal Medicaid funding. State officials warn losing significant federal support could affect healthcare providers and services for vulnerable Minnesotans.
>>Federal Case Against ICE Agent Remains Unresolved
(Minneapolis, MN) — A potential federal case against ICE agent Christian Castro remains unresolved. Prosecutors reportedly considered false-statement and civil rights charges stemming from a January shooting in Minneapolis, but no indictment was filed before Castro was released from a Texas jail last week. Texas released Castro after Governor Greg Abbott did not act on Minnesota’s extradition request within 90 days. The Justice Department says its review is ongoing and it will not rush a decision.
>>FDA Warns About Safety Risk with Minnesota-Based Medtronic Device
(Fridley, MN) — Minnesota-based medical device giant Medtronic is removing certain reflux-monitoring devices because of a potentially serious safety problem. The FDA says some Bravo CF capsule delivery devices may fail to attach properly to a patient’s esophagus or may release from the delivery system. Medtronic has reported 184 serious injuries and no deaths linked to the issue. Healthcare providers are being told to stop using affected devices and return them to Medtronic for replacement.
>>Minnesota State Fair Corn Goes from Field to Fair Overnight
(Monticello, MN) — The roasted corn served at the Minnesota State Fair makes a quick trip from a Monticello-area field to the fairgrounds. Untiedt’s Vegetable Farm has supplied corn for more than 20 years. Workers harvest every ear by hand, then cool the corn at the farm’s Waverly facility before trucking it to the fairgrounds overnight. About 25-thousand ears of the specially selected Mirai sweet corn are sold each day of the fair.
