>>Minnesota Representatives Help Pass Bipartisan Tax Relief Bill
(Washington, D.C.) — The U-S House is sending a 78-billion-dollar tax relief package to the Senate after passing it Wednesday evening on a 357-70 vote. Majority Whip Tom Emmer says the commonsense legislation will lower Americans’ tax bills, boost U-S competitiveness, and support small businesses. Congresswoman Angie Craig says it’s estimated that the expanded child tax credit would benefit nearly 200 thousand children in Minnesota in its first year. Representative Ilhan Omar says she voted for the tax compromise to bring immediate financial relief to her constituents but much more could have been done for working families.
>>Superior National Forest Officials Worried about 2024 Wildfire Danger
(Duluth, MN) — A mild, dry winter has Superior National Forest officials raising concerns about wildfire danger in 2024 — but it’s too soon to tell how early it could start. Spokesman Nick Peatrack says minimal snowfall results in a lack of snowpack or less moisture in the grounds and fields. He says, “With the lack of a heavy snowpack, it allows our fine fields, such as the grass and some of the other herbaceous field types, to stand upright more, instead of being compacted onto the forest floor.” Peatrack says that increases fire danger because “oftentimes, our tall grass is the carrier for surface fires and rates of spread seem to increase, as opposed to it being matted down.”
>>Mayo Clinic Methodist Employees Picket in Rochester
(Rochester, MN) — Employees at the Mayo Clinic Methodist Campus continue to press hospital administrators for better wages. Union members held an informational picket in Rochester on Wednesday. Employees are seeking a 20-dollar-an-hour minimum wage to address what they call staff shortages and low morale. They’re also asking for raises for other workers to help retain needed staff. Union officials say Mayo’s proposed three-point-five-percent increase will not improve the staffing situation.
>>U.S. Attorney General Garland Honors Prosecution Team in George Floyd Federal Civil Rights Case
(Washington, D.C.) — U-S Attorney Merrick Garland is honoring the prosecution team in the George Floyd federal civil rights case with an award for exceptional service. Following a nearly five-week trial in 2022, a federal jury in Saint Paul found three former Minneapolis officers guilty of federal civil rights offenses. The chief defendant, ex-officer Derek Chauvin, pleaded guilty earlier to federal charges. Before that, a Hennepin County jury found Chauvin guilty of state charges of second-degree murder and he’s currently serving prison time.
