>>MN House Passes Supllemental Bill for K-12 Education
(St. Paul, MN) – The Democrat-controlled Minnesota House passed a supplemental budget bill for K-12 education Tuesday despite Republicans’ objections. Red Wing Representative Pam Altendorf says Democrats showed their priorities in 2023 when they had money to do anything they wanted, they chose “ 65 new mandates strangling our education systems.” Hopkins Democrat Cheryl Youakim responds the state is “very lucky” in a supplemental budget year to have more money to spend on kids and more investments in the READ Act. She says it “provides our districts flexibility in funds for innovation; puts more teachers in our classrooms; keeps more students in our classrooms.” Democrats are touting demonstration grants for nine school districts to reduce student absences, plus more funding to train teachers on literacy curriculum.
>>MN DHS to Begin Cecking MA Enrollees Assets for Eligible Coverage
(Undated) – The Minnesota Department of Human Services is restarting the longstanding practice of checking Medical Assistance enrollees’ assets to make sure they’re eligible for coverage. Assistant Commissioner John Connolly says they will give asset tests to people who are 65- years old or older, people who are blind or have a disability, people using long-term care services, and people who are in a Medicare savings program. Connolly says enrollees who don’t need testing will be notified by the state; the list includes children, pregnant people, adults under the age of 65, and caretakers. Enrollees can look up their renewal month on the DHS’s website. (www.mnrenewallookup.com)
>>Authorities ID 3-Year-Old Killed in Dakota County Crash
(Hampton, MN) — Authorities are naming the three-year-old boy killed in a Dakota County crash that shut down Highway 52 near Hampton Monday for several hours. The medical examiner says Sebastian Chavez Garcia of St. Paul died of multiple blunt force injuries. State troopers say Chavez Garcia was in a car that crossed the centerline and collided with a semi. The driver – 28-year-old Marie Garcia Galindo of St. Paul – was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. The roadway was wet at the time of the crash.
>>Clergy, Faith Leaders Highlight “Historic” Lack of Housing in MN
(Minneapolis, MN) – Clergy and faith leaders are highlighting the “urgent” need for state lawmakers to address Minnesota’s growing housing crisis. Doug Mork with the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Minneapolis says he believes that everyone has the inherent dignity to affordable and safe housing options, regardless of skin color, zip code, or life experience, but those standards are not being met. Mork says Minnesota faces a 100,000 housing unit shortage and legislation to expand housing options for developers and residents has been halted during the legislative session by city officials who represent areas where affordable housing benchmarks are lagging.
>>Bar to be Expelled from MN Legislation is High, Will Mitchell Resign?
(Undated) – Hamline University Professor David Schultz says that based on available records, his best estimate is that since Minnesota became a state, around two dozen legislators have resigned because of serious criminal allegations, usually stepping down before going to trial. Schultz says most cases seem to involve embezzlement or misappropriation of funds in lawmakers’ private lives — not public money — although there have been some cases involving allegations of physical assault. Despite this, Schultz says there is no recorded instance of any state legislator ever actually having been expelled from the state legislature. The bar for expulsion is high, as the Minnesota Constitution requires a two-thirds majority in the chamber where the member is serving.
>>Warm Winter Weather Effects on MN Fish Species
(Undated) – With Minnesota’s fishing opener on the horizon, experts are raising concerns about the mild winter’s impact on some fish species. Dr. Gretchen Hansen with the U of M College of Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences says some species like walleye or yellow perch need a certain period of cold temperatures for their eggs to develop as fully; a short winter could hinder their eggs from developing fully. Hansen says these impacts have already been observed in places like Lake Erie, but studies are still “ongoing” in Minnesota.
>>Bally Sports North, Twins Games No Longer Available on Comcast/Xfinity
(Minneapolis, MN) — Minnesota Twins fans will no longer be able to watch their favorite baseball team on Comcast/Xfinity cable T-V. The owner of Bally Sports North is in bankruptcy proceedings and its deal with Comcast expired at midnight. The channel went dark on Comcast and had a message saying, “Bally Sports is no longer available.” Xfinity says it will be issuing proactive monthly credits to customers for the loss of this network. The Twins ride a nine-game win streak into today’s series finale at the Chicago White Sox.
