>>Minnesota House Republicans Roll Out North Star Comeback Plan
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota House Republicans are proposing what they call the largest tax cut in state history. G-O-P Speaker Lisa Demuth says the North Star Comeback Plan is a $3.8 billion dollar tax cut proposal. Demuth told Capitol reporters, “It includes one-time property tax relief, ending the taxes on tips and overtime, lowering our childcare costs, cutting car tab fees, and delivering hundreds of millions of dollars to Minnesota schools at no cost to taxpayers.” Democrats have offered their own proposals which include a tax on the wealthiest of Minnesotans and increasing the child tax credit.
>>Minnesota House Bill Would Increase Teacher Pay
(St. Paul, MN) — A bill introduced in committee by Minnesota House Democrats would address teacher pay and their share of rising healthcare costs. Representative Samantha Sencer-Mura of Minneapolis argued that higher health insurance premiums act like a pay cut for already-lagging teacher income. The bill includes an amendment that would set minimum salaries for teachers including $60,000 for full-time teachers without a master’s degree, and $80,000 for full-time teachers with a master’s. The measure was laid over for possible inclusion in a larger omnibus bill.
>>Iron Range Lawmaker Rips White House for Using Foreign Steel on Trump’s Ballroom Project
(St. Paul, MN) — A Minnesota lawmaker who represents the Iron Range is criticizing the Trump Administration for using foreign steel on construction of the White House ballroom project. D-F-L Senator Grant Hauschild of Hermantown called the move a “disgrace.” Hauschild says in a statement, “we’re seeing foreign steel used in one of the most iconic buildings in the world while Iron Range mines sit idle and hundreds of our steelworkers are out of work.” He’s calling on federal leaders to reverse course and ensure that American-made steel is used in any future construction at the White House.
>>Minnesota DHS Moves to Disenroll Hundreds of Medicaid Providers in Anti‑Fraud Push
(St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota Department of Human Services is stepping up efforts to combat Medicaid fraud by re‑enrolling providers statewide. D-H-S officials say more than 5,500 providers in high‑risk service areas were required to reapply. So far, 550 providers have been approved, while 160 have been disenrolled. More than 2,500 applications remain incomplete or unanswered. Deputy Director John Connolly says providers who fail to respond will be removed and barred from billing Medicaid. D-H-S expects to contact all providers by the end of May.
>>MDH Closely Watching Spread of new Cicada COVID Variant
(St. Paul, MN) — State health officials are keeping an eye on a highly mutated new COVID variant called B-A 3-dot-2, or “cicada.” Minnesota Department of Health Epidemiologist Keeley Morris says, “With that many mutations it’s likely going to be pretty good at evading any immunity that people have from being vaccinated or also from prior COVID-19 infections.” She says the good news is that B-A 3-dot-2 doesn’t seem to be causing more severe illness. The C-D-C says the “cicada” variant has been detected in at least 25 states. Morris says Minnesota has detected three cases of either B-A 3-dot-2 or some of its descendants, and we also had one site that had a positive wastewater detection.
>>Another Feeding Our Future Defendant Sentenced to Prison
(Minneapolis, MN) — Another defendant in the 250-million-dollar Feeding Our Future fraud case is sentenced to more than three-and-a-half years in federal prison. Sixty-five-year-old Abdullahe Jesow received a 43-month sentence and was ordered to repay 866-thousand dollars in restitution. He previously pleaded guilty to money laundering after using fraud proceeds to purchase property in Columbia Heights. Jesow is one of at least 79 defendants charged in the Feeding Our Future case, which authorities call the largest pandemic-related fraud scheme in the country.
>>St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Assaulting Sheriff’s Deputy
(Duluth, MN) — A St. Louis County man could spend more than 15 years in state prison for assaulting a sheriff’s deputy last May in Rice Lake. Prosecutors say 37-year-old Gideon Martin received the maximum sentence of 189 months for first-degree assault on Thursday. Investigators said the deputy was responding to the report of a suspicious male on May 26th, 2025, and Martin later assaulted and strangled him. Martin climbed up a tree and negotiated with authorities for four hours before coming down. The deputy was treated and released from the hospital.
>>Nine-Year-Old Boy Sets Fire at St. Cloud School
(St. Cloud, MN) — St. Cloud police are identifying the student accused of starting a fire last month at Westwood Elementary as a nine-year-old boy. Authorities say the fire was intentionally set in a school bathroom and caused enough smoke damage to force the school’s closure. Because Minnesota law prohibits prosecuting children under age 10, the case is being sent to the Stearns County Attorney’s Office to consider alternative actions. The school is expected to reopen for in-person learning on Monday after cleanup is complete.
>>Stillwater’s First Cannabis Shop is Opening Next Week
(Stillwater, MN) — Stillwater’s first adult-use cannabis shop is opening next week. Silver Therapeutics is set to open on April 17th. This week, the Stillwater City Council approved the store’s registration. While there are two other proposed cannabis retail locations, neither will likely open for several months.
>>Minnesota Wild Lose to Stars and Push for Home Ice in Playoffs
(Dallas, TX) — The Minnesota Wild fell to the Stars 5-4 in Dallas last night and lost ground in the push for home-ice in the playoffs. The Wild had a 3-1 lead early in the second period and a 4-3 advantage before the Stars rallied for two goals in the third. Kirill Kaprizov scored a pair of power play goals, and Quinn Hughes and Ryan Hartman also lit the lamp. Dallas now leads Minnesota by four points in the Central Division with three games remaining in the regular season. The teams will meet in the first round of the playoffs. The Wild play Saturday in Nashville.
