>>Minnesota Senate Democrats Won’t Block Mitchell from Voting
(St. Paul, MN) — Democrats in the Minnesota Senate are saying “no” to Republicans’ demand that Woodbury Democrat Nicole Mitchell — charged with felony burglary — not be allowed to vote until an ethics panel investigates and submits its recommendations to the full Senate. Minneapolis Democrat Scott Dibble says a fundamental value is at stake — namely “the people of every single Senate district are entitled to be represented.” Dibble argues the voters in Mitchell’s district “will have the opportunity to respond in due time.” Republicans respond, in the meantime Mitchell is casting important votes even while she’s charged with a crime. G-O-P Senator Steve Drazkowski said, “her actions have brought a betrayal of the public trust.” Democrats respond that Republicans want the Senate to be “judge and jury” before Mitchell has had due process.
>>Minnesota House Passes Stolen or Lost Gun Legislation
(St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota House on a 68-to-63 vote passed a bill that would require owners report lost or stolen firearms to law enforcement within 48 hours — which backers say will lessen the supply of illegally-obtained weapons used in crimes. Pennington Republican Matt Bliss argued, “If somebody came into my home and accessed my safe or my storage area and I don’t find out about it for a month, I’m a criminal.” Saint Paul Democrat Kaohly (kay-OH-lee) Vang Her says her bill gives latitude to those who, for example, leave a firearm at their cabin like she does and later realizes their shotgun is gone.
>>Senate Bill Designates Minnesota River Bridge in Honor of Late Granite Falls Mayor
(St. Paul, MN) — A bill approved by the Minnesota Senate designates a U-S Highway 212 bridge over the Minnesota River as the “Mayor Dave Smiglewski (SMUH’-gloo-skee) Memorial Bridge.” Senator Gary Dahms (dames) says the bridge honors the longtime mayor of Granite Falls who died last fall. He told members, “Mayor Smiglewski was very passionate about the transportation issues. When he passed away he was in Washington D-C lobbying for rural Minnesota transportation infrastructure. Designating this bridge in memory is fitting tribute.” Smiglewski’s wife, children and grandchildren were in the Senate gallery when the measure passed on Monday.
>>MN Senate Approves Ticket Sales Reform Bill, Sends to Governor
(St. Paul, MN) — Legislation prompted by ticket problems with Taylor Swift’s 2022 “Eras” tour is headed to the desk of Governor Tim Walz after the Minnesota Senate passed it Monday on a vote of 35-to-29. Mendota Heights Democrat Matt Klein’s bill requires ticket sellers disclose total cost, including fees, throughout the purchase process. Resellers and on-line marketplaces would not be allowed to sell more than one copy of a ticket, nor could they sell tickets before they’re available to be sold. The legislation also has new guardrails to reduce the impact of bots. Klein says the legislation will protect Minnesota consumers and ensure a fairer system for everyone.
>>MN House Passes Surrogacy Bill, Family Council & Catholic Conference Oppose
(St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota House last night (Mon) on a vote of 68-to-61 passed a bill that sponsors say will make it easier and clearer for Minnesotans to determine who is legally a parent of a child born through assisted reproduction — such as in-vitro fertilization — or surrogacy. Saint Paul Democrat Athena Hollins contends families formed through alternative processes deserve legal clarity and security. But the Minnesota Family Council’s Rebecca Delahunt says, “Surrogacy commodifies women’s bodies, reduces children to mere products, and creates a system ripe for exploitation and abuse.” Pope Francis recently called for a global ban on surrogacy, and Jason Adkins with the Minnesota Catholic Conference says, “We hope prospective parents considering commercial surrogacy would open their hearts to adoption.” But backers of the bill say the current situation forces many — such as married LGBTQ+ parents — to go through an onerous “second parent adoption” process to become legal parents to their own children.
>>Man Shot by Wright County Deputies Facing 11 Charges
(Buffalo, MN) — The armed man shot by Wright County sheriff’s deputies outside a Dollar General Store in Montrose is facing 11 charges. Prosecutors say 36-year-old Matthew Lyrek was shot multiple times after repeatedly pointing a gun at deputies on April 15th. Deputy Andrew Lundeen fired his rifle and another deputy fired additional shots at Lyrek. The criminal complaint says deputies used Tasers and fired multiple foam batons before Lyrek finally dropped his weapon. He’s jailed on charges including first-degree assault on a peace officer and second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon.
>>Authorities ID Man and Woman Found Dead in Lino Lakes
(Lino Lakes, MN) — Anoka County authorities say a man and woman found dead in a Lino Lakes home last week were a mother and son. Officers were doing a welfare check on April 23rd when they discovered 46-year-old Jimmy Ray Kruse and 67-year-old Nancy Kruse dead of apparent gunshot wounds. Investigators say it appears to be an isolated incident and aren’t releasing any other information.
>>TN Trucker Allegedly Watching Netflix Before Deadly Crash in MN
(Faribault, MN) — Prosecutors in Rice County say a Tennessee trucker was watching Netflix on his phone just before a crash that killed two people last year. Fifty-five-year-old Billy Grimes is now facing multiple charges , including two counts of criminal vehicular homicide. Investigators say Grimes ignored road signs telling drivers to slow down as he approached a construction zone on I-35 near Faribault last August. Grimes’s truck was allegedly going about 70 miles an hour when it crashed into two vehicles, causing the death of an Iowa couple. Grimes denied using his phone before the crash.
>>Blaine Plans Major Entertainment District near National Sports Center
(Blaine, MN) — The city of Blaine is finalizing plans for a new entertainment district near the National Sports Center. The 500- to 750-million-dollar project will feature an outdoor stadium, a field house with pickleball courts, a restaurant, and attractions similar to Top Golf. The district aims to provide a central gathering place with various activities and amenities, including hotels, medical offices, market-rate apartments, and public spaces. The development will revitalize blighted industrial areas and serve as a destination for residents and visitors alike. Construction is set to begin this summer.
>>Crop Report Shows Spring Planting Ahead of Normal in Minnesota
(St. Paul, MN) — The planting pace is ahead of normal in Minnesota. U-S-D-A’s latest weekly crop report says with more than four days suitable for fieldwork across the state, corn planting advanced to 30 percent complete. That’s a week ahead of last year and four days faster than the five-year average. Soybeans are 14 percent planted, nine days ahead of a year ago and five days ahead of the usual pace. For small grains, spring wheat is 48 percent planted, 30 percent of the barley crop is in, and half the intended oat acres have been seeded. Sugarbeet planting eclipsed 80 percent, and potatoes are 19 percent planted.
>>Hy-Vee Dietitians to Offer 1,000 Free Anemia Screenings in May
(West Des Moines, IA) — Hy-Vee dietitians are offering 1,000 free anemia screenings at locations in Minnesota across the Midwest in May. Anemia is a condition where the body doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen through the body. The simple finger stick will collect a blood sample to determine a person’s risk for anemia, providing results in minutes. Free screenings are only available while supplies last at local Hy-Vee stores and can be scheduled online.
>>Timberwolves to Play Nuggets in Western Conference Semifinals
(Minneapolis, MN) — The Minnesota Timberwolves will face the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals. The defending N-B-A champions topped the Lakers 108-106 Monday night to win the first-round playoff series four-games-to-one. The Wolves and Nuggets play Game One of the second-round series on Saturday night in Denver. The Nuggets knocked Minnesota out of the postseason last spring. Tickets for semifinal games at Target Center go on sale tomorrow (Wed 11am) morning.
>>KAT Named Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Finalist
(Minneapolis, MN) — Minnesota Timberwolves forward Karl-Anthony Towns (KAT) is a finalist for the 2023-24 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award. The annual award honors a current N-B-A player for pursuing social justice and upholding the league’s values of equality, respect, and inclusion. Towns has been named a finalist thanks to his work for the past 12-18 months in passing Minesota’s Restore the Vote Bill, which allows formerly incarcerated people the right to vote once more. The bill signed into law last July allows more than 50,000 Minnesotans previously incarcerated or on parole the right to cast their vote.
