>>Opponents Speak Out Against Senate Sports Betting Bill
(St. Paul, MN) — Not everyone in the Minnesota Senate is backing a bill that would legalize sports betting in the state. Senator John Marty of Roseville says the measure authored by Senator Nick Frentz of North Mankato doesn’t do enough to prevent problem gambling. Marty says he’s also concerned that it would allow wagering on mobile phones and devices which increases the risk of gambling addiction. He gives the bill a less-than 50-50 chance of passing this session.
>>Minnesota Senate Passes $40 Million Emergency Rental Assistance Plan
(St. Paul, MN) — A bill passed in the Senate would provide 40 million dollars in emergency rental assistance to Minnesotans facing eviction. Republicans tried to stop it saying nothing prevents illegal immigrants from applying. D-F-L Senator Lindsey Port of Burnsville told members, “We have heard the warnings from housing organizations who see a tidal wave of evictions looming. We have the power to at least stop part of this crisis.” Port argued the eviction rate currently is at its highest rate in state history. A few amendments were added to place guardrails on the bill to prevent fraud.
>>Minnesota Department of Human Rights Reaches Settlement with Lyft
(St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is announcing a settlement with the rideshare company Lyft over allegations that drivers denied rides to a blind woman because of her service dog. The case involves college student Tori Andres, who says several Lyft drivers canceled her scheduled rides when they saw she had her guide dog. Under the agreement, Andres will receive monetary compensation, Lyft must strengthen driver education and update its app and policies, and drivers who violate the law could be deactivated.
>>Report Shows Minnesota Losing About 100 Veterans a Year to Suicide
(St. Paul, MN) — A report shows that Minnesota is losing about 100 veterans a year to suicide. This comes as the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs unveiled a “Veteran Suicide Prevention Plan.” The number was down to around 80 deaths in 2024, but it went back up to around 100 in 2025. The department’s suicide prevention plan will be phased in during the next four years.
>>Champlin City Councilman Charged with Failing to Pay Taxes Resigns
(Champlin, MN) — A member of the Champlin City Council is stepping down after he and his wife were charged with failing to pay income taxes from 2019 through 2023. The city said Wednesday that it received the resignation of Councilmember Tim LaCroix. The Minnesota Department of Revenue and Hennepin County Attorney’s Office are charging Tim and Tina LaCroix with ten felony counts each. The complaint says they earned taxable income through Tim’s law practice and Tina’s work as a property manager for those five years. They owe more than 32 thousand dollars in income tax.
>>Minnesota State Moorhead Announces new Cybercrime Program
(Moorhead, MN) — Minnesota State Moorhead will have a new undergraduate degree available this fall. The university says the Bachelor of Arts in Cybercrime degree will be the first in the region to combine cybersecurity, criminal justice, and sociology into one curriculum. The program is meant to equip future investigators with the technical and behavioral science skills to solve modern crimes. Students will get the opportunity to conduct online investigations using methods used by security experts.
>>Mankato Man Threatens to Shoot Probation Officer
(Rochester, MN) — A Mankato man on probation for assaulting a Minnesota state trooper in Byron is back behind bars accused of threatening to kill his probation officer. Olmsted County prosecutors say 29-year-old Cory Lynn Spiess is being held without bail after the alleged threat was made earlier this month. According to a criminal complaint, Spiess was being booked into the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center on March 5th when a detention deputy reported hearing him say he was going to get a gun and shoot his probation officer in the face. He’s now facing a new felony count of making terroristic threats.
>>Minnesota Men’s Hockey Falls to Penn State in Big Ten Tournament
(University Park, PA) — The season is over for the University of Minnesota men’s hockey team following a 6-2 loss at Penn State last night in the Big Ten Tournament. The Nittany Lions stormed out to a 4-0 lead and never looked back. Javon Moore and Jacob Rombach scored for the Golden Gophers and Luca Di Pasquo made 34 saves in defeat. Minnesota finishes the season with a disappointing 11-22-and-3 record.
>>Gopher Men’s Basketball Bounced from Big Ten Tourney by Rutgers
(Chicago, IL) — The Golden Gopher men’s basketball team fell to Rutgers 72-67 in the Big Ten Tournament opener Wednesday night in Chicago. Minnesota led 52-47 with just under ten minutes remaining before the Scarlet Knights went on a 13-2 run to take control. Cade Tyson scored 24 points and Bobby Durkin added 15 in the loss. The Gophers went 15-17 overall and 8-12 in Big Ten play this season.
