>>MN House Postpones Debate on Proposed ERA/Abortion Rights Amendment
(St. Paul, MN) — Debate and a vote in the Minnesota House is postponed until at least Wednesday on a bill to put an E-R-A (Equal Rights) and abortion rights constitutional amendment on the ballot in 2026. The move came after lawmakers debated other bills late into the evening Monday. The E-R-A bill does not include “religion” in the list of categories where discrimination would be prohibited, but Saint Cloud Democrat Dan Wolgamott (WOLE-guh-mot) says he’ll propose to add it. But bill sponsor, Representative Kaohly (kay-OH-lee) Vang Her of St. Paul, says the state and federal constitutions already protect religious freedom and adds,” Your ability to practice your faith does not mean that you can impose your faith on other individuals.” The pregnancy and abortion portion of the proposed amendment is also highly controversial.
>>Polar Semiconductor Awarded $120 Million from CHIPS and Science Act
(Bloomington, MN) — State, federal and local officials are celebrating a 525-million-dollar expansion of the Polar Semiconductor manufacturing facility in Bloomington. Arati Prabhakar (AR’-tee PRAH’-buh-kar) of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy says a 120-million-dollar investment from the CHIPS and Science Act will allow Polar to double U-S production capacity. She says, “these semiconductors are the ones that are essential to appliances, but also to our power systems and our grids and our defense systems. So they tie to directly to our everyday lives and our national security.” Prabhakar (PRAH’-buh-kar) says the expansion is expected to create more than 160 new Minnesota jobs in two years, building on Polar’s partnership with Normandale Community College.
>>2 Fallen Officers from Minnesota Added to National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial
(Washington, DC) — The names of two fallen officers from Minnesota are among the 282 added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial this year in Washington D-C. Pope County Sheriff’s Deputy Josh Owen and Fargo Police Officer Jake Wallin from St Michael were honored during a vigil Monday night on the National Mall. Forty-four-year-old Owen was fatally shot last April during a domestic call in the town of Cyrus. Twenty-three-year-old Wallin shot and killed on July 14th as he and other officers responded to a traffic crash. Their names are now engraved on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.
>>Nearly 58K Misdemeanor Cannabis Records Expunged, Board Meets Today
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota’s Cannabis Expungement Board is scheduled to meet today (Tues 1pm) for the first time. The state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension reported Monday that it completed the process of expunging nearly 58 thousand misdemeanor cannabis records ahead of schedule. The B-C-A has worked since passage of the adult-use cannabis law last August to identify criminal records that qualify for automatic expungement. The Expungement Board will review felony marijuana offenses to consider whether to resentence or expunge records. Officials say the process of reviewing thousands of felonies could take years.
>>Minnesota DNR Reminds Boaters of Cold Water Danger
(St. Paul, MN) — A handful of water incidents in recent days is an important reminder about the dangers of cold water this time of year. The Minnesota D-N-R’s Rodmen Smith says we had an early spring and the ice went off early, but that water is still really cold. He adds, ” I like to say it’s too late to put the seatbelt on after the car crash. It’s too late to put a life jacket on after you’ve fallen in.” Rodmen says wearing your life jacket could be the most critical factor in surviving cold water immersion.
>>Simulated Nuclear Incident Drill near Red Wing
(Red Wing, MN) — State, city, and county agencies are participating in a simulated emergency today (Tues) at the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant near Red Wing. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety says the annual drill tests the capabilities of federal, state, and local agencies in the unlikely event of an incident a the plant. Officials warn people in the area may see emergency responders near the plant, noting there’s no need to be alarmed.
>>USDA Weekly Crop Update for Minnesota
(Undated) — Corn planting is in line with the usual pace across Minnesota. U-S-D-A’s latest weekly crop update shows 56 percent of the crop is in with 14 percent emerged. Officials say soybean planting, at 26 percent, trails the five-year average of 34 percent. Sugar beet growers are nearing the end of planting season with 91 percent of the crop in the ground.
>>ATV Rider Killed in Crash with Pickup in Morrison County
(Elmdale Township, MN) — One person is dead after an A-T-V vs. pickup crash Sunday in Morrison County. Sheriff’s deputies say a pickup hit an A-T-V that blew through a stop sign at an intersection near Upsala. The report says the A-T-V driver, 55-year-old Terry Theis of Bowlus, died at the scene. The woman driving the pickup wasn’t hurt.
>>Wolves at Nuggets for Game 5 of Western Conference Semifinals
(Denver, CO) — The Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets play Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals late tonight (Tues 9:40pm) at Ball Arena. The best-of-seven series is tied at two games apiece after the Nuggets won both matchups at Target Center. Anthony Edwards scored 44 points in Sunday’s home loss but didn’t get much help from his teammates and Denver’s bench outscored Minnesota’s 27-13. The Wolves haven’t lost three straight games all season.
