In the Know: January 27, 2021


Attorney General Keith Ellison 
Attorney General Ellison selects advocates, researchers, legislators to serve on Women’s Economic Security Task ForceRed Lake Nation News 
Minnesota Board of Pardons Grants First Full Pardon In 37 Years To Maria Elizondo, WCCO

Congress
Democrats reintroduce $15 minimum wage bill with unified control of Congress, White House, CNBC 
Your next stimulus check: Congress tries to speed $1,400 payments alongYahoo! Money 
New Treasury Secretary Wants Congress To ‘Act Big’ With Pandemic ResponseNPR 
Sen. Patrick Leahy, set to preside over Trump impeachment, returns home after brief hospitalization,CNBC

Environment
Recycling in America Is a Mess. A New Bill Could Clean It Up., New York Times

Governor Tim Walz
Walz budget would hike taxes on highest earners, boost school spendingWCCO 
Gov. Walz unveils budget plan for 2022-23 bienniumKARE 11
Gov. Tim Walz’s $52.4 billion budget raises taxes on wealthiest Minnesotans, Star Tribune

Health
COVID takes bite out of Minnesota health care labor market, Star Tribune
Aetna Agrees to Expand Coverage for Gender-Affirming Surgeries, New York Times

Labor
Minneapolis teachers union files unfair labor practice charge against school districtStar Tribune
Union density increases in Minnesota. Unionization rates Increase Nationally., Workday MN
Amazon seeks to block workers from voting by mail in landmark union driveThe Guardian

Minnesota Legislature
Lawmakers hear recommendations to end structural racism in MinnesotaMPR
UMN budget request lowest in 20 yearsMinnesota Daily
‘We need to legalize it’: Sports betting gets another push in Minnesota legislatureFox 9 
Clean energy economy would benefit all, Mankato Free Press

Minnesota News
Minneapolis Neighborhood Endures ‘Mental Mayhem’ From Car Window SmasherWCCO 
More than 206,000 Minnesota seniors register for COVID-19 vaccine lotteryStar Tribune 
Federal government upping Minnesota’s vaccine shipmentsBring Me The News 
Minnesota’s forests, land offer chance to cut greenhouse gasesQuad City Times
Doped up on disinformationMN Reformer

President Joe Biden
Biden administration seeks to buy 200 million more vaccine doses, to be delivered through the summerThe Washington Post 
Biden signs executive actions on racial equityNBC 
Biden to sign executive actions on climate changeNBC 
Biden administration unveils boost to state COVID-19 vaccine shipmentsMN Reformer

Republican Party News 
Abandon Trump? Deep in the G.O.P. Ranks, the MAGA Mind-Set Prevails, New York Times
A top MAGA gathering finds life complicated after Trump, Politico
YouTube suspends Giuliani from partner program, cutting access to ad revenue, NBC
GOP senators at Trump’s impeachment trial are dooming the party. They need to repudiate him.NBC

U.S. News
U.S. arrivals will now have to quarantine. But officials haven’t said how they plan to enforce it.The Washington Post 
See Covid-19 risk in Your County and a Guide for Daily Life Near YouThe New York Times 
Russia says U.S. agreed to renew nuclear weapons pact “on our terms”CBS 
Ohio nearly purged 10,000 voters who ended up casting 2020 ballotsThe Guardian

U.S. Representative Jim Hagedorn (CD1, R)
Letter: What was Hagedorn thinking?, Rochester Post Bulletin
Hagedorn’s constituents deserve betterMankato Free Press

U.S. Representative Pete Stauber (CD8, R)
Reader’s View: GOP calls for unity seem disingenuousDuluth News Tribune
Reader Opinion: What was missing in the photo?Brainerd Dispatch 
Rep. Pete Stauber, some GOP colleagues call on Biden to dump Interior nominationStar Tribune

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar
Democratic Congress Prepares to Take On Big TechNew York Times
GOP senators balk at $1.9 trillion price tag for Biden’s COVID-19 bill, CBS News
Klobuchar Comments on Senate WorkKTOE

U.S. Senator Tina Smith
Klobuchar, Smith announce $375 million to combat COVID-19 in Minn.Brainerd Dispatch

World News 
World Surpasses 100 Million Coronavirus CasesVoice of America 
India protest: Farmers breach Delhi’s Red Fort in huge tractor rallyBBC 
‘Things are getting worse’: Tunisia protests rage on as latest victim namedThe Guardian

Republican Party in Minnesota News
Pictures from Minnesota GOP’s South Dakota retreat show no masks, no distancing, Bring Me The News
Lindell says Twitter ban won’t stop his effort to claim election fraudStar Tribune

Former President Donald Trump 
Trump opens “Office of the Former President” in FloridaCBS

Upcoming Events:

You can find non-DFL events on our Action Alert post.

  • January 27, 7:00 to 9:00 PM — CD3 Virtual DFL Central Committee Meeting with Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon for and election debrief, log in information has been sent to SCC, email us at info@dfl3cd.org if you need a resend.
  • January 28, 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD47 Virtual DFL Central Committee Meeting, contact them for more information
  • February 2 — Groundhog Day
  • February 3
    • 6:30 to 8:30 PM — SD50 Virtual DFL Central Committee Meeting, contact them for more information
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD33 Virtual DFL Central Committee Meeting, contact them for more information
  • February 4, 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD46 Virtual DFL Central Committee Meeting, contact them for more information
  • February 8
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD44 Virtual DFL Central Committee Meeting, contact them for more information
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD49 Virtual DFL Central Committee Meeting, contact them for more information
  • February 11
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD36 Virtual DFL Central Committee Meeting, contact them for more information
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD48 Virtual DFL Central Committee Meeting, contact them for more information
  • February 14 — Valentine’s Day
  • February 15 — Presidents’ Day
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — Virtual DFL Anoka County Meeting, contact them for more information
  • February 16 — Mardi Gras
  • February 17 — Ash Wednesday
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — CD3 Virtual DFL Central Committee Meeting, more information as it becomes available
  • February 25 to 26 — Purim
  • February 28, 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD47 Virtual DFL Central Committee Meeting, contact them for more information