State Issues 17 , CD3 DFL

Mohamed Noor case raises questions about charge for Brooklyn Center officer

Question of intent is key in debate over murder vs. manslaughter

Former Brooklyn Center police officer Kimberly Potter made her first court appearance Thursday in the killing of Daunte Wright, facing one count of second-degree manslaughter.

Potter, wearing a plaid shirt at her hearing and seated at a conference table in attorney Earl Gray’s office, spoke only once to confirm that she could hear the judge.

When asked if court documents accurately gave Potter’s home address in Champlin, Gray responded: “Yes, unfortunately.” Potter’s family has moved out of the house, according to Champlin Police Chief Ty Schmidt, who said he plans to keep a round-the-clock police presence there. Continue reading.

Minnesota House Advances Transportation Budget

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – The Minnesota House of Representatives advanced a comprehensive transportation budget bill on a vote of 69-62.The legislation seeks to balance addresses urgent transportation needs, and builds a stronger and more sustainable post pandemic transportation system.

“For far too long, our transportation infrastructure has not kept up with Minnesotans’ growing needs,” said House Transportation Chair Rep. Frank Hornstein (DFL-Minneapolis). “Minnesotans deserve a dependable, sustainable, transportation system that leaves no one behind. Our plan creates jobs, and provides opportunities for communities throughout Minnesota.”

The DFL House Transportation Budget does not contain a traditional gas tax increase, but instead indexes the gas tax to the Federal Highway Administration highway construction cost index. Indexing will cost the average motorist about $9 per year and will ensure critical investments are made to our roads and bridges so they can be safely maintained. Under the bill, Minnesota’s 705 smallest cities with a population under 5,000 will receive a first ever dedicated funding stream for their roads by reallocating a small portion of the auto parts sales tax. The Small Cities Assistance Program was created to address a gap in the state funding structure for road projects.

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: April 16, 2021

A Message on Daunte Wright

The Governor and First Lady are praying for Daunte Wright’s family and loved ones as Minnesota mourns another life of a Black man taken by law enforcement. The death of Daunte Wright is a tragedy. He was a young man, a father, a friend, and a son. We must take meaningful action to fight systemic injustice, pursue bold police accountability reforms, and make lasting change.

In these challenging times, the Governor’s duty is to preserve the First Amendment right of peaceful protests while protecting public safety. We must ensure communities have the space they deserve to grieve and call for change.

Twin Cities chefs and bartenders unite to fight racism against Asian Americans

Minnesota Rice is a collective effort to raise awareness and money.

A group of local chefs and bartenders are using their talents to raise awareness and give support in the face of racism toward Asian Americans.

Coming in May, Minnesota Rice will launch a series of seven virtual master classes that, according to the website, “teach you how to make some of our favorite dishes and drinks that speak to who we are as Asian Americans.”

And the list of participants is impressive: Christina Nguyen of Hai Hai and Hola Arepa, Yia Vang of Union Hmong Kitchen and Vinai, Ann Kim of Young Joni, Pizzeria Lola, Hello Pizza and Sooki & Mimi; John Ng and Lina Goh of Zen Box Izakaya, Ann Ahmed of Lat14 and Lemon Grass, Dustin Nguyen of Tres Leches and Jonathan Janssen of Brother Justus.

Their purpose: “Get to know us, learn our stories, let us share a piece of ourselves with you.” Continue reading.

Phillips Decries Moocher States, Calls for More Investment in Minnesota

Minnesota is one of just eight states to contribute more each year to Washington than it receives in federal aid.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) engaged in a whole-of-government strategy to call out systemic underinvestment and tax fairness in Minnesota, from advocacy at the White House to the House Transportation & Infrastructure. On balance, Minnesotans currently pays out more than $1.8 billion each year to federal coffers without seeing that money invested locally. Meanwhile states like Kentucky receive $63 billion morefrom D.C. than they share in federal taxes.

In light of this imbalance, Phillips announced his co-sponsorship of the Payer State Transparency Act, a bipartisan bill that would require yearly reports on the disparities in federal spending and taxation across American states. These disparities—which often manifest as higher taxes, higher government debt, and underdevelopment—have only grown more pronounced since the cap on the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction was implemented in 2017.

Derek Chauvin’s witnesses include former Maryland medical examiner being sued over ‘chillingly similar’ case

When the video of George Floyd gasping for air under the knee of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin emerged last year, it told a story that was painfully familiar to Anton Black’s family.

Black encountered police on Maryland’s Eastern Shore in the fall of 2018, when officers responding to a call about a possible kidnapping wrestled the 19-year-old to the ground. Video footage released later showed the officers in Greensboro, Md., struggling with Black before pinning him down. Black died, and no officers were charged in his death.

Then came Floyd’s death last year, another video of a Black man being held down by police and dying. The cases, Black’s family said in a court filing, were “chillingly similar.” Now they are connected in another way: Among the experts Chauvin’s defense called this week was the former Maryland medical examiner who deemed Black’s death an accident, a determination his family pilloried in a federal lawsuit filed in December. Continue reading.

Senate DFL Week in Review: April 16, 2021

2021 Budget Bills on the Floor
and everything happening in the Legislature this week.

Judiciary Budget fails to meet community demands

The Senate this week passed its judiciary budget bill. The committee was given a $90 million target, which allows for some investments in the state’s court and corrections system, and in some public safety requests. Of the target, $20 million of that target was reserved for disaster assistance for our local communities.

The bill, however, is a stark portrait of what the Senate Republican priorities aren’t; the bill contains no policing and criminal justice reform, no justice programs, and little in the way of reducing the intersectional causes behind crime and recidivism. Read more >>

Consumer protection, clean energy absent from Republican budget bill

Senate Republicans passed a budget bill this week intended to address consumer protection and energy issues. Although the name of one of the committees that generated the bill is Commerce and Consumer Protection, the legislation contained little for actual Minnesota consumers. And in sharp contrast to the clean energy priorities of the DFL House and Governor Walz, the bill falls woefully short of funding energy project that will bring the state closer to a carbon-free future. Read more >>

Higher Ed bill passes floor; heads to conference committee

The Senate’s higher education omnibus budget bill passed with a floor vote of 38-29, with most DFLers voting no due to the bill’s low budget target and lack of funding for the coming two years. Read more >>

POCI CAUCUS

Senate Republicans “Worst of the Worst“

Agriculture Committee budget lacking in support for farmers

Why your state might lose or gain clout in Congress after the census is released

Rhode Island is likely to draw the short straw in the once-a-decade reshuffling of U.S. House seats

Rhode Island, now the most overrepresented state in the U.S. House, is likely about to become the most underrepresented.

In the next two weeks, the government will release state populations from the 2020 Census, and estimates suggest Rhode Islanders will lose one of their two seats in the chamber.

This is congressional reapportionment, the once-a-decade reshuffling of the 435 House seats among the states to adjust for population changes. Some states will gain clout, while others will lose. Even after the changes, House members from some states will still represent a starkly different number of people than others. Continue reading.

Housing Omnibus Bill Approved by Minnesota House

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Yesterday, the Minnesota House approved the Omnibus Housing Bill, which funds a variety of programs aimed at helping create more affordable housing, and provisions to ensure Minnesotans are safely and stably housed. The bill passed on a vote of 69-62.

“Housing insecurity negatively impacts economic security, health outcomes and educational achievement. This proposal addresses the persistent and long-term needs in every corner of Minnesota,” said Rep. Alice Hausman (DFL-Saint Paul), Housing Finance and Policy chair. “All session, we heard personal testimony and those stories made an impression on every committee member. Advocates helped us craft a bill which will have meaningful impact across the state, to help ensure everyone has a safe place to call home.”

More than 572,000 Minnesotan households pay more than they can afford for housing, more than 1 in every 4 households in the state. On any given night, over 10,000 Minnesotans experience homelessness, a number that has only grown since 2015, and greatly impacts Black, Indigenous, and Minnesotans of color. All of these are numbers that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Access to affordable, safe, and secure housing is critical for the health and wellbeing of our families and our communities,” said House Speaker Melissa Hortman. “Minnesota is facing a housing crisis that has been made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our budget takes significant steps to create more affordable housing opportunities, get more Minnesotans into homeownership, provide support and stability for those at risk, and address our inexcusable racial disparities.”

“Time and again, we’ve seen Republican politicians pursue policies that would kick Minnesotans out of their homes and apartments to the streets during a global pandemic,” said Majority Leader Ryan Winkler. “The last thing Minnesotans need is being rocked by a housing crisis on par with the 2008 economic collapse. Minnesota has the resources to provide safe, affordable housing for everyone, but we’ll never meet that goal if Republican politicians keep putting the rich and well-connected ahead of renters and homeowners.”

Provisions of the bill include:

Funding for the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency (MHFA) for specific programs.
Establishes the lead safe homes grant program and a task force on shelter resident rights and shelter provider practices and contains amendments to other various programs administered by MHFA.
Funding for various programs related to affordable housing.
Provisions related to the Minnesota Bond Allocation Act, residential rental housing/ landlord and tenant law and manufactured housing.

“Minnesota faced a housing crisis – and that was before a global pandemic illustrated just how vital a safe home is to our health, happiness and economic security,” said Rep. Michael Howard (DFL – Richfield) vice chair of the Housing Finance and Policy Committee. “There is no place like home, yet in Minnesota an affordable place to live is out of reach for hundreds of thousands of families. We are working to create a Minnesota where everyone can afford the roof over their head and this bill takes important steps to build that future.”

A spreadsheet of the investment made in the Omnibus Housing Bill can be found here. A video recording of today’s floor debate is available on the House Public Information YouTube channel.

Minnesota House approves Legacy Amendment investments

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed legislation that invests $648.6 million in protecting and enhancing Minnesota’s outdoor heritage, clean water, arts and cultural heritage, and parks and trails. Authored by Rep. Leon Lillie (DFL – North St. Paul), the bill outlines how funds generated by the state’s Legacy Amendment would be allocated to benefit people and communities across Minnesota.

“Minnesotans care deeply about our state,” said Rep. Lillie, chair of the Legacy Finance Committee. “We are proud of Minnesota’s great outdoors, clean water, and arts and culture, and we want to preserve and enhance them. Investing in these priorities will make our state an even better place to live for current and future generations.”

In 2008, Minnesotans voted to adopt the Legacy Amendment, which increased sales taxes by three-eighths of one percent. The revenue this constitutional amendment generates is divided between four funds. Sixty-six percent of the revenue is split evenly between the Outdoor Heritage Fund and the Clean Water Fund, 19.75 percent goes to the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, and the Parks and Trails Fund receives 14.25 percent. All of these funds are appropriated every two years except the Outdoor Heritage Fund, which is appropriated annually.

“Investing in the outdoors, clean water, arts and culture, and parks and trails is an investment in our future,” said House Speaker Melissa Hortman. “For more than a decade, the Legacy Amendment has funded initiatives to benefit people and communities across our entire state, and today’s legislation continues building on that success.”

“Our state created a dedicated, voter-approved fund for investments in the arts, culture, and the outdoors because Minnesotans understand these are things that should not get swept up in partisan politics,” said Majority Leader Ryan Winkler. “The Legacy fund means that our parks, trails, museums, and artists cannot be used as a bargaining chip by Republicans to pass their agenda of tax cuts for the biggest corporations and wealthiest Minnesotans.”

Outdoor Heritage Fund

The bill invests $130.8 million from the Outdoor Heritage Fund in Minnesota’s prairies, wetlands, forests, and habitat for fish, game, and wildlife. It provides funding for projects including native prairie protection, wetland restoration, wildlife enhancements, forest fragmentation prevention, shoreline restoration, and strategic land acquisition. The bill follows project recommendations offered by the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council (LSOHC) and emphasizes ways that the Outdoor Heritage Fund can more broadly impact BIPOC communities.

Clean Water Fund

$256.7 million from the Clean Water Fund would be used to protect and restore lakes, rivers, streams, groundwater, and drinking water sources. The bill delivers funding for assessing and monitoring water quality, preventing contamination, improving sewer systems, studying agricultural impacts, managing the water supply, assisting local governments, and more. It also includes measures to protect Minnesotans’ health, such as amending the health risk limit for PFOS.

Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund

The legislation provides $149.7 million to support the arts, arts education, and arts access and to preserve Minnesota’s history and cultural heritage. Almost half of these funds would go to the Minnesota State Arts Board, which distributes funds to several hundred artists and organizations each year. The bill also supports the Minnesota Historical Society, libraries, public television and radio, museums, cultural organizations, zoos, county fairs, and Native American language preservation initiatives.

Parks and Trails Fund

The bill includes $110.6 million to support parks and trails of regional and statewide significance. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources would receive $43.8 million for state parks, trails, and recreation areas and $21.9 million for parks and trails in Greater Minnesota. The Metropolitan Council would receive $43.8 million for parks in the metro area. Additional funding would be used to develop a statewide plan for parks and trails outside the metro and to fund restoration and maintenance work.

The Legacy bill addresses racial and cultural inequalities to ensure that these funds benefit all Minnesotans. It directs state agencies and other funding recipients to ensure employment, educational, and engagement opportunities are available to Minnesotans from underrepresented communities, particularly children and young adults. It also encourages potential applicants from a greater diversity of organizations and requires assessments on whether the funding celebrates cultural diversity or reaches diverse communities.

Video of the floor session will be available on House Public Information Services’ YouTube channel.

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A Message on Daunte Wright

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POCI CAUCUS

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