Category: State Issues

House passes Rep. Moller’s Uniform Enforcement of Canadian Orders for Protection Act

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SAINT PAUL, Minn. – On Thursday the Minnesota House of Representatives passed the Uniform Enforcement of Canadian Orders for Protection Act, authored by Rep. Kelly Moller (DFL – Shoreview). The legislation expands Minnesota’s recognition of foreign orders for protection to include those issued in Canada.

“When the border is open, many people travel freely between Minnesota and Canada, and this bill will be a tool to help keep people safe on both sides of the border,” Rep. Moller said. “Minnesota has consistently been a leader in standing up for domestic violence survivors, and the Uniform Enforcement of Canadian Orders for Protection Act is another example of our commitment to protecting those who have experienced trauma.”

Currently, Minnesota recognizes and enforces orders issued by other states and tribal governments. Several Canadian provinces already recognize Minnesota’s protection orders. The bill was developed in collaboration with the Uniform Law Commission (ULC) and the Uniform Law Conference of Canada. Six states have enacted this legislation, including North Dakota, Wisconsin, California, Delaware, Nevada, and Washington.

The bill passed the House unanimously. The Senate previously passed the bill, which now heads to Governor Walz for his signature.

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

House passes Rep. Liebling bill to increase COVID-19 vaccine payment rate for MA enrollees

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SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today the Minnesota House passed legislation, authored by Rep. Tina Liebling (DFL – Rochester), to raise the payment rate for administering COVID-19 vaccinations to Medical Assistance (MA) enrollees. Administration of COVID-19 vaccines is more complex than other vaccines such as the flu shot, resulting in higher costs for providers. The bill takes advantage of recent federal action to give providers the higher rate available under Medicare.

“As more doses of COVID-19 vaccines become available, this bill takes advantage of the American Rescue Plan passed by Democrats in the U.S. Congress to help more Minnesotans get vaccinated,” Rep. Liebling said. “Some of the COVID vaccines have unique requirements, including very cold storage. This bill will help cover costs for pharmacies, clinics, and other providers, with the goal of increasing the number of providers administering the vaccine as supplies increase.”

The rate currently paid for Medical Assistance enrollees is $12.84 per dose. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently updated the Medicare rate to an average of $40 per dose. Under the American Rescue Plan, the federal government will provide 100% matching funds for COVID-19 vaccine administration to MA enrollees at the higher Medicare rate.

The bill next goes to the Minnesota Senate for its consideration. Video of the floor session will be available on House Public Information Services’ YouTube channel.

House Education Finance Committee advances summer learning package

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SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA  – The evening of March 16, the House Education Finance Committee advanced a measure to fund a summer learning package for Minnesota students from cradle to career.

“House DFLers support strong investments in education, starting with funding for summer learning,” said Speaker Melissa Hortman. “We need to help our children and students recover from a difficult year and then thrive once this pandemic is behind us. All Minnesota children deserve a world-class education and every opportunity to succeed. We intend to pass this bill off the House floor next week.”

“The House DFL is taking swift action to get this money out early so families can finalize summer plans, and school districts and community partners can begin planning,” said Rep. Jim Davnie (DFL-Minneapolis), chair of the House Education Finance Committee. “We have a comprehensive summer learning package detailed in our bill that reaches all learners in Minnesota, from children enrolled in summer preschool, to high school seniors making the transition to college, to adult learners who are looking to re-enter the labor market with sharper skills. These funds can be utilized through the 2022 school year, as well. This is a sound investment to help get our students back on track.”

The bill addresses learning loss by expanding access to tutoring, investing in field trips and hands-on learning, and implementing summer programs for preschoolers, high schoolers, and adult basic education. 

“Minnesota is home to some of the worst disparities in the nation,” said Rep. Ruth Richardson (DFL-Mendota Heights), chair of the House Education Policy Committee. “We know these have existed long before the pandemic, but now have a real opportunity to level the playing field and make significant progress in addressing the opportunity gap head on with this bill. All of our students deserve the support they need to be successful and thrive.”

The measure also funds student mental health support. A key provision in the legislation prioritizes school districts that have experienced declining enrollment. 

The bill’s next stop is the House Ways and Means Committee. More information and materials will be available on the committee’s webpage.

Teens fuel COVID-19 activity in Minnesota

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Race is on to vaccinate higher-risk elderly adults amid COVID-19 case growth in lower-risk teenagers. 

Teenagers are fueling a slight uptick in COVID-19 activity in Minnesota, which on Tuesday reported an increase in the positivity rate of diagnostic testing to 3.9%.

The Minnesota Department of Health has reported 6,818 more diagnosed cases of COVID-19 in the seven-day period ending Tuesday, and 10% involved teenagers age 15 to 19, whose risks for viral transmission increased earlier this year with the return to in-person classes and youth sports activities.

No other five-year age group has sustained more confirmed infections since Feb. 1 with the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Continue reading.

Minnesota Legislature Holds Joint Convention to Elect University of Minnesota Regents

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SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – The Minnesota House of Representatives today elected four regents to govern the University of Minnesota: Ruth Johnson for the 1st Congressional District; James Farnsworth for the 4th Congressional District; Kodi Verhalen for the 6th Congressional District; and Doug Huebsch for the 7th Congressional District.

There were 20 applications submitted for consideration for the four open seats. Newly elected Regents will serve a six-year term.

Representative Connie Bernardy (DFL-New Brighton), Chair of the Higher Education Finance and Policy Division noted these newly-elected regents bring important skills and strengths to lead a complex university system amid a global pandemic. 

“I’m pleased we were able to come together on a bipartisan, bicameral level to elect these new regents. I thank them, the outgoing regents, and the current regents for their service to our state,” said Chair Bernardy.

Rep. Phillips Invites Minnesota Students to Compete in Congressional Art Competition

2021 Congressional Art Competition


WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) kicked off the 2021 Congressional Art Competition, calling for submissions from high school students across Minnesota’s Third District. The Congressional Art Competition has been a nationwide tradition since 1982, meant to showcase the creativity and talent of America’s young artists. 

Submissions received by April 17th will be evaluated by a panel of distinguished judges, and the winning submission will be prominently displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year. In addition, members of the public will be invited to vote online for the People’s Choice award, the winner of which will be hung in the Congressman’s Washington, DC office. 

Continue reading “Rep. Phillips Invites Minnesota Students to Compete in Congressional Art Competition”

$27M settlement coming amid Derek Chauvin trial jury selection called ‘unfortunate’ by court; day ends with 9 jurors so far

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Defense feels that announcement of the settlement during jury selection harms chance at a fair trial. 

The $27 million civil settlement the city of Minneapolis reached last week with the family of George Floyd weighed with heavily upon the ongoing jury selection in the murder trial of fired police officer Derek Chauvin, while the number of jurors chosen grew to nine by the end of proceedings Monday.

Defense attorney Eric Nelson expressed deep concern that jurors already chosen and those yet to be selected will be prejudiced should they learn of the settlement, thereby denying his client his right to a fair trial. During Friday’s proceedings, the City Council signed off on the settlement, followed by a widely publicized announcement.

Before the prospective jurors were questioned, Nelson said, “I am gravely concerned with the news that broke on Friday related to the civil settlement. … The fact that this came in the exact middle of jury selection is perplexing to me, your honor.” Continue reading.

Mike Lindell’s biggest gamble: Giving hard sell to baseless election fraud claims

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After a lifetime of big risks, the MyPillow CEO bet he could discredit a presidential election. 

Mike Lindell has made countless bets in his life, some that cost him everything he had.

But after the November election, the MyPillow founder made his biggest gamble yet: that he could sell America on the discredited idea that rigged voting machines cheated President Donald Trump out of a second term. Lindell has refused to let up — even after courts rejected dozens of fraud claims — and he visited the White House with notes that mentioned martial law shortly before Trump left office.

A maker of voting machines is now suing him and his Chaska-based business for $1.3 billion, far more money than either is worth. While Lindell says he’s made many narrow escapes before, the stakes for him have never been higher. Continue reading.

Minneapolis reaches record $27 million settlement with George Floyd’s family

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The Minneapolis City Council on Friday approved a $27 million settlement with the family of George Floyd, with $500,000 to be set aside for funding in his former community.

Why it matters: Ben Crump, the attorney for the Floyd family, called it the largest pretrial civil rights settlement ever and said in a statement that it “sends a powerful message that Black lives do matter and police brutality against people of color must end.”

The big picture: Floyd’s family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the city of Minneapolis in July, accusing the officers charged in connection with his killing of “unjustified, excessive, and illegal” use of force. Continue reading.