Category: State Issues

Minnesota House unanimously approves legislation that prohibits PERC and helps dry cleaners transition to safer processes

House DFL logo

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Monday, the Minnesota House of Representatives unanimously passed legislation to prohibit perchloroethylene, a chemical solvent that is widely used in dry cleaning facilities. The legislation, authored by Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL – South St. Paul), will help dry cleaners transition to safer processes. 

“Minnesotans should not be exposed to chemicals that are associated with serious health risks,” said Rep. Hansen. “We are committed to protecting Minnesotans from harmful chemicals, including perchloroethylene. Prohibiting PERC and supporting dry cleaners as they transition to safer alternatives will help keep Minnesota workers, customers, and communities safe and healthy.”  

The bill prohibits using perchloroethylene – commonly known as PERC – as a dry cleaning solvent after December 31, 2025. It transfers $510,000 from the state’s Remediation Fund to the Dry Cleaner Fund to help facilities replace PERC and purchase new equipment. Owners and operators of dry cleaning facilities will be reimbursed up to $20,000 for the costs of transitioning to alternative solvents.  

The Environmental Protection Agency classifies perchloroethylene as a “likely carcinogen.” The chemical solvent is also associated with neurological effects and damage to the kidneys, liver, immune system, and blood system. Exposure can occur in dry cleaning facilities or in the environment; PERC has been found in air, water, and soil. Minnesotans who work in dry cleaning facilities that use PERC are at the highest risk for exposure, but people who live or work near these facilities or wear dry-cleaned clothing may be exposed to higher levels of PERC than the general population.  

Video of the floor session is available on House Public Information Service’s YouTube channel.  

New Minnesota forecast: $1.6 billion projected surplus in next budget

Star Tribune logo

It comes just months after a $1.3B deficit prediction, but nothing is certain. 

Minnesota’s financial outlook has dramatically improved one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, with state economists projecting a surplus of $1.6 billion for the next two-year budget.

The sharp economic upswing comes just three months after budget officials predicted Minnesota would face a $1.3 billion deficit in the next budget cycle. Economists said federal relief efforts helped change the economic picture, along with a boost in consumer spending when people got stimulus checks, relaxation of some COVID restrictions and progress on vaccines. The state is also spending less than anticipated, particularly on child care assistance and education.

“While the sun is starting to shine, we are hardly in the clear and we continue to have uncertain times,” Minnesota’s top budget official Jim Scho­walter said. “We know a lot of this is based upon anticipated federal pandemic response. That money is not in the bank.” Continue reading.

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: February 26, 2021

Governor Walz: State to Vaccinate 70% of Seniors by End of March Before Expanding Vaccine Eligibility

Minnesota COVID Vaccination Plan


This week, Governor Tim Walz announced that Minnesota will remain focused on vaccinating most of the state’s seniors before expanding eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine. Governor Walz issued guidance to vaccinate 70% of adults 65 years of age and older before expanding eligibility, and aims to reach this goal by the end of March. The directive is the latest commitment of the Walz-Flanagan Administration to vaccinating seniors and keeping them safe.

Continue reading “Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: February 26, 2021”

Increase Teachers of Color Act Gains Momentum in the Legislature

House DFL logo

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – A bipartisan group of legislators led by Reps. Hodan Hassan (D-Minneapolis), Heather Keeler (D-Moorhead), and Sen. Jim Abeler (R-Anoka) joined advocates to discuss progress made on the 2021 Increase Teachers of Color Act. The act is comprised of a package of comprehensive legislation that seeks to address the severe shortage of BIPOC teachers that remains stagnant at 5%, while the percentage of BIPOC students (currently ~34%) increases annually. The act includes HF 217/SF 446 and HF 1041/SF 797. 

“It is so important to invest in our next generation and have a teaching staff that reflects our community and our students in the classrooms,” said Rep. Keeler. “Representation matters and as the lead author of the higher education bill for the Increase Teachers of Color Act, I have the opportunity to be the strong voice to stand up for the injustice so many of us have experienced and help our students navigate their future endeavors.” 

“We owe it to our students to give them the best education possible, and the most important factor in a quality education is our educators,” said Rep. Hassan. “It has been shown repeatedly that all of our students benefit when they have teachers of color and American Indian teachers, but this is especially true for our students of color and indigenous students. This act will ensure that our school education system has adequate resources to hire and retain teachers of color and American Indian teachers, while also creating a space for culturally relevant learning to take place. I’m glad that this important legislation is moving forward with bipartisan support.” 

Continue reading “Increase Teachers of Color Act Gains Momentum in the Legislature”

MyPillow lawyer announces run for Minnesota attorney general

Raw Story Logo

An attorney known for representing Trump-loving MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has announced that he will run for attorney general in the state of Minnesota.

Axios reports that Republican attorney Doug Wardlow is going to once again run for Minnesota AG after he previously lost the election to that office to current Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison in 2018.

In his announcement video, Wardlow played up the kind of “law and order” messaging that former President Donald Trump tried in his unsuccessful re-election bid in 2020. Continue reading.

Opinion: Minnesota can end deep poverty; let’s start with common sense changes

Minnesota Reformer logo

NOTE: Jodi Harpstead is Minnesota’s Commissioner of Human Services.

Nearly 250,000 Minnesotans live in deep poverty, which means they make no more than 50% of the federal poverty level. That’s $888 per month or less for a family of three or $517 or less for a single adult. Think about trying to live on that much. 

A new report from the Minnesota Department of Human Services holds a mirror up to some hard truths about what life looks like for far too many of our neighbors. 

The stress of being poor leads to higher rates of chronic health conditions. Children and adults living in deep poverty die at a rate two times higher than their peers. And adults in deep poverty experience 40% more preventable ER visits.  Continue reading.

Lawsuit pushes Minnesota’s redistricting process into the courts, where it was likely to end up anyway

The purpose of the lawsuit is to put the issue before the courts in case the Legislature can’t agree on new political maps — which is highly likely.

It’s like the ceremonial first pitch at the start of baseball season.

Monday, a handful of plaintiffs — including redistricting expert Peter Wattson and former Ramsey County elections supervisor Joe Mansky — filed a lawsuit in state court arguing that Minnesota’s current legislative and congressional districts are unconstitutional. The reason: they are no longer of equal population.

That’s not really contested. Ten years after the last U.S. Census and the last redrawing of legislative and congressional district maps, population growth and changes in in-state migration have left some districts with more people than average — and some with fewer. That’s why the Census was done again last year, and why state lawmakers are preparing to redraw the lines based on the new population numbers. Continue reading.

Minnesota Lays Out Path to Vaccinate All Minnesotans

Minnesota COVID Vaccine Connector Header


As more vaccine arrives in Minnesota, the state is laying out a path to vaccinate all Minnesotans.

Governor Tim Walz announced today that Minnesota will vaccinate at least 70% of Minnesotans age 65 years and older before expanding eligibility to other groups, and aims to reach this goal by the end of March.

Once 70% of the state’s seniors have received the vaccine, Minnesota will expand eligibility based on underlying health conditions and workplace exposure risk. Minnesota will move forward with phases of vaccine eligibility based on science, medical evidence, and federal guidance:

Continue reading “Minnesota Lays Out Path to Vaccinate All Minnesotans”

Political mapmaking heads to familiar spot: Minnesota’s courts

Legal wrangling has begun over new Minnesota congressional and legislative district boundaries stemming from the 2020 census with the filing of a new lawsuit.

Every 10 years the political maps are redrawn to account for population shifts, with a goal of making each type of district roughly equal in size.

Since the 1970s in Minnesota, it’s a process that has spilled into the courts and resulted in judges dictating the layout. Continue reading.

Minnesota lawmakers propose ‘bill of rights’ for student borrowers, licensing requirement for loan providers

Legislation would give commerce commissioner oversight authority. 

Seeking to address a student debt crisis totaling nearly $2 trillion nationally, a bipartisan pair of Minnesota lawmakers want to enshrine protections for borrowers into state law.

Rep. Zack Stephenson, DFL-Coon Rapids, and Sen. Zach Duckworth, R-Lakeville, unveiled a “Student Borrowers Bill of Rights” on Monday that would require student loan servicers operating in Minnesota to be licensed through the Department of Commerce. The measure would give the commerce commissioner power to suspend or revoke the licenses of servicers that mislead borrowers or misrepresent payments.

“There’s a confusing labyrinth of repayment plans, forbearance options, refinancing opportunities,” Stephenson said. “If a borrower makes even the slightest misstep, they can watch their debt balloon out of control and see themselves suddenly become ineligible for forgiveness programs that they may have planned their entire education around.” Continue reading.