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A Journal of the Free People of Minnesota
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Here are five key takeaways from the Minnesota legislative leaders’ budget agreement
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/15/here-are-five-key-takeaways-from-the-minnesota-legislative-leaders-budget-agreement/
Published: May 15, 2025 21:29
Legislative leaders and Gov. Tim Walz on Thursday, at a press conference in the Capitol’s golden-fixtured reception room, proudly announced a long-sought, bipartisan deal that would finally bring the Legislature one step closer to passing a two-year budget…
U.S. Supreme Court divided over Trump birthright citizenship ban, lower courts’ powers
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/15/repub/u-s-supreme-court-divided-over-trump-birthright-citizenship-ban-lower-courts-powers/
Published: May 15, 2025 18:15
WASHINGTON — U.S. Supreme Court justices appeared split Thursday hearing a major case in which the Trump administration defended not only the president’s order to end the constitutional right to birthright citizenship but also its efforts to limit…
Suicide rate levels off in 2024
https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/suicide-rate-levels-off-in-2024/
Published: May 15, 2025 18:13
Minnesota’s suicide rate held steady between 2023 and 2024, according to preliminary data from the state Department of Health. The 813 estimated suicides in the state last year work out to an age-adjusted rate of 13.9 per 100,000. Death statistics are…
No deal: Senate not on board with Walz, House budget agreement
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/15/senate-not-on-board-with-walz-house-budget-agreement/
Published: May 15, 2025 16:56
Gov. Tim Walz, Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy and bipartisan House leaders announced a budget deal on Thursday that includes significant cuts to spending on health, human services and transportation. But, with four days left in the legislative…
With narrowed eyes, optometrists and ophthalmologists view each other warily at the Capitol
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/15/with-narrowed-eyes-optometrists-and-ophthalmologists-view-each-other-warily-at-the-capitol/
Published: May 15, 2025 13:39
A small, little-known provision is among the most contentious issues at the Capitol this session. It doesn’t have to do with health care for undocumented immigrants or cutting services for people with disabilities. It’s about your eye doctor. Minnesota…
We can’t restrict transportation funding to just infrastructure for cars and trucks
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/15/we-cant-restrict-transportation-funding-to-just-infrastructure-for-cars-and-trucks/
Published: May 15, 2025 11:00
The Minnesota Legislature is debating whether our state highway system and the funds that maintain it should serve all Minnesotans regardless of how they travel — or continue to serve just cars and trucks. For seasoned lawmakers and transportation…
States on the hook for billions under U.S. House GOP bill making them help pay for SNAP
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/14/repub/states-on-the-hook-for-billions-under-u-s-house-gop-bill-making-them-help-pay-for-snap/
Published: May 15, 2025 04:30
The U.S. House Agriculture Committee approved, 29-25, Wednesday evening its portion of Republicans’ major legislative package that includes a provision that would shift to states some of the responsibility to pay for a major nutrition assistance program.…
U.S. House panel passes GOP plan that cuts Medicaid by $625B, adds work requirement
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/14/repub/u-s-house-panel-passes-gop-plan-that-cuts-medicaid-by-625b-adds-work-requirement/
Published: May 14, 2025 21:17
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House panel in charge of overhauling Medicaid by cutting hundreds of billions in federal spending wrapped up debate on its bill Wednesday, following a 25-hour session. The Energy and Commerce Committee voted 30-24 along party lines to…
Sweeping private school voucher program tucked inside U.S. House GOP tax bill
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/14/repub/sweeping-private-school-voucher-program-tucked-inside-u-s-house-gop-tax-bill/
Published: May 14, 2025 21:16
WASHINGTON — A national school voucher program got a step closer to becoming law Wednesday, as school choice continues to take heat across the United States. The proposal in the U.S. House would allocate $5 billion a year in tax credits for people donating…
No tax on tips, child tax credit and business tax cuts survive in big House GOP bill
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/14/repub/no-tax-on-tips-child-tax-credit-and-business-tax-cuts-survive-in-big-house-gop-bill/
Published: May 14, 2025 19:54
WASHINGTON — House Republicans advanced the tax portion of the “one big, beautiful” reconciliation package early Wednesday, a step forward in permanently extending, and in some cases expanding, the 2017 tax law and temporarily handing President Donald…
Our prison system is in trouble. Neglecting it will be disastrous.
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/14/our-prison-system-is-in-trouble-neglecting-it-will-be-disastrous/
Published: May 14, 2025 17:49
State funding is tight and, with split control in the House and a narrow Democratic margin in the Senate, more money from new taxes is unlikely. The alternative we’re left with is to cut, and that threatens a great many harmful outcomes, most of which we…
Dozens of members of Congress from both parties plead with Trump to unfreeze FEMA grants
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/14/repub/dozens-of-members-of-congress-from-both-parties-plead-with-trump-to-unfreeze-fema-grants/
Published: May 14, 2025 17:11
WASHINGTON — Members of Congress from both political parties are calling on the Trump administration to unfreeze funding for a grant program that helps local communities better prepare for natural disasters. The letter from more than 80 lawmakers urges the…
Medicaid payments barely keep hospital mental health units afloat. Federal cuts could sink them.
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/14/medicaid-payments-barely-keep-hospital-mental-health-units-afloat-federal-cuts-could-sink-them/
Published: May 14, 2025 13:04
SPENCER, Iowa — This town’s hospital is a holdout on behalf of people going through mental health crises. The facility’s leaders have pledged not to shutter their inpatient psychiatric unit, as dozens of other U.S. hospitals have. Keeping that promise…
Children’s health services could see trims even under scaled-back Medicaid cuts
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/14/childrens-health-services-could-see-trims-even-under-scaled-back-medicaid-cuts/
Published: May 14, 2025 12:48
Even as Republicans in Congress walk back their most aggressive proposal to slash federal Medicaid spending, they are weighing other options that could force states to cut services for children and other vulnerable populations. U.S. House Speaker Mike…
California v Colorado: How two states leading AI legislation are approaching it differently
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/14/repub/california-v-colorado-how-two-states-leading-ai-legislation-are-approaching-it-differently/
Published: May 14, 2025 11:01
Colorado was first in the nation to pass comprehensive AI regulation, in 2024, but less than a year before the law goes into effect, lawmakers find themselves trying to clean up the landmark legislation, with the hopes of refining some of the terms that…
No keys means no boats, unless Legislature makes an easy fix
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/14/no-keys-means-no-boats-unless-legislature-makes-an-easy-fix/
Published: May 14, 2025 11:00
As a small business owner in Minnesota’s boating industry, I’m proud to help families get out on the water — whether it’s for fishing, watersports, or just enjoying our beautiful lakes. But a well-intended state law creates big problems for folks like me —…
‘Extreme and toxic’: Democrats in Congress mount opposition to GOP tax cut package
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/13/repub/extreme-and-toxic-democrats-in-congress-mount-opposition-to-gop-tax-cut-package/
Published: May 13, 2025 22:20
WASHINGTON — Democrats Tuesday criticized House Republicans for their efforts to pass “one big, beautiful” bill to extend Trump-era tax cuts that would require potential cuts to food assistance and Medicaid. “The American people do not support this extreme…
U.S. House Republican plan would force states to pay for a portion of SNAP benefits
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/13/repub/u-s-house-republican-plan-would-force-states-to-pay-for-a-portion-of-snap-benefits/
Published: May 13, 2025 22:17
The U.S. House Agriculture Committee’s portion of Republicans’ massive taxes and spending bill would partially shift to states the costs of the country’s largest food assistance program, which some experts and Democrats predicted will lead to major cuts in…
Amid protests and Democratic pushback, U.S. House GOP launches work on Medicaid cuts
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/13/repub/amid-protests-and-democratic-pushback-u-s-house-gop-launches-work-on-medicaid-cuts/
Published: May 13, 2025 22:15
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House committee tasked with overhauling energy policy and Medicaid to achieve $880 billion in spending cuts on Tuesday began what was expected to be a long, grueling session with debate on dozens of amendments. Republicans on the…
Learning on the job: Trump’s U.S. Attorney pick for Minnesota has never been a prosecutor
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/13/learning-on-the-job-trumps-u-s-attorney-pick-for-minnesota-has-never-been-a-prosecutor/
Published: May 13, 2025 16:02
After the Trump Administration announced the nomination of Daniel Rosen as Minnesota’s next U.S. Attorney, one detail stood out: the state’s very likely, soon-to-be top federal prosecutor has scant experience in the field of criminal law. Rosen, 59, has…
Trump again tries to defund NPR and PBS, sparking a new congressional battle
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/13/repub/trump-again-tries-to-defund-npr-and-pbs-sparking-a-new-congressional-battle/
Published: May 13, 2025 12:14
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump urged Congress to eliminate funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting during his first term, but was largely unsuccessful. Now, in his second go-around, Trump is once again asking lawmakers to scrap federal…
Net metering for solar makes electrical power generation more democratic
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/13/net-metering-for-solar-makes-electrical-power-generation-more-democratic/
Published: May 13, 2025 11:01
Editor’s note: The Reformer is publishing dual commentaries as Minnesota lawmakers consider changes to the state’s net metering law. Read the competing commentary here. Our state net metering policy is what allows Minnesotans to install solar and be power…
A fairer, cleaner Minnesota energy future means pragmatic reforms — now
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/13/a-fairer-cleaner-minnesota-energy-future-means-pragmatic-reforms-now/
Published: May 13, 2025 11:00
Editor’s note: The Reformer is publishing dual commentaries as Minnesota lawmakers consider changes to the state’s net metering law. Read the competing commentary here. As Minnesota continues its clean energy transition, the policies guiding it must be…
Auxiliary bishop, Minnesota Catholics urge lawmakers to uphold MinnesotaCare for undocumented people
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/12/auxiliary-bishop-minnesota-catholics-urge-lawmakers-to-uphold-minnesotacare-for-undocumented-people/
Published: May 12, 2025 22:13
Kevin Kinney, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis, joined Minnesota Catholics Monday at the Capitol, urging state lawmakers to keep a program that allows undocumented people to receive free or discounted health insurance. “I’m here…
Minnesota child care advocates rally against federal cuts
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/12/minnesota-child-care-advocates-rally-federal-child-care-cuts/
Published: May 12, 2025 22:07
It’s been a disappointing year for Minnesota’s parents of young children and the advocates hoping to secure more investments in child care. Across the state, child care centers are shutting down, exacerbating the shortage of day care spots. Meanwhile, the…
U.S. House GOP mandates Medicaid work requirements in giant bill slashing spending
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/12/repub/u-s-house-gop-mandates-medicaid-work-requirements-in-giant-bill-slashing-spending/
Published: May 12, 2025 21:35
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans plan to debate and approve the three final pieces of their “big, beautiful bill” in committee this week, including the tax measure, major spending cuts to Medicaid that will change how states run the program and an…
Noem revokes temporary deportation protections for some Afghans in the U.S.
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/12/repub/noem-revokes-temporary-deportation-protections-for-some-afghans-in-the-u-s/
Published: May 12, 2025 21:11
WASHINGTON — Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem Monday announced about 9,000 Afghans living in the United States who had been protected from deportation will no longer be shielded as of mid-July. After the United States withdrew from…
Union for nearly 1,000 U of M resident physicians certified by state
https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/union-for-1000-resident-physicians-certified-by-state/
Published: May 12, 2025 18:26
Nearly 1,000 resident physicians at the University of Minnesota are officially unionized with SEIU Committee of Interns and Residents after a state labor board certified on Friday that a majority of residents signed union cards. The certification comes on…
U.S. and China hit the pause button on trade war for 90 days, as talks continue
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/12/repub/u-s-and-china-hit-the-pause-button-on-trade-war-for-90-days-as-talks-continue/
Published: May 12, 2025 17:41
The United States and China agreed Monday to lower steep tit-for-tat tariffs for 90 days, temporarily cooling a trade war but still leaving a cloud of uncertainty over businesses in the world’s two largest economies. American and Chinese officials…
An Early Learning Scholarship has been crucial for my daughter and me — don’t cut them
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/12/an-early-learning-scholarship-has-been-crucial-for-my-daughter-and-me-dont-cut-them/
Published: May 12, 2025 14:49
Over the past decade, a Minnesota program called Early Learning Scholarships has awarded over 100,000 child care scholarships to families in desperate need. State leaders who made that possible don’t often get to hear how that impacts those children and…
The Topline: What’s in the Minnesota Senate tax bill?
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/12/the-topline-whats-in-the-minnesota-senate-tax-bill/
Published: May 12, 2025 14:10
Welcome to The Topline, a weekly roundup of the big numbers driving the Minnesota news cycle, as well as the smaller ones that you might have missed. This week: what’s in the Senate’s $365 million tax omnibus; a record-high graduation rate; the summer air…
Minnesota families are sinking under the weight of nation-leading child care costs
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/12/minnesota-families-are-sinking-under-the-weight-of-nation-leading-child-care-costs/
Published: May 12, 2025 12:00
Before Annalisa Fitzgerald gave birth to her eldest daughter in April 2020, she was thinking about pushing her baby in a stroller at the park, the tiny socks she’d one day slip over tiny feet, and how long she might breastfeed. She wasn’t thinking about…
Labor fights to preserve recent gains at Minnesota Legislature — and other labor news
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/09/labor-fights-to-preserve-recent-gains-at-minnesota-legislature-and-other-labor-news/
Published: May 9, 2025 16:17
Take a seat in the Break Room, our weekly round-up of labor news in Minnesota and beyond. This week: Labor fights to preserve gains at the Capitol; U.S. Rep. Angie Craig racks up labor endorsements; truckers brace for tariff slowdown; Macalester staff file…
Trump’s tariffs weigh heavy on truckers as overseas shipments sink
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/09/trumps-tariffs-weigh-heavy-on-truckers-as-overseas-shipments-sink/
Published: May 9, 2025 12:20
Freddy Lazo left a restaurant job for a higher paying one in trucking about two-and-a-half years ago. But the way President Trump’s trade war is going, he’s thinking he might have to go back to waiting tables soon. “It’s really super slow,” Lazo said,…
You deserve sick time no matter the size of your employer
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/09/you-deserve-sick-time-no-matter-the-size-of-your-employer/
Published: May 9, 2025 11:00
Minnesota did the right thing in 2023 by passing earned safe and sick time for all workers. This was a powerful first step that affirmed a simple truth: No one should be fired, or risk the ability to feed themselves or their family, because of a…
As Trump slashes AmeriCorps, states lose a federal partner in community service
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/09/repub/as-trump-slashes-americorps-states-lose-a-federal-partner-in-community-service/
Published: May 9, 2025 05:18
WASHINGTON — Hillary Kane learned on a Saturday morning in April that within days, she would lose AmeriCorps funding for two programs that match mentors with West Philadelphia high schoolers and first-generation college students — both vulnerable groups at…
‘Out of control’: Kristi Noem on defense over Homeland Security spending overrun
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/09/repub/out-of-control-kristi-noem-on-defense-over-homeland-security-spending-overrun/
Published: May 9, 2025 05:15
WASHINGTON — The top Democrat on a U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee panel Thursday slammed Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for her handling of her agency’s funding and the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Sen. Chris…
Trump asks U.S. Supreme Court to end humanitarian protections for migrants from 4 nations
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/09/repub/trump-asks-u-s-supreme-court-to-end-humanitarian-protections-for-migrants-from-4-nations/
Published: May 9, 2025 05:13
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration Thursday made an emergency request to the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the deportation of more than half a million immigrants granted humanitarian protections under the Biden administration. A federal judge in…
Puzzled senators question Trump’s FBI chief on nonexistent spending plan
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/08/repub/puzzled-senators-question-trumps-fbi-chief-on-nonexistent-spending-plan/
Published: May 8, 2025 20:04
WASHINGTON — The case of the missing Federal Bureau of Investigation budget request was on full display Thursday, when senators repeatedly asked the law enforcement agency’s director what resources he needed Congress to provide in the upcoming fiscal year.…
FEMA leader ousted, one day after publicly opposing agency’s elimination
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/08/repub/fema-leader-ousted-one-day-after-publicly-opposing-agencys-elimination/
Published: May 8, 2025 18:25
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has ousted the leader of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and replaced him with another official, States Newsroom has confirmed. Cam Hamilton, senior official performing the duties of the administrator at FEMA,…
St. Paul walks back rent control
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/08/st-paul-walks-back-rent-control/
Published: May 8, 2025 15:54
New — and new-ish — rental properties in St. Paul will no longer be subject to the city’s 3% cap on yearly rent increases. The St. Paul City Council, at the behest of Mayor Melvin Carter, voted 4-3 Wednesday to permanently exempt new construction and…
Walz goes to Harvard and proves his point: ‘10% problematic’
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/08/walz-goes-to-harvard-and-proves-his-point-10-problematic/
Published: May 8, 2025 12:40
Gov. Tim Walz got dragged online and on cable news last week for some comments he made at the Harvard Institute of Politics. “But I also was on the ticket quite honestly, ya know, because I could code talk to white guys watching football and fixing their…
An uncertain time for solar, thanks to politics: Q&A with All Energy Solar CEO Michael Allen
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/08/an-uncertain-time-for-solar-thanks-to-politics-qa-with-all-energy-solar-ceo-michael-allen/
Published: May 8, 2025 11:59
If you live in Minnesota, you may have already had an inkling, but a quick glance at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s U.S. solar resource map confirms: Minnesota is among the least sunny states in the Lower 48. Yet Minnesota gets a surprising…
Kennedy Center slated for huge funding increase while local arts slashed under Trump plans
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/07/repub/kennedy-center-slated-for-huge-funding-increase-while-local-arts-slashed-under-trump-plans/
Published: May 8, 2025 04:13
WASHINGTON — A Democratic lawmaker is asking why House Republicans approved nearly six times the requested funding for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as President Donald Trump cancels federal grants for arts organizations across the…
Immigration lawyers rush to prevent imminent deportations to Libya, Saudi Arabia
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/07/repub/immigration-lawyers-rush-to-prevent-imminent-deportations-to-libya-saudi-arabia/
Published: May 8, 2025 04:11
WASHINGTON — Immigration attorneys are asking a Massachusetts federal judge for an emergency temporary restraining order to stop the Trump administration from removing their clients to Libya and Saudi Arabia as soon as Wednesday, in a major new development…
Minnesota Senate passes human services budget with nearly $300 million in cuts
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/07/minnesota-senate-passes-dhs-budget/
Published: May 7, 2025 23:20
The Democratic-Farmer-Labor-controlled Minnesota Senate passed a two-year human services budget Wednesday, featuring extensive cuts as the state grapples with looming deficits. The House, which is tied 67-67, passed its Department of Human Services budget…
Congressional budget agency projects sweeping Medicaid cutbacks in states under GOP plans
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/07/repub/congressional-budget-agency-projects-sweeping-medicaid-cutbacks-in-states-under-gop-plans/
Published: May 7, 2025 19:45
WASHINGTON — The Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday that potential major cuts and changes to Medicaid under consideration by Republicans could mean states would have to spend more of their own money on the program, reduce payments to health care…
The MN Child Tax Credit is working; give it to more families
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/07/the-mn-child-tax-credit-is-working-give-it-to-more-families/
Published: May 7, 2025 15:10
Like many hardworking families in our state, the Minnesota Legislature is engaging in the exercise of creating a budget that balances competing needs and interests. At a time when pocketbooks are tight and inflation is rising, legislators should be giving…
Why Minnesota wants to be a leader in sustainable aviation fuel
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/07/why-minnesota-wants-to-be-a-leader-in-sustainable-aviation-fuel/
Published: May 7, 2025 11:00
Sustainable aviation fuel is having a moment in Minnesota. Lawmakers are considering a broad expansion of tax credits for producers of the fuels, in hope of positioning Minnesota as a leading manufacturer. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency recently…
‘Blue Dog’ Democrats vote to roll back paid sick leave for workers at small farms and businesses
https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/blue-dog-democrats-vote-to-roll-back-paid-sick-leave-for-workers-at-small-farms-and-businesses/
Published: May 7, 2025 02:57
Six self-described “Blue Dog” Senate Democrats voted with Republicans on Tuesday to weaken the paid sick leave law they supported just two years ago and repeal the benefit for tens of thousands of workers at small farms and micro-businesses. The bill would…
Trump administration loses in two courtrooms in one day on deportations
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/06/repub/trump-administration-loses-in-two-courtrooms-in-one-day-on-deportations/
Published: May 7, 2025 01:34
WASHINGTON — Two federal judges Tuesday blocked the Trump administration from using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport Venezuelans, limiting the rulings to Colorado and a New York district. U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York…
Pay raises for nursing home workers passes Minnesota House with bipartisan support
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/06/pay-raises-for-nursing-home-workers-passes-minnesota-house-with-bipartisan-support/
Published: May 7, 2025 00:53
Thousands of nursing home workers across Minnesota would see a significant pay increase on Jan. 1 under a bill that easily passed the state House 109-25 on Monday. The measure still needs Senate approval and the signature of Gov. Tim Walz. The House human…
‘We call it betrayal’: Veterans join Dems in D.C. to protest Trump’s sweeping VA job cuts
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/06/repub/we-call-it-betrayal-veterans-join-dems-in-d-c-to-protest-trumps-sweeping-va-job-cuts/
Published: May 6, 2025 22:35
WASHINGTON — Veterans and Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill Tuesday protested the Trump administration’s planned cuts for the Department of Veterans Affairs that include slashing some 80,000 jobs, which many worry will affect the massive agency’s…
U.S. Senate Dems launch forums to spotlight ‘bulldozing’ of Department of Education
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/06/repub/u-s-senate-dems-launch-forums-to-spotlight-bulldozing-of-department-of-education/
Published: May 6, 2025 22:15
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Democrats on Tuesday blasted the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, underscoring the impact of the dizzying array of cuts, overhauls and proposed changes to the agency on students,…
‘We have to move’: USDA soon to disclose which staff jobs will leave D.C.
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/06/repub/we-have-to-move-usda-soon-to-disclose-which-staff-jobs-will-leave-d-c/
Published: May 6, 2025 21:50
WASHINGTON — Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced during a congressional hearing Tuesday the department will soon detail which staff positions it plans to move away from the nation’s capital and where in the country those jobs will be relocated.…
Minnesota Senate passes bill reining in HOAs
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/06/minnesota-senate-passes-bill-reining-in-hoas/
Published: May 6, 2025 20:49
The Minnesota Senate approved legislation Tuesday that would cap homeowners’ association fees, require board members disclose conflicts of interest and establish new rules to settle contentious HOA disputes. The bill (SF1750) now heads to the House. More…
Court battle escalates over yet another wrongly deported man sent to El Salvador prison
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/06/repub/court-battle-escalates-over-yet-another-wrongly-deported-man-sent-to-el-salvador-prison/
Published: May 6, 2025 19:05
BALTIMORE — A federal judge in Maryland Tuesday will for 48 hours pause her own order to require the federal government to facilitate the return of an asylum seeker mistakenly deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador, while the court waits for the…
Here’s how the House plans to cut $300 million from the disability services agency
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/06/heres-how-the-house-plans-to-cut-300-million/
Published: May 6, 2025 14:33
The Minnesota House passed a bill Monday with significant cuts to the Department of Human Services through 2027. DHS programs account for nearly one-third of state spending, and are expected to get more expensive in the coming years due to the aging…
DFL Sen. Matt Klein announces run for 2nd Congressional District
https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/dfl-sen-matt-klein-announces-run-for-2nd-congressional-district/
Published: May 6, 2025 13:59
Minnesota Sen. Matt Klein, DFL-Mendota Heights, a Mayo doctor first elected to the Legislature in 2016, announced Tuesday he’s running for Rep. Angie Craig’s congressional seat in the 2nd District. “As a senator, I’ve worked across the aisle to pass common…
The “facility fee”: Another way hospital companies are squeezing every last nickel out of us
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/06/the-facility-fee-another-way-hospital-companies-are-squeezing-every-last-nickel-out-of-us/
Published: May 6, 2025 11:00
Have you ever heard of a “facility fee”? Even if you haven’t, I’ll bet that you’ve been charged one without even realizing it. Facility fees are becoming more and more common as a way for large hospital systems to charge extra for basic appointments at…
Mayday Parade celebrates 50 years of art and protest
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/05/mayday-parade-celebrates-50-years-of-art-and-protest/
Published: May 5, 2025 20:59
This year marked the 50th anniversary of the Mayday Parade in south Minneapolis, which drew thousands of celebrants who enjoyed puppetry, avante garde music and worker solidarity on a pitch-perfect spring day. “It has always been about welcoming spring,…
Minnesota Senate ethics committee takes no action on complaint against Champion
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/05/minnesota-senate-ethics-committee-takes-no-action-on-complaint-against-champion/
Published: May 5, 2025 20:55
The Senate ethics committee on Monday took no action on a complaint against Senate President Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis. A GOP complaint alleged he violated Senate rules when he spearheaded state funds to an organization run by a former legal…
DHS offers $1,000 to immigrants without legal status who self-deport
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/05/repub/dhs-offers-1000-to-immigrants-without-legal-status-who-self-deport/
Published: May 5, 2025 20:30
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced Monday that the agency will provide $1,000 in what it called “travel assistance” to people in the United States without permanent legal status if they self deport. It’s the latest attempt by…
Dumping costs on to local property taxpayers is a shifty way to balance the state budget
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/05/dumping-costs-on-to-local-property-taxpayers-is-a-shifty-way-to-balance-the-state-budget/
Published: May 5, 2025 18:28
As we near the end of the legislative session, Minnesota legislators and Gov. Tim Walz are deliberating on a two-year budget to address the long-term deficit facing the state — and current proposals are not good news for property taxpayers. As county…
The number of new apartments is at a 50-year high, but states expect a slowdown
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/05/the-number-of-new-apartments-is-at-a-50-year-high-but-states-expect-a-slowdown/
Published: May 5, 2025 15:03
More new apartments were built in 2024 than in any other year since 1974, but the Trump administration’s tariffs and deportations of potential construction workers, plus higher interest rates, could be a wet blanket on the boom. A U.S. Census Bureau survey…
A last-ditch effort to reform Minnesota zoning fails in Senate committee
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/05/a-last-ditch-effort-to-reform-minnesota-zoning-fails-in-senate-committee/
Published: May 5, 2025 11:00
A legislative effort to make it easier and cheaper to build houses and apartments is all but dead for the year. A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers and advocates entered the legislative session with an ambitious but carefully-crafted set of bills to…
Pet stores selling commercially raised puppies cause a world of hurt
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/05/pet-stores-selling-commercially-raised-puppies-cause-a-world-of-hurt/
Published: May 5, 2025 11:00
An innocent look. A wag of a tail. It’s kind of hard to resist the tug on your heart to buy the dog you see in a pet store window. The problem is that buying a pet shop puppy amounts to a direct investment in the cruel puppy mill industry, which treats…
Gov. Walz signs new scuba safety standards following two worker deaths
https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/gov-walz-signs-new-scuba-safety-standards-following-two-worker-deaths/
Published: May 2, 2025 20:48
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill creating new safety standards for workers who use scuba equipment to remove underwater weeds from lakes, following the deaths of two young and inexperienced divers. Brady Aune and Joe Anderson died two years apart in…
‘Courage is contagious’: About 600 gather for Fargo May Day event
https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/courage-is-contagious-about-600-gather-for-fargo-may-day-event/
Published: May 2, 2025 18:13
A day for bringing attention to organized labor and worker rights extended into an opportunity to denounce President Donald Trump’s agenda and expansion of executive power. Around 600 demonstrators attended a May Day event in Fargo-Moorhead Thursday.…
May Day demonstrations draw thousands in protest of Trump — and other labor news
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/02/may-day-demonstrations-draw-thousands-in-protest-of-trump-and-other-labor-news/
Published: May 2, 2025 15:33
Take a seat in the Break Room, our weekly round-up of labor news in Minnesota and beyond. This week: May Day demonstrations decry Trump; unemployment benefits hang over state budget deal; strike averted at HealthPartners; governor exempts more workers from…
23andMe users’ genetic data is at risk, state AGs warn
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/02/23andme-users-genetic-data-is-at-risk-state-ags-warn/
Published: May 2, 2025 13:47
The fate of more than 15 million customers’ genetic data remains in limbo after popular DNA testing company 23andMe filed for bankruptcy in March. The data is up for sale, stoking fears about how it might be used and prompting attorneys general from more…
Trump administration asks Supreme Court to strip legal protections for Venezuelans
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/02/repub/trump-administration-asks-supreme-court-to-strip-legal-protections-for-venezuelans/
Published: May 2, 2025 13:38
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Justice Department made an emergency request to the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday, asking the justices to lift a lower court’s freeze on the Trump administration’s plans to terminate work authorization and deportation protection for…
Is Trump good for business? Not ours.
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/02/is-trump-good-for-business-not-ours/
Published: May 2, 2025 11:00
I’m the general manager at Northstar Canoes, a small manufacturing company in Minnesota, and so far, there’s nothing about President Trump’s policies that are good for either our international or domestic business. Our 17 employees make performance canoes…
Minnesota Republican senator: No more wit, pop culture, portmanteaus on our road signs
https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/minnesota-republican-senator-no-more-wit-pop-culture-portmanteaus-on-our-road-signs/
Published: May 1, 2025 22:34
State Sen. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa, offered an amendment to a transportation funding bill Thursday that would mandate the Minnesota Department of Transportation use digital road signs that “convey a clear and simple message without witticisms,…
Federal judge bars use of Alien Enemies Act in key South Texas area
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/01/repub/federal-judge-bars-use-of-alien-enemies-act-in-key-south-texas-area/
Published: May 1, 2025 21:49
WASHINGTON — A federal judge Thursday struck down President Donald Trump’s use of a wartime law to deport Venezuelan nationals, but limited the scope to the Southern District of Texas. Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr., whom Trump appointed in 2017, wrote in a…
Technologists welcome executive order on AI in schools but say more detail is needed
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/01/repub/technologists-welcome-executive-order-on-ai-in-schools-but-say-more-detail-is-needed/
Published: May 1, 2025 20:07
Education software experts say they’re cautiously optimistic about a Trump administration drive to incorporate AI into classrooms, but such a program needs clear goals, specific rules — and enough money to fund the costly systems. “AI is, inherently,…
Top White House aide defends Trump tariffs, amid plunging consumer sentiment
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/01/repub/top-white-house-aide-defends-trump-tariffs-amid-plunging-consumer-sentiment/
Published: May 1, 2025 20:05
WASHINGTON — Despite news that the U.S. economy has contracted since January, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said Thursday that President Donald Trump’s policies are working to “unleash this era of American prosperity.” Miller, also a top…
Three-quarters of Americans oppose Medicaid cuts, poll shows
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/01/repub/three-quarters-of-americans-oppose-medicaid-cuts-poll-shows/
Published: May 1, 2025 16:50
WASHINGTON — A majority of Americans, including most Republicans, oppose major cuts in federal funding for Medicaid, according to a poll released Thursday by the nonpartisan health research organization KFF. The survey shows that 76% of those questioned…
Gov. Walz proposes cutting out nonprofit middlemen in tutoring tax credit
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/01/gov-walz-proposes-cutting-out-nonprofit-middlemen-in-tutoring-tax-credit/
Published: May 1, 2025 13:00
Gov. Tim Walz’s administration wants to eliminate a program that allows low-income parents to take out loans from nonprofit organizations for tutoring services, using their tax refunds as collateral. The proposal comes after the Reformer and Sahan Journal…
Federal Medicaid cuts would wreak havoc on the state budget — and the lives of 230,000 Minnesotans
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/05/01/federal-medicaid-cuts-would-wreak-havoc-on-the-state-budget-and-the-lives-of-230000-minnesotans/
Published: May 1, 2025 11:00
Gov. Tim Walz and the Legislature are busy working on the state’s budget for the next two years. Their efforts to reduce state spending, however, are focused on two other realities: the state budget deficit forecast in 2028-29, and what is happening in…
Three U.S. Senate Republicans break with Trump on tariffs but rebuke fails
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/04/30/repub/three-u-s-senate-republicans-break-with-trump-on-tariffs-but-rebuke-fails/
Published: May 1, 2025 03:09
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans defended President Donald Trump’s emergency tariffs Wednesday, blocking a largely symbolic measure to terminate the president’s import taxes that have shocked the economy. The resolution failed in a tied 49-49 vote Wednesday…
U.S. House GOP advances Trump mass deportations plan with huge funding boosts
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/04/30/repub/u-s-house-gop-advances-trump-mass-deportations-plan-with-huge-funding-boosts/
Published: May 1, 2025 03:06
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Judiciary Republicans Wednesday worked in committee on a portion of a major legislative package that would help fund President Donald Trump’s plans to conduct mass deportations of people living in the United States without permanent…