More from the HomepageLoading...State officials defended their participation in the program, noting they followed all of the rules and used the money as it was intended. ByandStar TribunemoreWhile thousands of other business owners in Minnesota were scrambling to find a bank willing to take their application for the popular Paycheck Protection Program, Minnesota Senate President Jeremy Miller found himself at the front of the line.His family’s application for a forgivable loan was approved April 3, the same day the U.S. Small Business Administration began taking applications for the...…More from the HomepageLoading...State officials defended their participation in the program, noting they followed all of the rules and used the money as it was intended. ByandStar TribunemoreWhile thousands of other business owners in Minnesota were scrambling to find a bank willing to take their application for the popular Paycheck Protection Program, Minnesota Senate President Jeremy Miller found himself at the front of the line.His family’s application for a forgivable loan was approved April 3, the same day the U.S. Small Business Administration began taking applications for the...WW…

ByThe Legislature passed a sweeping package of police accountability measures early Tuesday morning following two months of touch-and-go negotiations after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody., one of the most substantial changes to the state’s criminal justice system in years, includes a statewide ban on chokeholds and neck restraints — such as the one used on Floyd — and a prohibition on warrior-style training for officers. It enhances data collection around deadly force encounters, requires officers to intervene and creates a new state unit to investigate such...…ByThe Legislature passed a sweeping package of police accountability measures early Tuesday morning following two months of touch-and-go negotiations after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody., one of the most substantial changes to the state’s criminal justice system in years, includes a statewide ban on chokeholds and neck restraints — such as the one used on Floyd — and a prohibition on warrior-style training for officers. It enhances data collection around deadly force encounters, requires officers to intervene and creates a new state unit to investigate such...WW…

ByVoters in Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District are being bombarded with appeals from two rival Democrats in a nationally watched primary election that, if not for its high-profile incumbent, would get only dutiful attention from party insiders.Ads and glossy mailers are blanketing the district as millions of dollars pour in from all over the country, defying expectations in one of the nation’s safest Democratic districts, which includes Minneapolis. The difference this year is U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, whose rocketing profile in a single term in Congress has inspired fierce loyalty — and...…ByVoters in Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District are being bombarded with appeals from two rival Democrats in a nationally watched primary election that, if not for its high-profile incumbent, would get only dutiful attention from party insiders.Ads and glossy mailers are blanketing the district as millions of dollars pour in from all over the country, defying expectations in one of the nation’s safest Democratic districts, which includes Minneapolis. The difference this year is U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, whose rocketing profile in a single term in Congress has inspired fierce loyalty — and...WW…

More from the HomepageSeveral voters argue lawmakers have failed for decades to come to an agreement on redistricting — and will again. By Briana Bierschbach, Star TribunemoreA group of Minnesota voters is asking the courts to draw the state's legislative and congressional maps, the opening salvo in the once-a-decade redistricting process to reset the state's political boundaries to account for population shifts.The lawsuit, filed in Carver County last week, argues Minnesota lawmakers have failed to set political maps dating back to at least 1971, when the courts stepped in because of...…More from the HomepageSeveral voters argue lawmakers have failed for decades to come to an agreement on redistricting — and will again. By Briana Bierschbach, Star TribunemoreA group of Minnesota voters is asking the courts to draw the state's legislative and congressional maps, the opening salvo in the once-a-decade redistricting process to reset the state's political boundaries to account for population shifts.The lawsuit, filed in Carver County last week, argues Minnesota lawmakers have failed to set political maps dating back to at least 1971, when the courts stepped in because of...WW…

ByThe battle to legalize recreational marijuana gained new life at the Minnesota Capitol on Wednesday after a measure to permit adult cannabis use survived its first committee test.Supporters of the measure described it as an important racial and criminal justice measure that could also bring millions of dollars in new revenue to a state that's been hammered by the COVID-19 pandemic."This is an opportunity in the age of COVID, and political and racial disruption and economic uncertainty to open the doors to grow our local economy and bridge the outrageous racial disparities in our state,"...…ByThe battle to legalize recreational marijuana gained new life at the Minnesota Capitol on Wednesday after a measure to permit adult cannabis use survived its first committee test.Supporters of the measure described it as an important racial and criminal justice measure that could also bring millions of dollars in new revenue to a state that's been hammered by the COVID-19 pandemic."This is an opportunity in the age of COVID, and political and racial disruption and economic uncertainty to open the doors to grow our local economy and bridge the outrageous racial disparities in our state,"...WW…

ByGov. Tim Walz's proposal to raise taxes on the wealthiest has reinvigorated a debate in Minnesota: Do top earners pay their fair share, or will his plan hamper a fragile economic recovery?The centerpiece is a new fifth-tier income tax bracket on couples making more than $1 million each year, a jump from the fourth tier income tax enacted eight years ago by his predecessor, former Gov. Mark Dayton. The Walz administration says the COVID-19 pandemic hasn't hit those earners as hard as it has lower-income Minnesotans, who would benefit in Walz's plan through ."It really was about compassion...…ByGov. Tim Walz's proposal to raise taxes on the wealthiest has reinvigorated a debate in Minnesota: Do top earners pay their fair share, or will his plan hamper a fragile economic recovery?The centerpiece is a new fifth-tier income tax bracket on couples making more than $1 million each year, a jump from the fourth tier income tax enacted eight years ago by his predecessor, former Gov. Mark Dayton. The Walz administration says the COVID-19 pandemic hasn't hit those earners as hard as it has lower-income Minnesotans, who would benefit in Walz's plan through ."It really was about compassion...WW…

ByVideo of Minnesota Third District Rep. Dean Phillips went viral on Thursday, after he apologized to members of color in the U.S. House, saying he didn't understand what "privilege really means" until the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.Phillips apologized during a special hour organized by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., to allow members to share their experiences from that day. Members of the House were ordered to grab their gas masks from under their seats in the chamber and rushed to a secured location as a mob broke through a line of police and infiltrated the building."We know the...…ByVideo of Minnesota Third District Rep. Dean Phillips went viral on Thursday, after he apologized to members of color in the U.S. House, saying he didn't understand what "privilege really means" until the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.Phillips apologized during a special hour organized by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., to allow members to share their experiences from that day. Members of the House were ordered to grab their gas masks from under their seats in the chamber and rushed to a secured location as a mob broke through a line of police and infiltrated the building."We know the...WW…

ByMinnesota bars and restaurants, looking for ways to survive this winter as the pandemic drags on, are pushing Gov. Tim Walz and state legislators for an OK to sell premade cocktails.“The stock we are sitting on is liquor and the profitability for restaurants is in cocktails,” said Jami Olson, owner of Mexican restaurant Centro in Minneapolis.Loading...State leaders previously OK’d restaurants to sell beer and wine with takeout food orders, but Olson said that’s done little to help her bottom line during the pandemic. Customers want to be able to order a margarita with their tacos or...…ByMinnesota bars and restaurants, looking for ways to survive this winter as the pandemic drags on, are pushing Gov. Tim Walz and state legislators for an OK to sell premade cocktails.“The stock we are sitting on is liquor and the profitability for restaurants is in cocktails,” said Jami Olson, owner of Mexican restaurant Centro in Minneapolis.Loading...State leaders previously OK’d restaurants to sell beer and wine with takeout food orders, but Olson said that’s done little to help her bottom line during the pandemic. Customers want to be able to order a margarita with their tacos or...WW…

More from the HomepageLoading...DFL Senate Minority Leader Susan Kent emphasized that "all of us deserve a safe workplace." By Star TribunemoreRepublican Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka said Tuesday that he could have handled a large indoor gathering and information sharing about COVID-19 differently, following an outbreak at the Minnesota Capitol and demands from DFL legislators for more transparency."I personally will apply lessons from this episode to inform future decisions as we prepare for the 2021 legislative session," Gazelka said in a statement. "I am committed to...…More from the HomepageLoading...DFL Senate Minority Leader Susan Kent emphasized that "all of us deserve a safe workplace." By Star TribunemoreRepublican Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka said Tuesday that he could have handled a large indoor gathering and information sharing about COVID-19 differently, following an outbreak at the Minnesota Capitol and demands from DFL legislators for more transparency."I personally will apply lessons from this episode to inform future decisions as we prepare for the 2021 legislative session," Gazelka said in a statement. "I am committed to...WW…

ByBars and restaurants in Minnesota can open June 1 for outdoor service under a revised COVID-19 response strategy announced by Gov. Tim Walz on Wednesday that also allows for limited reopening of hair salons and campgrounds.While COVID-19 remains a growing concern — causing 777 deaths and 17,670 lab-confirmed infections so far in Minnesota — Walz said beloved summertime activities can take place amid the pandemic, with precautions.Loading...“While the virus won’t yet allow for business as usual, let’s do what we do best after winter in Minnesota and head outside. Whether it’s a Jucy Lucy,...…ByBars and restaurants in Minnesota can open June 1 for outdoor service under a revised COVID-19 response strategy announced by Gov. Tim Walz on Wednesday that also allows for limited reopening of hair salons and campgrounds.While COVID-19 remains a growing concern — causing 777 deaths and 17,670 lab-confirmed infections so far in Minnesota — Walz said beloved summertime activities can take place amid the pandemic, with precautions.Loading...“While the virus won’t yet allow for business as usual, let’s do what we do best after winter in Minnesota and head outside. Whether it’s a Jucy Lucy,...WW…