Good morning. Broke the snow-free Christmas news to the youngest, who is still processing that.
There were two big stories on the Iron Range yesterday that also matter in the political realm. Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel, which has deep roots in northern Minnesota and employs hundreds there still, said it was selling to a Japan-based operation. The deal is likely to get scrutiny from regulators over national security aspects, and steelworker unions said they were blindsided by the $14 billion acquisition by Nippon Steel. The deal will reverberate in several political swing states, from Pennsylvania to the Midwest. An AP and MPR Dan Kraker combo outlines the important details and reaction. The other major story involves a planned copper-nickel mining operation, formerly known as PolyMet and now known as NewRange. A state appeals court upheld a key air permit. Dan’s story on that can be found here.
The eight-point star is almost certain to be shining on the new state flag. Today brings the end of a monthslong redesign process. And what a long, strange trip it’s been. MPR’s Dana Ferguson has been truckin’ along every mile. She starts today’s windup piece on a state Capitol tour, particularly in the rotunda where a marble star punctuated by a brass-and-glass interior shines with light from below. “Minnesota is the North Star state, that’s why we have that star there,” Capitol tour guide Susan Armstrong says. “That has eight points because it’s made of four M’s for Minnesota.” The eight-point star isn’t unique to Minnesota and appears in settings across the globe. But the group redesigning the flag hopes it becomes known as the “Minnesota Star.” The State Emblems Redesign Commission is definitely including the eight-point star in the design for the new state flag, and plans to iron out a few finer details of the design in what is expected to be its last meeting.
Next month brings the start of what could be several federal trials over the Feeding Our Future meal fraud investigation. MPR’s Matt Sepic runs down some key points to keep track of as the run of trials approaches. More than five dozen people have been charged with embezzling money that was supposed to go to youth meals during the pandemic. 16 have already entered guilty pleas. The person identified as the architect of the Feeding Our Future fraud ring is trying to get her charges thrown out.
The gradual rebound of in-person gatherings and activities following the COVID-19 pandemic also applies to Minnesota’s Capitol. A new report by a commission that oversees Capitol preservation says there were 317 permitted public events at the building this year. That’s up from 132 the year before. The 2023 number is still below what was seen prior to the pandemic. Many of the events coincide with the annual legislative session. Next year, that begins in February and is likely to run well into May.
Another DFL House incumbent says that the 2024 session will be her final one. Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn announced yesterday via press release that she isn’t seeking re-election next year, thanking supporters and her family. “After four terms, I look forward to reclaiming more time to care for them and for myself,” the Roseville DFLer said. She’s currently chair of the House Judiciary and Civil Law Committee. She’s the fifth House member to announce plans to leave after the current term, including two other DFLers and two Republicans. All 134 House seats are up next year.
The Minnesota Court of Appeals has ruled that lack of a serial number on a gun can be the basis of an illegal possession charge. As MPR’s Peter Cox reports, the appeals panel has reversed an Anoka County District Court judge who dismissed a gun charge against a man caught with an unmarked pistol. The man was found with it after being involved in a rollover crash. He lacked a permit to carry a gun. He sought to have the possession charge invalidated on the grounds it was a “ghost gun” made from legally obtained parts and therefore didn’t have a serial number. He argued the state law he was charged under was unconstitutional. The appeals court says the district judge was wrong to void the charge on grounds the law was vague. The new ruling says the Legislature clearly defined that possession of firearms without serial numbers can be grounds for a separate criminal charge. Read the ruling here and stay for the footnote at the end. I wouldn’t be shocked to see an appeal, and I’m told there are several other similar cases working their way through Minnesota’s courts. | 