Capitol View for February 2

Good morning. Time flies: Already six months since marijuana became legal.

Marijuana is legal, but that doesn’t mean it’s widely available in retail settings. MPR’s Jacob Aloi took a look at where we stand . Some of the most interesting comments came from entrepreneurs looking to set up shop. Some are already securing space in anticipation of the licensing land rush, with zoning in mind. Legacy Glassworks owner Josh Wilken-Simon said current rulemaking is a major moment for the cannabis industry here, as Jacob writes. “He sees two potential paths: one where massive marijuana operators dominate the industry or another where the state develops a ‘craft cannabis utopia’ where small businesses can thrive.”

The interim director of Minnesota’s Office of Cannabis Management says her unit is working through a long to-do list to prepare for next phases. MPR’s Cathy Wurzer interviewed Charlene Briner , who is temporarily watching over the regulatory buildout. She said early 2025 is still the goal to license retailers. There are also growers, delivery companies, inspectors, product testers and other cogs to consider. She said it might take a few years for the industry to mature. Briner said she expects a more-permanent Office of Cannabis Management director to be selected by late spring or early summer. She said she’s not in the running.

Dean Phillips has approached the official Democratic nomination starting contest differently than the unofficial primary in New Hampshire. MPR’s Clay Masters lays out the ways South Carolina is a tougher test for Phillips given that it was the state that gave now-President Joe Biden his 2020 liftoff. Phillips isn’t advertising here (he did in New Hampshire), he doesn’t really have much of an organization (he camped out in New Hampshire) and he’s realistic that many voters are prone to stick with the incumbent. A problem for Phillips is that the next contest he’s in won’t be until Michigan on Feb. 27.

A new report offers a clearer picture of the costs and hurdles facing a push to expand the MinnesotaCare insurance program to more people. The Minnesota Department of Commerce released a report yesterday that the agency was required to prepare on a possible public option buy-in to the subsidized care program. MPR’s Estelle Timar-Wilcox writes that it would cost the state up to $364 million annually and enroll up to 151,000 more people in the program. Advocates for an expansion say it would make health care easier to access, particularly for people who are self-employed or middle-income. The report notes that about 270,000 Minnesotans were uninsured in 2022. Using an actuarial consultant, the agency priced out different scenarios, so the low range of an expansion would run about $86 million per year.

KSTP’s new round of polling has Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar in a strong position, but not yet at the big majority support she’s used to. The KSTP/Survey USA poll came before Joe Fraser announced his Republican candidacy, but Klobuchar had a 49-33 lead over a generic Republican, with 15 percent undecided. Klobuchar is trying to land a fourth term, which hasn’t happened in almost 80 years. KSTP also polled on the state budget, tax rebates, school lunches and marijuana.

State campaign reports covering all of 2023 are out. And they show how the candidates and caucuses who will be on the ballot are positioned, as well as some that won’t be before voters this year. Some highlights:

Gov. Tim Walz in 2023 raised $1.15 million and had $627,000 in his campaign fund on Jan. 1. He hasn’t said whether a third term run in 2026 is in the cards.

The Minnesota DFL Party raised $3.57 million for its state account (it has a separate federal fund). It had $949,000 banked.

The Republican Party of Minnesota reported $765,000 raised and $42,000 on hand. But it also had almost $70,000 in unpaid bills, mostly to a law firm that countered a now-settled lawsuit by the former GOP chair.

In the race for the Minnesota House majority, the House DFL campaign arm raised $2 million last year and had $1.23 million in reserve. The House Republican caucus raised $1.17 million and entered 2024 with $696,000. Reserved.

Not on the ballot this year but still noteworthy: The Senate DFL’s main committee raised $1.37 million and had $877,000 available. Senate Republicans raised $1 million and had $1.24 million in the bank.