Good morning. It’s the election year. Are you ready for it?
The presidential election year is upon us. What Minnesota will decide: The popular vote determines the state’s 10 electoral votes, which for 12 consecutive elections have gone to Democratic presidential nominees. A U.S. Senate seat held by three-term Democrat Amy Klobuchar is on the line. Eight U.S. House seats, now at four apiece between the DFL and GOP, will be filled. At least three of the Minnesota Supreme Court’s seven justices are on the ballot. The lone remaining Republican appointee also hits mandatory retirement age in the fall. All 134 House seats and the chamber majority, now in DFL hands, are at stake. At least one constitutional amendment — to extend the state lottery authorization — is teed up, but others could emerge in the upcoming legislative session.
Absentee and other early voting in Minnesota’s Super Tuesday presidential primary starts on Jan. 19. The nominating races will no doubt change between now and when votes are counted on March 5. As of now , the DFL ballot will have nine candidates plus lines for write-ins or uncommitted. The GOP ballot has five candidates and a write-in space. But as MPR’s Mark Zdechlik notes, the Minnesota Supreme Court will hear a case challenging the process of determining which major party political candidates appear on the ballot. Ryan Binkley is a Republican candidate for president who wants Minnesota’s highest court to direct Secretary of State Steve Simon to include his name on the state’s March 5 primary ballot. He also wants the Minnesota law that gives major political parties power to name which candidates will be included on the presidential primary ballot to be declared unconstitutional. Binkley is arguing that the Minnesota Legislature, which set the policy, is not authorized to do so under the U.S. Constitution’s Electors Clause. Oral arguments play out next week.
Mark also checked in on the Dean Phillips presidential campaign, which is putting a big pile of chips on a strong showing in New Hampshire. Watch for Mark’s reports from that state around the Jan. 23 primary, which is vital for Republicans and unsanctioned for Democrats. Last fall, Rep. Phillips launched his challenge to fellow Democrat and current President Joe Biden. Phillips offered this prediction: “I think we're gonna surprise. I think if we're in the 25 percent range, perhaps a little above that, it's going to be a strong message to the country that change is coming, and that our president is unfortunately as weak as the polls indicate right now. And that will be the beginning of what I have considered to be a very long and spirited campaign that will run into next summer, as I introduce myself to the whole country.” Biden is not formally campaigning in New Hampshire but there is a write-in effort on his behalf. Democrats formally start their convention runup in South Carolina in early February.
The new year brought changes to Minnesota laws and policies. MPR’s Dana Ferguson provided explainers on a couple of note. She had this on the new sick and safe time law that will expand paid time off to many workers who now lack it. Dana also offered a window into the new gun law that could lead to temporary revocation of firearms to people seen as posing an immediate risk. Those were among the major changes approved last session by the DFL-led Legislature and signed by Gov. Tim Walz. Dana has you covered on that front, too.
Catch Gov. Walz talking about some of the bills passed in 2023 and the agenda for 2024 in a live interview with Cathy Wurzer this morning. The governor joins Morning Edition at 7:20 a.m. and can be heard on the radio or streamed here.
Close followers of the state’s judiciary were anticipating a big change in access to proceedings. As MPR’s Matt Sepic reports, new rules kick in around audio and video coverage. Matt puts it like this: “Unlike Wisconsin, Iowa and many other states, Minnesota courts have largely prohibited electronic media coverage. But in the last decade, the state Supreme Court began loosening the rules and began allowing cameras and microphones at sentencing hearings. The latest set of rules now allows electronic coverage of criminal trials with the presiding judge's approval. But there are still limits. Recording audio or video of victims, defendants and witnesses who are younger than 18 is still prohibited, and cameras are banned at trials for sex crimes. In 2021, Hennepin County judges suspended the rules to allow livestreaming of the trials of former police officers Derek Chauvin and Kimberly Potter in part because of pandemic-related courtroom space restrictions.
To round out this year’s first Capitol View edition, I have this limited-time shopping opportunity. The Minnesota State Patrol's aviation fleet is in a turnover process , with the auction for one of the unit’s trusty aircraft closing on Friday. As part of the latest state budget, Minnesota lawmakers authorized purchases of a new tactical helicopter and a single-engine airplane for the State Patrol. They set aside $18.5 million for the combined purchase costs, as well as for staff and equipment needs of pilots in the unit. A new Cessna was recently acquired and is in the process of being outfitted for patrol use. As part of the fleet upgrade, the state is auctioning off a 40-year-old Cessna that has been used in traffic enforcement, surveillance and transport of personnel. It has more than 12,000 flight hours on it. The online auction for that aircraft started the bidding at $2,500 and as of Monday is above $77,000. The plane is listed as in good condition and is being sold as-is. The winning bidder must pick it up at Holman Field. | 