Good morning, and welcome to Thursday.
The Supreme Court’s decision that overturned Row v. Wade and a Minnesota judge’s ruling that week that tossed out some abortion restrictions in Minnesota have put a spotlight on the issue in the governor’s race.MPR’s Brian Bakst reports Gov. Tim Walz made has made defense of reproductive rights a centerpiece of his re-election campaign. The stakes are clear. They could not be higher,” the DFL governor said. “[The] governor's office is now the last line of defense against an abortion ban in Minnesota." Meanwhile GOP-endorsed candidate Scott Jensen has gradually moderated his comments about what he’d do about it as governor. “I would try to ban abortion,” Jensen told MPR News in March when asked about a potential Supreme Court decision that matched the eventual outcome. Since the federal ruling last month — and after Jensen all but locked down the Republican nomination — has altered his rhetoric. Now he’s raising exceptions to an all-out ban. This week he told MPR News he wouldn’t push for or support a constitutional amendment banning abortion. “Well, an abortion is a life-saving medical procedure in certain, specific, given situations,” Jensen said. “I think we need to remember that. I mean, it's again, it's got to be about the woman who's pregnant. Her life is first and foremost, paramount.”
On Wednesday Jensen released a plan he says will lower energy costs for consumers. The 10-point proposal would repeal a moratorium on new nuclear plants, review alternative energy goals, and undo car sales rules that promote electric and hybrid vehicles. More than a dozen states have adopted the standards modeled after California's, which are more strict than national rules. Minnesota’s first-in-the-Midwest rule begins to take effect in 2024. The standards are a source of political friction and lawsuits by auto dealer groups. Asked at a Capitol news conference how his goals align with efforts to fight climate change, Jensen said he’s purposely staying away from that term. “I’m plenty willing to talk about a green movement: How can we preserve our environment, our water, our atmosphere?,” he said. “But as soon as we say ‘climate’ everybody goes ballistic.”
The University of Minnesota Board of Regents voted 9-2 to hire David McMillan as interim chancellor of the University of Minnesota Duluth. FOX 9 reports Regents James Farnsworth and Darrin Rosha voted no. By the same margin, the board approved offering McMillan a contract that includes a $250,000 salary and a $25,000 per year housing allowance. University President Joan Gabel defended the process to select McMillan, which she acknowledged was "unusual" but denied a conflict. McMillan was among the regents who approved a pay raise for Gabel in a 9-2 vote last December. Gabel stepped away from the search on the advice of compliance officials and left the boardroom as regents debated McMillan's hire on Wednesday morning. "I did not promise the job or offer the job to anyone," Gabel said, before calling the allegations "insulting" and said they cause damage to the university. This week, 37 Republican state lawmakers sent a letter to regents urging them to vote against McMillan's candidacy. "We implore you to hold yourselves to the highest moral and ethical standards, avoiding what appears to be a significant and serious conflict of interest," the GOP lawmakers wrote.
MPR’s Dan Kraker reportsGov. Walz appointed Tadd Johnson to the Board of Regents to replace McMillan. Johnson is the first Native American to be appointed to the Board since it was established more than 170 years ago. Johnson, 65, is a member of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa who lives in Duluth. He retired last month as the University of Minnesota's first senior director of American Indian Tribal Nations relations, a job that he said came about in 2019 when he complained to new President Joan Gabel that the University needed to do more to consult with tribes. He's also a former professor, tribal attorney and tribal court judge. He still serves as senior advisor on government affairs for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.
The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that sexual assault counselors are not required to disclose records about victims during criminal trials. The Star Tribune reports: The ruling reverses the decision of a district judge, who allowed court review of a woman's "notes, memoranda, records, reports" or any other communication with a southern Minnesota sexual assault advocacy group in a criminal case. The lower court's actions were "unreasonable" because the plain language of Minnesota law "creates a privilege for sexual assault counselors that cannot be pierced in a criminal proceeding without the victim's consent," wrote Supreme Court Associate Justice Natalie Hudson.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is rolling out a new system to help survivors of sexual assault track information about their cases.MPR’s Peter Cox reports that the BCA will begin using the Track-Kit system statewide this week. The system gives survivors of sexual assault 24/7 online access to information about their sexual assault kit. The system is part of a mandate from the Legislature to give survivors access to information about their kits. In the past, public safety agencies had inconsistent practices with different timelines for testing and varied procedures for informing survivors. Kits were destroyed when they still could have been used in cases. BCA leaders hope the new system will give more accountability and transparency to the process. | 