Capitol View for March 22

Good morning. If you are hunkering down, tune in at noon.

Gov. Tim Walz will join Brian on Politics Friday at noon today. With two months remaining in the session, we thought it was a good time to check in with Walz, who will soon be busy negotiating with top lawmakers. We’ll also hear from Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson about what his caucus wants to see happen before time runs out. Tune in, stream in or listen on our website.

There were gun bill hearings at the Capitol yesterday and there will be more discussions today. MPR’s Dana Ferguson zooms out and talks about the proposals in play and what might be able to get through this year. Last year the gun measures were part of must-pass budget bills. Lawmakers appear ready to go the route again of putting them into larger bills rather than taking up-or-down votes on them individually. More here.

Discount shoes? Maybe not these ones. MPR’s Dana Ferguson is keeping close track of the fate of Judy Garland’s “Wizard of Oz” footwear. A bid to snag Dorothy's famed ruby slippers is clicking with Minnesota lawmakers -- although maybe not enough to fetch them at auction. Dana Ferguson reports that a Senate committee is proposing to spend $200,000 in state legacy funds to buy the iconic slippers. It's part of a broader environment, arts and culture bill. Lawmakers would set the money aside to buy the shoes for the Minnesota Historical Society. They would be put on public display at the Judy Garland museum in Grand Rapids. They were stolen from the museum in 2005, but recovered in 2018. FBI officers returned the slippers to their owner last month. They could be put up for auction later this year. With a $3.5 million estimated value, Minnesota's opening offer for the slippers might not get it very far down the, ahem, yellow brick road.

Hundreds of former foster children are at risk of losing state financial aid for college.Our Nicole Ki reports that 40 percent of recipients in the Fostering Independence Grant program are in danger of losing funding for college tuition next year because of a $5 million shortfall. The program is the first of its kind in the nation to cover not only tuition but the full cost of attendance of college for Minnesotans who have been in foster care. There are about 645 students receiving this aid to pay for college. Some of them testified in front of the Committee on Higher Education yesterday. The budget gap is rooted in an unexpected demand for the program, which began in 2021 after lawmakers passed a bill to create the program. In addition to seeking more money, the Office of Higher Education is asking lawmakers to add language to the law to create a waitlist.

Republicans have the 2nd Congressional District radar high on their radar this year as they work to unseat three-term DFL Representative Angie Craig. Since 2016, the district has been intensely competitive and attracted many millions of dollars in campaign spending - this year is no different. MPR’s Mark Zdechlik reports on the two GOP candidates hoping to face her. Law firm owner Tayler Rahm of Burnsville characterizes himself as a political outsider and is pledging to cut the size, scope and cost of the federal government. Marine veteran and former federal prosecutor Joe Teirab is the other option for Republicans. He talks about his “fight against our enemies overseas as a Marine I'll proudly be in the fight for you and our values when you send me to the Congress.” Both say they’ll leave the race if the other is endorsed next month by area Republicans. Craig is staging for a competitive campaign. This week, her campaign reserved hundreds of TV commercial spots beginning in September. She also has a massive fund-raising advantage.