Good morning, and welcome to Wednesday.
Two former governors weighed in Tuesday night on the proposed merger of Sanford Health and Fairview Health Services. MPR’s Michelle Wiley has the story: Former Gov. Mark Dayton bluntly told a state Senate committee what he believed was at stake if the Sanford Health and Fairview Health Services controlled the University of Minnesota’s medical facilities after the two health care companies merged. “As the land grant institution, the University of Minnesota and all of its assets are obligated, both legally and morally, to be used for the benefit of our state and our citizens,” he said. “They should be solely governed, directed and funded by its Board of Regents and this Legislature. To allow any other arrangement would be a terrible betrayal of the trust bestowed by the people of Minnesota.” Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a Republican, echoed his Democratic successor. While he didn’t comment on the virtue of the merger itself, Pawlenty was clear about the University’s future. “As far as I know there is no precedent, there is no precedent, for an out-of-state entity owning or controlling a state's flagship medical academic hospital, or academic medical center,” Pawlenty said.
Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill Tuesday that will allow people in the state to obtain a driver’s license or ID card regardless of their immigration status. MPR’s Dana Ferguson reports: Those seeking a license would still have to complete the required knowledge and road tests to be eligible. More than 80,000 people in the state without authorization could be affected by the change. The move comes 20 years after the Pawlenty Administration stripped the option for people in the country without proper documentation to obtain licenses. After the 9/11 attacks, state leaders said that people could use the Minnesota identification or license documents to do harm. In the two decades since, immigrants and advocates for the change have pressed lawmakers to change the law back. And they said the restriction has done more harm than good in keeping Minnesotans safe. Jovita Morales, who founded the Minnesota Immigrant Movement, and led protests, rallies and hunger strikes on the issue since 2005, got misty-eyed as she realized that she’d be eligible for a license later this year. “We can now breathe a little bit of relief from that trauma because our loss won real change for our community,” Morales said. “Finally I’m going to have my driver’s license.”
Attorney General Keith Ellison has launched an investigation of two automakers following a spike in thefts of their cars. MPR’s Matt Sepic reports: Ellison on Tuesday announced that he’s investigating Kia and Hyundai to determine if they ran afoul of state consumer protection and public nuisance laws by not including industry-standard anti-theft technology in their cars and SUVs. Many Kia and Hyundai vehicles do not have electronic immobilizers, even though the technology has been standard for about two decades. The technology prevents a vehicle from starting if the code programmed into a microchip embedded into the key doesn’t match the code in the onboard computer. While many of the vulnerable vehicles have been on the road for more than a decade, authorities say thieves began targeting them in large numbers in 2022 after social media videos provided step-by-step instructions for starting them without a key. In the Twin Cities, 3,293 Kias and Hyundais were reported stolen in 2022, a nearly nine-fold increase over 2021. In Minneapolis, the two makes account for 40 percent of all vehicle thefts.
The pandemic served as a pivot point for a lot of workers in Minnesota, some of whom will not go back to offices or who will only partially return to them. Minnesota government is part of that trend. The state is contemplating a renovation of agency buildings near the Capitol to accommodate hybrid working routines. This week, the Department of Administration asked design firms to bid on possible interior remodels of seven buildings surrounding the Capitol, with a possible price tag of $5 million to $40 million over five years. Construction work would be expected to start in May 2024. Gov. Tim Walz asked the Legislature for money to undertake an analysis on space reconfiguration, explaining in budget documents that continued remote work arrangements have led some agencies to “have already made the decision to reduce, consolidate, or relocate their offices.”
Why did 21 Republicans in the state House vote for a bonding bill? In part, because it pays for projects in their districts. MinnPost has more: GOP Rep. Bjorn Olson of Fairmont said $12.8 million in the bill to help Madelia improve roads and upgrade water infrastructure would support the city of 2,400 people and help bring jobs to his rural district in southern Minnesota. “There’s a great company — Tony Downs Foods — down there, basically says ‘We’re busting at the seams. We would like to grow but we can’t,’” Olson told MinnPost before the vote. “There’s not enough water, there’s not enough capacity. This would get them the capacity.” The promise of money for his district is partly why Olson sided with Democrats to help pave the way for the large infrastructure plan, contained within two bills, that would bankroll a wide range of projects such as college classrooms, ice rinks, water treatment plants, parks, trails and highway work. Olson’s votes, along with votes from other House Republicans, were notable in an era of gridlock on infrastructure. It’s still unclear if the seven Senate Republicans needed to pass the bill there will be persuaded.
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