Good morning, and happy Friday. Program note – at noon today on the radio I will talk to DFL Sen. Tina Smith and Republican state Sen. Michelle Benson in separate interviews about the leaked draft opinion on abortion from the Supreme Court. I’m also going to play Jon Meacham’s eulogy from Sunday’s memorial for Walter Mondale. I hope you can listen.
The Minnesota Senate voted unanimously Thursday to create a framework for distributing about $300 million that the state is receiving as part of a settlement with opioid distributors and manufacturers. The Associated Press reports counties and cities across Minnesota will be receiving a portion of the settlement, including more than $42 million to Hennepin County, the state’s most populous county, $10 million to the city of Minneapolis and $8 million to St. Paul. About a quarter will go to the state’s Opioid Response Advisory Council while the rest of the funds — about $222 million — are meant to flow to cities and counties for treatment and prevention against the addictive painkillers, which have claimed the lives of more than 5,400 Minnesotans since 2000. “Unfortunately, there is a tremendous amount of work … that needs to continue in stopping the illicit drugs like heroin and fentanyl in our communities,” Republican Sen. Julie Rosen, of Fairmont, the bill’s chief author, said on the Senate floor before the vote. “But for now, we can be assured that there is compensation for the abuse we have endured at the hands of these large companies.”
Minnesota lawmakers are ready to authorize bonuses for veterans of post-Sept. 11th military missions. MPR’s Brian Bakst reports an agreement on veterans spending got unanimous support in the state Senate Thursday and could move through the House within the next week. Sen. Andrew Lang, R-Olivia said it follows a Minnesota tradition of rewarding service members after the conclusion of armed conflicts. “Now over the course of 20 years, the cease of operations in Afghanistan has kind of put the end stamp on a 20-year global war on terrorism, which is why we’re here,” Lang said. The bonus amounts will range from $600 to $2,000 depending on mission and whether the duty resulted in injury or death. Applications would be accepted beginning in July. Lawmakers are budgeting $25 million for the program. Other initiatives in the overall $65 million bill cover costs of new veterans homes, other housing services and cemetery operations.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison says his office needs more money to help county prosecutors handle homicides and other big cases. Tim Pugmire reports that Ellison, a Democrat, is seeking funding from the Legislature to expand the criminal division in his office. With violent crime on the rise in the state, Ellison said he wants to be able to help when and where it's needed. “My office has been making a significant contribution to keep Minnesotans safe by prosecuting violent offenders and other folks who hurt Minnesotans across the state,” Ellison said. “We’re ready to do more. But we need the legislature’s help.” The DFL-controlled House included the money in a budget bill, but the Republican-led Senate did not. The issue will be a subject in end of session negotiations.
Contractors working on a development adjacent to the Vikings' practice facility are being accused of wage theft by more than three dozen workers, along with several labor groups.MPR’s Peter Cox reports the workers say they were paid less than agreed or paid for fewer hours than worked. The project developer MV Ventures is owned by the Wilf family, who own the Minnesota Vikings. "MV Ventures develops the project, hires the subcontractors, and has control of the project from start to finish. They are responsible,” said Burt Johnson, the general counsel for the North Central Regional Council of Carpenters, which is supporting the workers. “It's incumbent on them to ensure that the workers that show up on their project are informed about their rights and aren't working in exploitative conditions. And if problems are brought to light, it's incumbent on them to do everything they can do to address them." In a statement, the Wilfs said contractors were obligated to follow fair labor practices. The Wilfs also said they have not seen formally filed complaints and have not heard from the Minnnesota Department of Labor and Industry.
The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association endorsed Brad Finstad for Congress in Minnesota’s 1st District. Finstad is running in the special election being held to fill the seat of the late Congressman Jim Hagedorn. The primary election in the race is on Tuesday, May 24. “I am honored to have the endorsement of rank-and-file law enforcement officers and public safety professionals,” Finstad said in a statement Thursday. “The number one job of elected officials and government is ensuring our communities and neighborhoods are safe from crime. I will work hard every day to support policies that both keep our communities safe and support law enforcement throughout the 1st Congressional District and our state.”
Finally, if you live in the Twin Cities, it might be a good idea to hang around home this weekend. MPR’s Andrew Krueger reports:The Minnesota Department of Transportation says portions of four major highways will be closed all weekend. Some of those closures had been slated to take place in April, but were delayed by poor weather conditions. The closures — all of which start late Friday night and run through early Monday morning — include a stretch of Interstate 494 between the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and Interstate 35E; southbound Interstate 35W in Minneapolis between Interstate 94 and Highway 62, the Crosstown; Two stretches of U.S. Highway 10 in the northwest metro — one of the closures is in Anoka, the other in Elk River; and eastbound Highway 36 between Edgerton Street in Little Canada and U.S. Highway 61 in Maplewood. | 