Good morning, and happy Friday after a long week. On the radio at noon I’ll talk to political analysts Todd Rapp and Chas Anderson and a few of those who prevailed on Tuesday night, including Speaker Melissa Hortman and Secretary of State Steve Simon. Listen to MPR News at noon.
Tuesday’s election delivered majorities to the Minnesota House and Senate that favor enshrining access to abortion in state law.MPR’s Dana Ferguson and Michelle Wiley have the story: Supporters say they’re preparing now to flex that new political power quickly next year at the Capitol. For the first time in Minnesota history, both houses will hold enough votes to pass bills protecting abortion and contraception rights, with a governor ready to sign those protections into law. Lawmakers may also seek to place a constitutional amendment on the 2024 ballot affirming the right to an abortion. “One of my favorite lines is when you come for our rights, we will come for your seats. And we did. And we got it done,” outgoing Senate Minority Leader Melisa López Franzen, DFL-Edina, said Wednesday. “We're going to be able to pass pass the progressive policies, not just for abortion care, but so many other care and reproductive supports that families need.”
Minnesota Senate Democrats Thursday elected Kari Dziedzic to be the new Senate majority leader. The Minneapolis senator won in a closed-door contested race and she said she will work to keep her caucus united to pass priority legislation in the narrowly divided chamber. Dziedzic is the first woman to serve as DFL majority leader. "My goal is to be very inclusive and to unify us,” Dziedzic said. “We were elected to move forward and to move Minnesota forward and voters told us they don't want gridlock, they gave us the trifecta, so my role is to keep us unified together and to move stuff forward to improve Minnesotans' lives." Dziedzic was first elected in 2012 and is in her fifth term. She said the caucus would pick a leadership team that represents the geographic and ethnic diversity of their 34 members. Democrats also chose Sen. Bobby Joe Champion of Minneapolis to be president of the Senate. He is the first person of color to ever hold that position. Earlier Thursday Republicans picked Sen. Mark Johnson of East Grand Forks as the new minority leader.
In the House, Democrats chose Melissa Hortman to remain as speaker. DFLers also chose Rep. Jamie Long, DFL-Minneapolis, to be the next majority leader and Rep. Athena Hollins, DFL-St. Paul, as majority whip.
What happened to the tough on crime message this year?MPR’s Jon Collins has a look: At a candidate forum hosted by MPR News last month, Minnesota attorney general candidate Jim Schultz was asked what his priorities would be if elected. ”My top priority is crime, crime and crime,” Schultz answered. Schultz went on to argue that incumbent Attorney General Keith Ellison hadn’t done enough to reduce crime, and painted a picture of crime “bleeding” from the cities to the suburbs and the rest of the state. Violent crime rose in many large cities around the country since the pandemic began. In Minnesota, the increasing number of murders and carjackings became fodder for politicians seeking to win seats this election cycle. It was close, but on Tuesday statewide voters didn’t reward the efforts of candidates like Schultz to make this year’s midterm election about crime. He lost to Ellison by more than 20,000 votes. Some progressives who accuse their opponents of fear mongering about crime, think voters may have started to come around to their arguments that public safety means more than just hiring more police and locking up more criminals.
Minnesota Management and Budget says revenue in October was 6 percent ahead of expectations at $126 million. That’s the final check before the release next month of a comprehensive economic forecast that will tell the governor and the Legislature how much of a surplus they have to work with heading into the 2023 legislative session.
Former Gov. Jesse Ventura says he expects Minnesota will soon legalize recreational marijuana, as he recently discussed the issue with newly re-elected Gov. Tim Walz. MPR’s Tim Nelson reports Ventura spoke about the issue in a conversation with his son, recorded live on a social media app the day after this week's election. The former governor said Walz assured him legalization is a real prospect, and that he intends to invite Ventura to the bill signing if the Legislature passes it. "The sticking point for cannabis in Minnesota were the Republicans, and the house they controlled,” Ventura said on the podcast. “Well, they've lost it now and the governor assured me that one of the first items that will be passed, Minnesota, get ready, cannabis is going to have its prohibition lifted. Oh, I hope that happens." A spokesperson for Walz confirmed he'd talked with Ventura and discussed the prospects for legalization, which Walz has expressed support for in the past.
In a related note, Minnesota is down to three major political parties. MPR’s Brian Bakst reports: There had been four parties with major party designation in state law heading into the election: The DFL, the Republican Party, the Legal Marijuana Now Party and the Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party. Coming out, the Grassroots Party will lose the label and the automatic ballot access that comes with it. That’s because none of its candidates won 5 percent of the vote in consecutive statewide elections. The Legal Marijuana Now candidate got 3.5 percent in a close state auditor race. But the party did top 5 percent in the 2020 U.S. Senate contest that will extend its run into the 2024 election.
The Star Tribune’s Rochelle Olson has a beautifully written obituary of former state Sen. Doug Johnson that captures him perfectly in just a few lines: Johnson came from modest roots, the son of Irene and Oscar, a truck driver. He grew up in a tiny house in Cook and was diagnosed with polio at 14 months. His parents initially couldn't afford a brace for his legs so his father made a tiny cart to help him get around, his wife said. For the rest of his life, Johnson required a full-leg brace that made walking cumbersome and slow. His defining physical trait, however, was a smile invariably described as cherubic. And he was an upbeat presence in any room, whether a packed tax conference committee session or a one-on-one interview.
This newsletter and I are taking a day off Monday. We’ll see you again here Tuesday. | 