Good morning. We’re chugging through another week.
A solution that avoids a government shutdown with days to spare? It appears so. The GOP-led U.S. House approved a bifurcated plan to keep the federal government funded into next year, avoiding the traditional dance that keeps Congress in town and agencies in limbo over the holiday season. Republicans and Democrats teamed up to give the plan overwhelming approval; Senate action is next. NPR says it was a big test for new House Speaker Mike Johnson and upset his party’s right flank. Current funding levels will be maintained into next year, but battles will linger over aid to Israel, Ukraine and border security programs.
Minnesota Congresswoman Angie Craig told a federal court Tuesday that she had to move and received death threats after she was attacked at her D.C. apartment earlier this year. In a victim impact statement filed yesterday, Craig told a U.S. District Court in Washington that she faced targeted threats after media reports on the assault included her former address. MPR’s Dana Ferguson and Matt Sepic report that Craig said she felt forced to move for safety reasons . She asked the court to hold the man who attacked her in February, Kendrid Hamlin, accountable. Hamlin followed the congresswoman into an elevator, demanded to go to her apartment, then punched her in the jaw. Craig sustained bruising and a cut lip. But she escaped after dumping hot coffee on him. In June, Hamlin pleaded guilty to assaulting a member of Congress and other charges. He faces sentencing Thursday. Federal prosecutors are seeking a 39-month sentence. In legal filings, Hamlin's attorneys say his conduct stemmed from homelessness and untreated mental illness.
Another Minnesotan faced charges stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021 uprising at the U.S. Capitol. MPR’s Matt Sepic has details . Federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C., charged Paul Orta Jr. of Blue Earth with a felony count of obstructing police during a civil disorder and misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds. He turned himself into the FBI and is due to appear in court today. He is the 13th person from Minnesota to be charged with a crime from the violent clashes over the 2020 election and former President Donald Trump’s efforts to block certification.
Sports facilities battles have been on hiatus at Minnesota’s Capitol after a run of stadium proposals were finally dealt with. But MinnPost’s Peter Callaghan tells us that another one might be on its way . The Minnesota Wild and its ownership group appear to be on the verge of coming forward with an Xcel Energy Center arena spruce-up plan that might involve state subsidies. The hockey club is building out its lobbying ranks and has already had a meeting with Gov. Tim Walz and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter. Peter will be on MPR’s Morning Edition today to discuss his reporting.
We’ve reported countless times that Minnesota’s Senate is split 34-33 in favor of Democrats. One majority member, DFL state Sen. Kelly Morrison of Deephaven, is running for Congress in 2024. She won’t be forced to give up her seat to wage that campaign because state Senate seats aren’t on the ballot next year. But if Morrison wins, it could create a temporary vacancy that would deadlock the chamber until a successor is elected. Turns out, the same type of situation is playing out in Michigan, where departing members have left the state House in a tie that’s expected to stretch well into next year, as Bridge Michigan reports.
Also from Michigan: Another attempt to bar former President Donald Trump from presidential ballots has been tossed. Just like Minnesota’s Supreme Court last week, a Michigan judge ruled that he didn’t have the power to keep the Republican frontrunner off the ballot. It’s in a case that also cites the Civil War-era constitutional amendment intended to punish acts of rebellion or insurrection. Trump’s legal team has argued it doesn’t fit here and declared victory. The group behind the lawsuit plans to appeal. The AP has a writeup on the decision, which won’t be the last word given other legal challenges in the same vein.
You can thank MPR’s Dan Kraker for the haunting visual of feral pigs stampeding across Minnesota. Well, it’s not his fault. But Dan alerts us to the preparations being made by state agencies in Minnesota to prevent damage to agriculture, forests and wildlife if feral swine reproduce and run wild in the state. It’s not a hypothetical given that there have been sightings already in Wisconsin and North Dakota. The Minnesota DNR is inviting public input on feral pig management plans. | 