Good morning, and happy Thursday, seven days into September.
A federal judge in Washington dismissed a lawsuit that Twin Metals Minnesota filed last year to try to revive its stalled attempt to develop a proposed $1.7 billion copper-nickel mine on the doorstep of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.MPR’s Dan Kraker reports Twin Metals, a subsidiary of the Chilean mining giant Antofagasta, filed the suit in August. It challenged a series of decisions by the U.S. Department of Interior that canceled Twin Metals’ mineral leases, rejected applications for prospecting permits, and denied its proposed mining plan. Several environmental groups and recreational businesses surrounding the Boundary Waters intervened in the case in December, and asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit. In a 21-page decision released Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper agreed, writing “that the Court lacks jurisdiction over two of Twin Metals’ claims and that the remaining two fail to state a claim.”
The St. Paul City Council voted Wednesday to extend the public comment period on a proposal that would restrict marijuana and tobacco smoking on city property.MPR’s Jon Collins reports that the original proposal would have made it a petty misdemeanor to smoke cannabis or tobacco products on city-controlled property, including parks and sidewalks. But council members signaled a willingness during Wednesday’s meeting to adjust the proposal, including amendments to allow smoking on most sidewalks and reduce fines for violations. Council members heard comments at the meeting from dozens of St. Paul residents who lined up for and against the smoking restrictions. Damone Presley, who runs the community group Vision in Living Life — Change is Possible in St. Paul, said he supports the restrictions on smoking in city parks. “My kids need and deserve to have a safe and healthy space in the city where they enjoy being kids,” Presley said. “So while some people are trying to find places for adults to smoke, I’m trying to find safe spaces where our kids can have fun.” The board of the Hamline Midway Community Coalition said in a written public statement that they oppose the ordinance. “We are not opposed to an ordinance that shapes what public cannabis use in our city looks like, but we believe this iteration is too restrictive and comes with negative accessibility and equity implications," the statement said.
Meanwhile in Anoka, you can now carry an alcoholic drink as you walk through part of downtown, at least for a month.The Star Tribune reports: Wednesday was the debut of the social district — a section of downtown that relaxes laws prohibiting open consumption of alcohol in most public spaces. The city held a ribbon-cutting event to mark the occasion. The district includes the area roughly along East Main and Jackson streets from the Rum River to Third Avenue, and along Second Avenue from Main to Harrison streets. More than 100 people filled Riverfront Memorial Park for the inaugural outing. Many carried plastic cups labeled to indicate they came from the social district. State Sen. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, told the crowd he thinks other Minnesota cities will be quick to follow suit. “Let's make it work, use your heads; I don't think we'll be drinking more, but we'll have more people enjoying Anoka, making new friends and building up what Anoka is all about," Abeler said. Debbie Stangeland, walking with her husband, said she thinks it will create an atmosphere akin to an outdoor festival. "It's going to feel more like the State Fair, something where you can just walk around with a drink and enjoy it," Stangeland said. Bar owners and businesses interviewed were more hesitant to assign praise. Several said they want to see if there are any issues with it at first.
Even though Gov. Tim Walz says he is open to calling a special legislative session to clarify the role of school resource officers, there's no sign it will happen soon. The issue is a law passed this year that prohibits police officers and other school staff from restraining students in a way that makes it hard to breathe or speak. DFL House Speaker Melissa Hortman said there were no objections to the language as it moved through the Legislature, and talks are underway to try to decide what to do next. "We're open to continuing the conversation to see if there is a way to add additional language again to make the statute more clear,” Hortman told MPR’s Cathy Wurzer Wednesday. Some police departments have pulled resource officers from schools because of the new law. Police officials and legislative Republicans have said the law should be repealed in a special session. House Republican Minority Leader Lisa Demuth told Wurzer repeal might not be necessary. “We are open to looking at any language that is going to fix this issue,” Demuth said.
The New York Times reports:Six Colorado voters filed a lawsuit on Wednesday seeking to keep former President Donald J. Trump off the state’s presidential ballots next year under the 14th Amendment, which says anyone who “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” against the Constitution after taking an oath to defend it is ineligible to hold office. The lawsuit, which was filed in a state district court in Denver with the help of the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, demands that the Colorado secretary of state not print Mr. Trump’s name on the Republican primary ballot. It also asks the court to rule that Mr. Trump is disqualified from holding office in order to end any “uncertainty” about his eligibility.
And FOX 9 reports:Over the last few weeks, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon says his office has received close to 500 phone calls with questions about whether or not former president Donald Trump will be able to be on the ballot in 2024. An argument is gaining traction nationally regarding the 14th Amendment, which bans those who engaged in insurrection against America from running for president. Secretary of State Simon says it's not his job to decide who's on the ballot or to interpret the Constitution, but he will follow any court rulings pertaining to the issue. "It is not our call. That is not the call of this office. That has always been the call of the courts. We are not the eligibility police," Simon told FOX 9. "Our presumption is that anyone who files for office is entitled to have their name on the ballot unless or until a court tells us otherwise." | 