Welcome to Wednesday! Sen. Bernie Sanders won New Hampshire's Democratic presidential primary, but Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar surprised a lot of people by coming in third place. Here’s the Digest.
1. Klobuchar bounces back in New Hampshire. "Buoyed by a strong performance in last week’s debate, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar shook up the field in the hunt for the Democratic presidential nomination by finishing third in the New Hampshire primary Tuesday. 'We love you, New Hampshire,' Klobuchar told a cheering crowd in Concord Tuesday night. 'Because of you we are taking this campaign to Nevada. We are going to South Carolina, and we are taking this message of unity to the country.'
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders led Tuesday night's results and former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg held second. Klobuchar’s strong showing puts her in competition with Buttegieg to be a more centrist alternative to Sanders in the contest for the nomination. Klobuchar, who was in fifth place in the Iowa caucuses eight days earlier, placed ahead of both Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former Vice President Joe Biden in New Hampshire." MPR News
2. Report: Patient abused at Minnesota Security Hospital. "The Minnesota Security Hospital in St. Peter violated state law and its own policies last fall by strapping a patient with developmental disabilities to a restraint chair and then pulling a hood over the patient’s face, even when the patient posed no imminent threat, according to a state investigative report released Tuesday. The state’s largest psychiatric hospital, which treats about 360 of Minnesota’s most psychiatrically complex and dangerous patients, has significantly reduced incidents of restraint and seclusion over the past decade. Even so, the recent incident highlights how the facility is still struggling to adhere to state regulations designed to phase out the practice except in extreme circumstances. The hospital has been cited 11 times since December 2016 for violating state licensing rules governing the use of restraints, state records show." Star Tribune
3. ACLU sues Minnesota Secretary of State over voter assistance law. "The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota is suing Secretary of State Steve Simon, alleging state voting laws illegally discriminate against Minnesota voters who need assistance casting their ballots. State law currently forbids political candidates from assisting any voters with their ballots, including in circumstances when the voter has a disability or language barrier. It is also a crime in Minnesota for one person to help more than three people vote, even if they have challenges doing so on their own. ... Staff Attorney David McKinney told Forum News Service that the issue was brought to ACLU-MN by disabled and non-English-speaking voters who faced barriers or even hostility at the polls, as well as community activists who want to help but are unable or afraid to. Other states have limits to the number of voters one person can assist, but McKinney said he was unaware of any so low as three." Forum News Service
4. First day of the legislative session: gun regulations, insulin and a cooperative tone. The first day of the legislative session was largely ceremonial, but a few House committees went to work Tuesday on key issues, including insulin access. Between now and May, the DFL-controlled House and Republican-controlled Senate will debate insulin, along with marijuana, taxes, voter privacy, public safety and more. They’ll also attempt to pass a construction projects bill that needs a three-fifths majority to pass, plus DFL Gov. Tim Walz’s signature. “If anybody doesn’t know, we’re in an election year, which means everything feels a little bit different. Every issue seems a little more heightened. But I don’t want us to forget the things we need to do to prosper Minnesota,” Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-Nisswa, said. MPR News
5. Federal funding for Gold Line bus rapid transit in question. "Critical financing for the Gold Line, Minnesota’s first true bus-rapid transit project, could be at risk after federal funders raised questions about potential ridership in the congested east metro area. But transit planners say the project’s snag is temporary. The Gold Line is slated to link downtown St. Paul to Woodbury, mostly along exclusive bus-only lanes hugging Interstate 94. Passenger service is expected to begin in 2024. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) released ratings late Monday for major transit projects across the country, as part of President Donald Trump’s proposed budget.
Projects must win a 'medium' rating or better to qualify for highly coveted federal funding. But the Gold Line was tagged with a “medium low” ranking, knocking it out of contention for federal dollars, at least for now." Star Tribune | 