Reporting on State Politics and Government
Reporting on State Politics and Government
Capitol View Digest reporting on state and politics and government
| | The Daily Digest for September 17, 2019 | | Posted at 6:35 a.m. by Bill Wareham |
|
|
|
Good morning. Welcome to Tuesday. Enjoy your Digest. 1. Ketamine lawsuit thrown out. A federal judge has dismissed a Minneapolis woman’s lawsuit alleging Hennepin Healthcare medical staff forcibly sedated her with ketamine in her apartment and enrolled her in a drug study without consent. Brittany Buckley sued the hospital and paramedics last November, alleging they violated her civil rights, used excessive force and committed medical malpractice in a 2017 incident. After suffering breathing problems after the ketamine injection, Buckley woke up the next day with a tube down her throat and little memory of the incident. In court, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, which represents the hospital, argued Buckley and her lawyer didn’t adequately show in case law how her rights were violated. At the time of the injections, Buckley was “depressed and drinking alcohol,” which compromised her competency to make decisions herself, attorney Katherine Flom wrote in a motion. (Star Tribune)
2. Walz names new biofuels council. Gov. Tim Walz on Monday, Sept. 16 signed an executive order establishing a Minnesota Biofuels Council, a body that will assess growth opportunities in the industry and advise the administration on potential policy changes. Surrounded by agriculture officials at a farm an hour outside the capital, the first-term governor said the state needs to take the lead in discovering new uses for Minnesota corn and expand ones that have been successful. The move comes after the Trump administration greenlighted dozens of small refinery waivers since taking office in 2017. That figure includes 31 hardship exemptions granted last month. The move dropped the volume of renewable fuels blended into U.S. supply by roughly 4.04 billion gallons. "The exemptions for the refineries are simply hitting this industry in an unfair manner," Walz said. "This industry has always been glad to compete but it needs to be a fair playing field. ... We're just saying today this door on biofuels is going to be wide open. We want to be the national leader." (Duluth News Tribune)
3. Clean energy legislation with bipartisan support. The centerpiece of DFL lawmakers’ plans to fight the climate crisis is a mandate that would make the energy grid carbon-free by 2050. But at the Minnesota Capitol, another climate measure, this one known as “Clean Energy First,” has drawn just as much attention — and may have better odds of becoming law.The policy, which has been championed by clean energy advocacy groups, would make it tougher for power companies to add new fossil fuel energy sources. And unlike the 2050 plan proposed by Gov. Tim Walz, the basic premise of Clean Energy First has the support of Democrats and a sizable chunk of Republicans. Sen. David Senjem, a Rochester Republican who sponsored a Senate version of Clean Energy First, said his bill would help make Minnesota a “national leader” in driving clean energy production and innovation. “We know it’s the future,” Senjem said of clean power. “We know it’s literally the cheapest option and we know politically and attitudinally, people prefer clean energy over dirty energy.” (MinnPost)
4. DHS commissioner fills some top roles. Minnesota Human Services Commissioner Jodi Harpstead has picked a new chief of staff and state Medicaid director to help oversee the sprawling agency. Harpstead announced Monday that Stacy Twite, currently the interim assistant commissioner for community supports at the Department of Human Services, will be her chief of staff. And Tom Moss, a state government veteran and former DHS deputy commissioner, will temporarily fill the roles of state Medicaid director and assistant commissioner for health care.“Since starting work as your commissioner, I’ve been focusing on priorities for my first 90 days ― chief among them, building our senior leadership team. A strong team is critical to helping the agency address current issues and continue the innovative work the department has become known for,” Harpstead wrote in an email to DHS employees. Twite and Moss will fill vacancies that were created after several DHS leaders left the agency. (Pioneer Press)
5. Better late than never. Fort Snelling State Park will reopen Tuesday, six months after extensive spring flooding damaged roads and other property. Officials initially said the park, which draws more than 1 million visitors annually, would be open to the public in July. Some repairs will continue through the fall. The park closed in mid-March due to extensive flood damage stemming from the winter’s heavy snowpack and the seemingly relentless spring rains. It has been the longest stretch of time the park has been closed due to flood damage since 2014, when it took about a month to clean up and restore the park. ( Star Tribune) | | |
|
|
|
|
|
