MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (KMSP) – A federal lawsuit has been filed by two Minnesota farm wineries, challenging the state’s ban on using out-of-state grapes to make wine. The wineries point to Minnesota’s booming beer industry, with some of the most successful breweries like Summit and Surly using out-of-state hops to craft signature beers. Represented by attorneys with the Institute of Justice,…
SUPERIOR, Wis.-Superior Mayor Bruce Hagen has announced he has a terminal illness. Hagen was diagnosed with a lung disease recently, which causes the tissue in the lungs to become thicker or even scar. It eventually leads to making it harder to move oxygen throughout the body. The diagnosis could lead to Hagen living another three to five years. Hagen announced…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Senate Republicans want big cuts for many of Minnesota’s social services program, and state officials and Democrats say that could harm some of the state’s most vulnerable residents. The $15.4 billion bill released Monday shows a $671 million gap between Governor Mark Dayton’s and the Senate GOP’s budget proposals for all health and human services…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Adults who allow teenagers to drink in their homes would be breaking the law under a new bill two Republican lawmakers are circulating. Current law prohibits adults from allowing underage drinkers to consume alcohol in premises owned by the adults or under their control. But a state appeals court ruling last year narrowly interpreted “premises” to…
WASHINGTON–Rep. Tim Walz, a five–term Democrat, says he is running for governor of his home state of Minnesota. Walz is seeking to replace Gov. Mark Dayton, a fellow Democrat. A spokesman for Walz’ gubernatorial campaign confirmed his decision. Walz is the top Democrat on the Veterans Affairs Committee. He first won election to his rural district along Minnesota’s southern border…
Van Nett Listening Session
DULUTH, Minn. – There’s another candidate hoping to fill one of the Duluth City Council’s two at–large seats. Rich Updegrove offically kicked off his campaign Saturday. Updegrove wants to focus on housing, homeless rights as well as keeping Lake Superior clean. “I really want to place our lake at the forefront of what I’m doing,” said Updegrove. “I think it’s…
DULUTH, Minn. – Fourth District Duluth City Council candidate, Renee Van Nett, has announced she will be starting a series of listening sessions with the community. Residents of the 4th District are encouraged to come out and share their comments and concerns. Van Nett is working toward building positive relationships within the community and ensuring that the 4th District is…
DULUTH, Minn.-Some local doctors and politicians came together today to express their dismay over the possibility of repealing the Affordable Care Act. The Northland HealthCare Alliance, headed up the event, with the goal of making the community aware of what a repeal of the ACA would mean. One Duluth City Council also expressed concern, believing many Northlanders would lose health…
WASHINGTON (AP) – Speaker Paul Ryan has abruptly pulled the Republicans’ troubled health care overhaul off the House floor. The decision was a humiliating setback for President Donald Trump and congressional leaders. The bill had appeared all but certain to be defeated Friday. The roll call was on track to occur in about an hour. The measure has been a…
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Donald Trump says, “It’s a great day for American jobs” after his administration issued a permit to build the long-delayed Keystone XL pipeline. The decision marks a reversal from the Obama administration and clears the way for the $8 billion project to be completed. The president says the decision ushers in a “new era”…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is calling for the U.S. House to vote on the Republican plan to overhaul the national health care law. Walker said on Twitter Friday morning that “House members need to vote to repeal Obamacare today.” He says this is the chance to “more process forward” to get rid of the current law,…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin’s state budget could be more than $1 billion in the red by 2021, based on the proposal submitted by Governor Scott Walker that the Legislature is considering. The nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau released an updated analysis of the state budget for the two years after the period covered by Walker’s current budget proposal. It finds…
HIBBING, Minn. – The proposed federal budget concerns another local community. This time the focus is on Hibbing’s Range Regional Airport. As one of 12 weekly flights from Range Regional Airport prepared for take–off Thursday, airport officials’ thoughts were in Washington, D.C. as the Federal Aviation Administration Re-Authorization Bill hits Congress. “The FAA Re-Authorization Bill is reintroduced every couple of…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Northland’s tenth Honor Flight will depart Duluth next month for Washington D.C., but they still need help to get there. Honor Flight Northland is hosting a spaghetti dinner fundraiser this Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m. at the All American Club, 1931 West Michigan Street. Dinner is $10 per person. All money raised will fund sending…
SUPERIOR, Wisc. – Jim Paine says he feels he’s feeling good as Election Day approaches. The candidate for mayor of Superior had a strong performance in last month’s primary, receiving nearly 600 more votes than his opponent Brent Fennessey. According to Paine, eight labor organization and more than two dozen current and former elected officials have come forward to endorse…
SUPERIOR, Wisc. – Only 11 days remain before the City of Superior takes on new leadership. Thursday morning, Mayor Bruce Hagen announced he is endorsing mayoral candidate Brent Fennessey. “I believe that Brent Fennessey is the candidate and the only candidate that has these qualifications and proven experience,” said Mayor Bruce Hagen. Hagen believes Fennessey has a young, fresh vision…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – House Republicans are taking a defiant stand against Governor Mark Dayton by proposing the elimination of his signature early childhood education program. The proposed cuts announced Thursday are very different from Dayton’s proposed $175 million addition to the program and signals that a larger fight looms as lawmakers and the governor search for compromise. Dayton…
WASHINGTON (AP) – House Republican leaders have postponed a vote on their health care bill in a setback for President Donald Trump and Speaker Paul Ryan. Prospects for the Republicans’ showcase health care bill had looked grimmer by the minute Thursday, despite Trump’s personal lobbying of conservatives. That still left the legislation short of the votes needed for passage. A…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota lawmakers’ budget-setting spree is in full swing. Cuts to state agencies and big tax breaks began to materialize this week as House and Senate Republicans started releasing detailed budget plans with a $1.65 billion surplus in hand. Both chambers are plotting a roughly $45 billion budget for the next two years that puts a…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Former Democratic Senator Russ Feingold is starting a new nonprofit political advocacy group focused on voters’ rights, campaign finance reform, protecting the independence of the U.S. Supreme Court and abolishing the Electoral College. Feingold announced the new group, called LegitAction, on Wednesday. It comes four months after he lost a rematch for the U.S. Senate against…
Superior, Wis Tonight the City of Superior is looking to make a splash in the tourism industry by revamping two of its most treasured pieces of land. Wisconsin Point will finally see the benefits of thousands of dollars giving visitors and citizens a destination to look forward too for years to come. Broken down by mankind and the elements of…
DULUTH, Minn. – A group of Duluth second graders put to use their daily writing lesson, lobbying to keep a classroom helper on hand Tuesday. It all started with the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Each new President brings a new wish-list of ideas to the table when it comes to budget cuts. Nearly 200 senior citizens in the Twin…
DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth and St. Louis County officials voiced concerns over the proposed federal budget at a unique press conference Tuesday morning at City Hall. Duluth Mayor Emily Larson was joined by nearly 40 representatives from various state, county and city organizations. President Donald Trump’s proposed budget calls for massive cuts to nearly every federal department. Mayor Larson is…
Linda Seemeyer MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The head of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services says she doesn’t know how many people may lose insurance in the state under the proposed federal health care overhaul. Linda Seemeyer was asked about the proposal Tuesday during a forum hosted by Wisconsin Health News. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office predicted 24 million would…
Duluth, Minn Tonight, Mayor Emily Larson addressed the city with a speech that lacked length but packed a punch. Tonight in her state of the city address Mayor Emily Larson wanted to focus on three main points that would put the city on the right path for years to come. Larson says that throughout her first year she was laying…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota House Republicans are cuing up cuts to some health care programs and state government agencies while drumming up nearly $1.4 billion in tax relief. House legislative leaders offered up few details on their budgetary plans Monday, while outlining a broad framework of a proposed two-year budget. They’re envisioning a roughly $45 billion budget. That…
DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Mayor Emily Larson was going over final touches Sunday for her second State of the City Address since taking office in 2016. On Monday, the 30-minute speech won’t be held at the DECC like previous years. The stage will be set up in the auditorium of the Lincoln Park Middle School. Mayor Larson said the decision…
DULUTH, Minn. – How would you like to earn paid sick leave from work no matter your yearly earning’s? Take action Minnesota met in 6 locations state wide today to join resistance efforts and take action on pressing issues including paid sick leave. According to recent surveys, employees not earning paid sick leave makes those on low income based salaries…
CLOQUET, Minn. – There was controversy Thursday, as Cloquet Police Chief Steve Stracek was placed on paid administrative leave at the city council meeting. That was confirmed to FOX 21 by one city councilor who asked not to be identified. However, the councilor couldn’t confirm Why Stracek was placed on leave, as the matter is being investigated. At Thursday’s meeting,…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – In butter-loving Wisconsin, a ban on Irish butter has sparked a fight. A handful of Wisconsin residents have filed a lawsuit challenging a 1953 state law that bans the sale of Kerrygold Irish butter, or any other butter that hasn’t been graded for quality. Tired of trekking across state lines to stock up, the plaintiffs say…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A Minnesota official who heads a group that represents state environmental agencies nationwide says the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency grant programs would cripple their ability to protect air, land, and water. The Environmental Council of the States says Categorical Grants to states would take a 44.5-percent hit. Those grants support…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton wants to put much of a growing budget surplus toward expanding a new preschool program. Governor Mark Dayton released his retooled budget proposal Friday that capitalizes on a surplus that’s grown since previous estimates of $1.4 billion. State budget officials now project the Legislature has a $1.65 billion budget to work…
DULUTH, Minn. – Rich Updegrove, a high school social studies teacher, announced his candidacy Thursday evening for Duluth City Councilor, At-Large. Updegrove is a co-facilitator of Our Revolution – Duluth, a grassroots political organization that arose out of Bernie Sanders’ campaign. He was recently elected to leader positions on several legislature committees. He is also active in the Duluth Federation…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Justice Department attorneys say a judge shouldn’t block President Donald Trump’s travel ban in the case of a Syrian family trying to relocate to Wisconsin. A Syrian man who settled in Wisconsin filed a lawsuit last month saying his family remains in Aleppo and the ban could jeopardize their visa chances. U.S. District Judge William Conley…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minnesota leads the nation once again in voter turnout for a presidential election. It’s the second consecutive presidential election that the state had the most voters going to the polls, and the eighth time in the past nine presidential elections. Nonprofit VOTE and the US Election Project compiled the numbers. About 75 percent of eligible voters in…
Duluth, Minn Current City Council member Barbara Russ is getting an early start on the campaign trail. Tonight she hosted her campaign kickoff at the Holiday Inn in downtown Duluth. She wanted to let those who came know how she felt about her first 3 and a half years on the council and what she wants to work on if…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Senate Republicans are proposing to cut the state’s lowest income tax rate as part of a $900 million tax cut bill. It’s Republicans’ opening bid in the brewing fight over tax cuts with Democratic Governor Mark Dayton. Tax talk will loom large as the Republican-controlled Legislature and governor start assembling a new two-year budget with…
We’re just weeks away from a new mayor in Superior. Two candidates Jim Paine and Brent Fennessey were left standing after February’s Primary. Tonight they met face to face trying to sway votes their way. The conversation between the two candidates included topics such as budget, personnel, services and facility concerns. The Superior Library was full of citizens eager to…
DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Mayor Emily Larson spoke with citizens at the College of Saint Scholastica. The event was part of the City Hall in the City program where Mayor Larson and other city officials travel to each council district every year to talk with residents on their own turf. The mayor says these discussions are key to learning what…
DULUTH, Minn. – This week, the Duluth City Council passed a resolution to focus on the problem of homelessness. On Monday, a non-binding resolution was passed, which the City Council calls a promise to continue to work on issues related to homelessness. On any given night, there are an estimated two hundred to three hundred people in Duluth who sleep…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A House bill moving through committee would allow Minnesotans to choose what conditions their health insurance covers. The author, Republican Rep. Steve Drazkowski of Mazeppa, says the bill would cut costs by giving people the freedom to drop options they are unlikely to need. Democratic opponents say the proposal would raise costs by reducing the…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Republican House Speaker Kurt Daudt says he’s exploring whether the Legislature can reject a recently approved $14,000 raise. An independent council created by Minnesota voters set lawmakers’ first raise in nearly two decades in motion last week. The salary increase from $31,000 to $45,000 is slated to take effect in July. Voters overwhelmingly created a…
MILWAUKEE, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker says he plans to talk with other Republican governors and the White House about possible changes to the GOP health care overhaul bill in Congress. Walker said Tuesday the call with governors would happen later in the day. He did not offer specifics during or after a speech to the Rotary Club…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Recent Stanford University graduate Bob Harlow has returned to his native Wisconsin to mount a run for governor as a Democrat. The 25-year-old tells The Associated Press on Tuesday that he’s been traveling the state and raising money to spread the word about his candidacy. Harlow is the only declared candidate for governor, although many other…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota lawmakers have stripped out legislation meant to help reduce the use of insecticides harmful to bees. The fight over neonicotinoid insecticide has become a major environmental effort as bee populations continue to decline in Minnesota and across the nation. State regulators have sought greater authority to regulate certain seeds treated with the insecticide. Minnesota…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota Republicans are preparing to plow more than $300 million into a new state program meant to reduce health insurance premiums next year. Minnesota has grappled with some of the largest rate increases in the nation. Premiums jumped by as much as 67 percent for shoppers buying insurance on their own this year, leading lawmakers…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota Republicans are preparing to plow more than $300 million into a new state program meant to reduce health insurance premiums next year. Minnesota has grappled with some of the largest rate increases in the nation. Premiums jumped by as much as 67-percent for shoppers buying insurance on their own this year, leading lawmakers to…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin has submitted his resignation days after Attorney General Jeff Sessions ordered dozens of the country’s federal prosecutors to resign. Spokeswoman Myra Longfield confirmed U.S. Attorney John Vaudreuil resigned Monday. While it is customary for new presidential administrations to clear out U.S. attorneys and replace them with their…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Gov. Mark Dayton says he’s feeling OK but still recovering after prostate cancer surgery. Dayton made his first public appearance Friday after undergoing surgery to remove his prostate. He revealed the cancer diagnosis in January, a day after fainting while delivering his annual State of the State address. Dayton says the recovery hasn’t been fun…
