MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Legislature’s Republican-controlled budget committee has ditched Gov. Scott Walker’s call to cut University of Wisconsin tuition by 5-percent. The Joint Finance Committee instead voted 12-4 Thursday to continue a tuition freeze for two more years. It’s been in place for four years. Walker said earlier Thursday that continuing the freeze would be a “huge victory”…
MADISON, Wis.-A Republican state senator plans to vote against the state budget as it currently stands, complicating passage of the spending plan. A spokesman for Sen. Steve Nass said Thursday that as the budget stands now, Nass would vote against it. Nass spokesman Mike Mikalsen says elimination of Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed 5 percent University of Wisconsin tuition cut and…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Gov. Scott Walker has signed a bill that makes clear that unaccompanied minors can attend music festivals where alcohol is being served. Walker signed the bill Wednesday. he says it makes sense to allow the exemption, which also exists for hotels, grocery stores, bowling alleys, movie theaters, and sports stadiums. Supporters in the Legislature introduced the…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota health officials say there are almost 70 confirmed cases of measles in the state so far this year, and a state lawmaker is hoping to make it harder for parents to opt out of vaccinating their children. Minnesota Public Radio reports that nearly 2,000 kindergartners weren’t immunized against measles this year because their parents…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) – Lawmakers at the Minnesota State Capitol have missed another deadline after working through the night to try to pass the two-year state budget. Gov. Mark Dayton called a special session immediately after the regular session ended on Monday at midnight to pass the unfinished bills, but lawmakers missed their self-imposed 7:01 a.m. deadline Wednesday morning….
CARLTON, Minn. – The future of Carlton High school is up for a vote August 8th. That’s when voters in the school district cast ballots on a two question referendum. The first, to approve more than $23.5 million to renovate South Terrace Elementary and build a new high school on the site. The second would approve another $3.3 million for…
MADISON, Wis. – College students would be eligible for more financial aid under a plan the Wisconsin Legislature’s budget committee has approved. Gov. Scott Walker’s budget calls for increasing state grants by $5.6 million for University of Wisconsin System students; $2.6 for private college students; and $1.8 million for technical college students over the next two years. The new money…
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump on Tuesday sent Congress a $4.1 trillion federal spending plan that promises faster economic growth and steep cuts to programs for the poor in a bid to balance the government’s books over the next decade. The proposed 2018 budget immediately came under attack by Democrats, and even some GOP allies deemed it…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Governor Scott Walker is threatening to take the unprecedented step of vetoing the entire Wisconsin state budget if it raises property taxes on homeowners. Walker tweeted the treat on Monday, repeating a warning he first made via Twitter last week. No governor has ever vetoed the entire state budget since 1931. That is the year the…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – State lawmakers are due back at the Capitol to wrap up work on the next state budget after a tense finish to the regular legislative session. Legislative leaders and Gov. Mark Dayotn struck a deal as time ran down toward a required midnight adjournment Monday. It included coming back in an immediate special session needed…
ST. PAUL, Minn. – One-hundred twenty days have passed since the Minnesota Legislature first started work on the state’s budget bill. Monday evening the clock is ticking before the state constitution calls for a deal to be reached or the session will end without an agreement in place, resulting in a special session. “It’s compromise and it’s democracy and it’s…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota lawmakers are down to their last day to wrap up several major budget bills to avoid needing extra time to finish the work of the legislative session. The House and Senate reached deals late Sunday on water buffers to pass an environment bill and agreed on funding for colleges and universities over objections from…
DULUTH, Minn. (Press Release) – A retired teacher of the Duluth School District, Jill Lofald, has announced she is running for the School Board Dist. 4 seat and will run against current board member Art Johnston. Below is a press release from Lofald: *Retired Denfeld Teacher – English-Speech-Theater. * Speech and Debate Coach for Denfeld and East students. We have…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Minnesota’s Republican lawmakers started working over the weekend on several budget bills to send to Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton. But the governor hasn’t indicated he is willing sign any of the bills that come out of Saturday’s committees. He said he was blindsided by the GOP’s second attempt to push forward legislation without an agreement. The…
GRAND MARAIS, Minn. – Former Cook County Commissioner Sue Hakes announced she formed a Congressional Exploratory Committee to look into running for Minnesota’s 8th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. “When I think about Minnesota’s 8th District, I think people first” Hakes said in a press release. “I want to fight the current administration’s budgetary goals which chip…
Duluth, Minn. An at large candidate has put her name on the ballot to possibly become part of the Duluth City Council. Jan Swanson kicked off her campaign tonight at the Incline Station. There she met with residents and shared what would be her platform. She plans to focus on three things. Lowering taxes to drive more businesses to the…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Attorneys for more than 700 residents of Minnesota’s sex offender treatment program are taking their case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The attorneys filed a petition Friday asking the nation’s highest court to review their case. They claim the Minnesota Sex Offender Program is unconstitutional because only a handful of offenders have ever been granted provisional release….
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota’s Republican legislative leaders and Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton have resumed negotiations aimed at settling the state budget. The two sides were back in talks Friday behind closed doors, with a Monday deadline for the Legislature to adjourn. They traded offers earlier in the week but progress froze Thursday. They are roughly $1 billion apart…
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesotans will be able to get a REAL ID compliant driver’s license and ID card next year, under a law signed by Governor Dayton, Thursday. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services (DPS- DVS) will begin the process of meeting federal requirements set by the REAL ID Act, which was enacted in 2005….
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Some members of Minnesota’s immigrant and refugee communities are opposing legislation that would impose stiff penalties for parents involved in female genital mutilation, slowing the bill’s momentum in the Legislature. The Star Tribune reports that nonprofit group Isuroon, the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage and other groups say the legislation carries overly harsh punishment…
DULUTH, Minn. – The deadline is Monday for this year’s Minnesota legislative session to adjourn, and with no budget agreement in place yet, elected officials from all over Minnesota have been in St. Paul calling attention to the needs of cities across the state. Projects like the Duluth International Airport runway reconstruction and the St. Louis River clean up need…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Governor Mark Dayton has vetoed a bill that would have overhauled the way Minnesota licenses teachers. The proposal, which passed both chambers with bipartisan support, would have created a new licensing board and a four-tiered licensing system, making it easier to license teachers who are trained out of state or have unconventional backgrounds. Supporters say…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) – Minnesota lawmakers have reached a deal to get the state in compliance with the federal REAL ID law. The compromise bill passed the House on a 120-11 vote late Wednesday afternoon, then passed the Senate on a 57-8 vote. Thursday morning, Gov. Mark Dayton signed the bill, making Minnesota the last state in the nation…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – The ex-fiancé of former Superior city councilor Graham Garfield broke her silence first to FOX 21’s Dan Hanger Wednesday. Kara Schmidt talked about the incident that lead to four domestic abuse charges against Garfield, as well as her jump into the race to replace Garfield’s former council seat. “It’s heart shattering. I didn’t expect my whole life…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Democratic lawmakers from Madison and Milwaukee want to set statewide standards for when and how law enforcement officers should use deadly force. Representatives Chris Taylor, Evan Goyke, and David Bowen and Senator LaTonya Johnson held a news conference Tuesday to introduce a package of bills. The proposals would require law enforcement agencies across the state to…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota legislators finally appear to have a deal on Real ID, the enhanced identification that’ll eventually be required to pass airport security. Minnesota Public Radio reports the deal to bring the state’s driver’s licenses and identification cards up to federal security standards was delayed by a dispute over giving driver’s licenses for immigrants without proper…
SUPERIOR, Wis – The City of Superior Common Council has announced it will be holding a Special Election on April 3, 2018 to fill the vacant 6th District Aldermanic position, formerly held by Graham Garfield who stepped down earlier this month. Until the Special Election, the Council is seeking applicants to fill the position for a one-year term. Qualified applicants…
Superior, Wis. – Superior city councilors convened Tuesday to move forward with the resignation of councilor Graham Garfield who is facing four charges of domestic abuse. Councilors officially accepted Garfield’s resignation Tuesday night. They also made a decision on what to do with the vacant council seat. In a vote across the board councilors chose to appoint someone to Garfield’s…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota’s legislative leaders are back to the negotiating table in search of a budget deal. The Legislature has less than a week to finalize a new, two-year budget. But first Gov. Mark Dayton and Republicans who control the Legislature have to resolve the mountain of differences in their budget plans. The two sides resumed meeting…
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump’s homeland security adviser says that so far, no U.S. federal systems have been affected by the global cyberattack. Tom Bossert says the U.S. government has been closely monitoring the attack, which has affected an estimated 300,000 machines in 150 countries. He said a few U.S. businesses, including FedEx were affected. Computers across the world…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) _ Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson says it “would be troubling” if President Donald Trump recorded conversations with former FBI Director James Comey. Trump tweeted Friday that Comey “better hope that there are no `tapes’ of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press.” Johnson told reporters Saturday he interpreted that to mean Comey may have…
ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) Gov. Mark Dayton caught a 3-pound, 17-and-a-half-inch bass during the annual Governor’s Fishing Opener. The Democratic governor shared a pontoon boat with Republican legislative leaders on Saturday. They went out on the Mississippi River in St. Cloud. Dayton told reporters that no one discussed the budget, after talks stalled last week. He says budget talks will…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Governor Scott Walker plans to tell Republicans that he’s ready to run for re-election next year. Walker has been indicating for months he’ll seek a third term in 2018. Excerpts released Friday of his Wisconsin Republican Party convention speech show he’s going to tell party insiders on Saturday that he sees no reason not to. Walker…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The Minnesota Legislature’s budget work is at a standstill. Lawmakers have until May 22 to wrap up a new, two-year budget, but Republicans in the Senate couldn’t pass any budget bills Thursday for a second day. A GOP senator’s absence left them without the necessary votes, and Gov. Mark Dayton and legislative leaders weren’t negotiating….
DULUTH, Minn. – Soon, a walk along the Lakewalk may entirely be along the lake. On Monday, Duluth’s city council unanimously approved re–zoning for the 2200 block of Water Street. As part of the re–zoning, the city hopes for an easement with the property owner, Duluth-based Titanium Partners, to extend the Lakewalk through Beacon Point and the Ledges townhomes. Duluth…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Governor Mark Dayton has vetoed two GOP-backed bills that sought to limit abortions in Minnesota. The bills would have restricted public health programs from covering the procedure and created a permitting system for facilities that perform abortions. Republicans who control the Legislature argued greater protections were necessary both for the safety of women and for…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Republicans’ candidate for governor from 2014 is running again in 2018. Jeff Johnson announced a bid for the open seat Wednesday. The Hennepin County Commission lost to Governor Mark Dayton by roughly 5 percentage points in 2014. But Dayton isn’t running for a third term, setting off a scramble to replace him in what is…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The state Assembly has approved a bill that would create stiffer ignition interlock rules for drunken drivers. The bipartisan-supported measure passed Wednesday would prohibit all repeat offenders as well as first-time offenders with a blood alcohol percentage of 0.15 or greater from drivinga ny vehicle without an ignition interlock. State law already requires all offenders to…
Duluth, Minn. — The Duluth Planning Commission voted Tuesday night to change a portion of land near the Proctor border from residential used to mixed-use. This come as Kwik Trip wants to move into the area. The location is on Boundary Avenue and U.S. Hwy 2. It was one week ago when residents from Proctor packed a Kwik Trip open…
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump abruptly fired FBI Director James Comey Tuesday, saying it was necessary to restore “public trust and confidence” in the nation’s top law enforcement agency following several tumultuous months. “The FBI is one of our nation’s most cherished and respected institutions, and today will mark a new beginning for our crown jewel of law enforcement,”…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A bill that would have prevented Wisconsin’s presidential election recount is gaining momentum in the state Legislature. The Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections voted 6-3 to send to the full Assembly a Republican proposal that would limit who can request recounts in state and local elections. Under the bill, only candidates who trail the winner…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Republicans who control the legislature are preparing to challenge Gov. Mark Dayton over the budget. The two sides have been meeting privately for a week to has out their different versions for the next two-year budget. But the GOP appeared to reverse course Monday night, taking steps to send the Democratic governor their own budget…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth city council was undecided on a resolution Monday night that would perhaps give the local government more localized power to make decisions. But multiple city council members felt the resolution could potentially cost the city of Duluth millions of dollars in bonding money for future projects if the council moved forward with the resolution. The…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – A Superior city council candidate who lost by one vote last month to the now-resigning Graham Garfield says he’ll run for the seat again if the council chooses to appoint a replacement. “In the end, depending on what the council decides, I’m looking to rise to the challenge an serve this city and the constituents who voted…
Justice David Stras MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (AP) – President Donald Trump has nominated Minnesota Supreme Court Associate Justice David Stras to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Stras formerly clerked for conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and shares the belief in a limited role for the judiciary. The 42-year-old former University of Minnesota Law School professor was on…
DULUTH, Minn. (Press Release) – Dave Zbaracki, a Democrat, Congdon resident, veteran of Duluth’s outdoor sports industry, and 5th generation Duluthian, announced his candidacy for City Council in the 2nd District, challenging current City Council President, Joel Sipress, on Saturday in a Facebook post. Zbaracki, 34, is running on a platform of improving public health and accessibility, expanding our sharing…
DULUTH, Minn. – IAFF Local 101 Duluth Firefighters have announced their endorsement of Duluth City Council 4th District candidate, Renee Van Nett, and at-large candidates incumbent Zack Filipovich and Rich Updegrove. Local 101 President Pete Johnson, praised all candidates on their accessibility to their constituents, involvement in the community, and their understanding and value of city services, such as the fire department….
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Superior city council president Dan Olson spoke out Thursday evening after councilor Graham Garfield had a change of heart and released a statement that he would be resigning after all. “Right now, for me, it’s a relief because we were put in a bad situation because of the stuff going on with Mr. Garfield,” Olson explained. “I…
DULUTH, Minn. – A new study By national transportation resarch group TRIP says 69% of Duluth roads are rated either mediocre or poor. Staggering as that figure is, the number is expected to go up by 80 percent by 2020. A transportation sales tax raised $100 million in road improvement revenue but officials say they need more help from the…
(AP) – The Republican push to replace the Affordable Care Act was revived this week in Congress by a change to their plan designed to combat concerns over coverage for those with pre-existing health problems. The change helped get the bill through the House of Representatives in a tight vote Thursday, but experts say it may make little difference in…
