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…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota lawmakers will get a hefty raise after a newly created citizen council voted to increase the Legislature’s pay by 45 percent. The Legislative Salary Council voted 13-1 Friday to increase lawmaker’s pay to $45,000, their first raise since 1999. That’s up from $31,000, a sum that doesn’t include daily expenses and travel reimbursements that…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The rush is on at the Minnesota Legislature to get policy changes big and small in place. Friday brings the first of several deadlines for the thousands of bills introduced at the Capitol this year to have a path to becoming law. And while some of the Republican-controlled Legislature’s bills could take effect, others may…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) – Two gun bills making their way through the Minnesota legislature are raising concerns among some in the law and law enforcement community. One of the bills would do away with permit to carry. The other would redefine self-defense laws. Nearly every person who testified for over two hours on Wednesday about the two gun bills…
DULUTH, Minn. – Representatives from Duluth’s cab companies spoke out Thursday against ride sharing services like Uber and Lyft operating in the city. Demand in Duluth for ride sharing services is growing. But Duluth cab companies are worried about their future if a proposed resolution passes the city council. Duluth City Councilor Noah Hobbs is in favor of bringing businesses…
EDINA, Minn. (AP) – Edina soon could become the first city in Minnesota to require buyers of tobacco to be 21 rather than 18. The Star Tribune reports the City Council this week voted to draft an ordinance and schedule a public hearing on the proposal, which is intended to curb youth tobacco use. Dr. Caleb Schultz of the city’s…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Two Republican legislators have introduced a bill that would criminalize using credit card skimmers to steal people’s identities. A credit card skimmer is an electronic device that can be attached to a card reader on a gas pump or ATM to secretly collect credit card information. Senator Robert Cowles and Representative Rob Summerfield introduced a bill…
DULUTH, Minn. – Collective voices added up to a roar on International Women’s Day. A sea of red gathered at the Minnesota State Capitol to rally for an equal rights amendment to the state and federal constitution. Some in Duluth chose to spend the day on strike. Men and women of all ages gathered today in Duluth to speak out….
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Sen. Al Franken hosted his seventh annual hotdish competition in Washington D.C. today, with many noted Minnesota politicians participating. Democrat Rep. Collin Peterson from western Minnesota won the top prize this year with his “Right to Bear Arms” hotdish. It had actual bear in it. Despite Peterson’s win, Franken said he’s not bitter. “If I don’t win it’s fine,” he said….
DULUTH, Minn. – March 8th is International Women’s Day. Duluth Mayor Emily Larson says Women’s Day means more to her since she was elected. Larson is the first woman Mayor in the city’s history. That’s just one of the reasons she makes a point of meeting with as many young girls as possible. Girls, Who may one day, follow in…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota gun owners may no longer need a permit to carry in public as Republican lawmakers seek to loosen state gun laws. A House bill eliminating the state’s permit-to-carry law was one of a pair of bills that drew hundreds of proponents and opponents to the Capitol, Wednesday. A second bill would create a so-called…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A state appeals court says workers can collect unemployment benefits even if they’re fired for missing their shifts, depending on the situation. The case stems form the Mequon Jewish Campus decision to fire nurse Valarie Beres for missing a shift due to illness and not calling in. The Department of Workforce Development denied Beres unemployment benefits,…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – U.S. Senator Al Franken has turned over nearly $41,000 of campaign contributions from a Boston law firm being investigated for improper donations. The Federal Election Commission and federal prosecutors are investigating Thornton Law Firm for after a report by the Boston Globe and Center for Responsive Politics showed the firm was reimbursing partners for campaign…
SEATTLE (AP) – The U.S. Justice Department wants to dismiss its appeal of a federal judge’s ruling that temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s initial travel ban. The motion filed Tuesday with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals comes one day after Trump signed a revised ban, which goes into effect on March 16. The new version is narrower and…
DULUTH, Minn.-Zack Filipovich and Barb Russ will both be running for re-election for at-large seats on the Duluth City Council. Filipovich will have a kick-off party at 5 p.m. March 19 at Black List Brewery in Duluth. Russ will kick off her campaign at the Holiday Inn at 5 p.m. March 17. Among the platforms both are running on, include public…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Wisconsin Legislature has passed a bill long sought by parents of children who suffer from seizures. The state Assembly voted 98-0 Tuesday to legalize possession of CBD oil, a marijuana extract used to treat seizures. The oil does not produce a high. The Legislature passed a similar bill in 2014, but it restricted access to…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The state treasurer position would no longer exist under a constitutional amendment approved by the Wisconsin state Senate. The Senate passed the amendment on an 18-15 vote Tuesday. The Assembly is scheduled to vote on the measure Thursday. Once approved by both houses it would be put for a vote of the people in the April…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – It’s official, come July, Minnesotans can begin buying liquor on Sundays. Governor Mark Dayton signed a bill on Tuesday repealing the decades-old ban. Minnesota liquor store can open their doors on Sunday between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. beginning in July. His signature is the final chapter in years of efforts to repeal the Prohibition-era…
PROCTOR, Minn. – Last month, the Proctor City Council voted 3-2 to not extend the contract of police chief Walter Wobig. Tonight, dozens of Proctor residents came to the city council meeting to voice their concerns about that decision. Many in Proctor are not happy about their police chief of more than 14 years being let go. “What three fifths…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota officials’ efforts to upgrade driver’s licenses so they pass muster for domestic flights have hit a snag. The state Senate defeated a bill Monday to put Minnesota in compliance with federal Real ID law. Democrats concerned about blocking driver’s license access for immigrants living in Minnesota illegally united with several Republicans who call the…
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump has signed a revised travel ban that temporarily halts entry to the United States for people from six Muslim-majority nations, who are seeking new visas and suspends the country’s refugee program. That’s according to White House spokesman Michael Short, who says the signing was done privately. The new directive aims to address legal issues…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) A rally in support of President Donald Trump has drawn hundreds of supporters and counterprotesters to the Minnesota State Capitol. The rally was one of several “March 4 Trump” demonstrations planned nationwide Saturday to support Trump. The Star Tribune reports the protest in St. Paul drew several hundred supporters and scores of counterprotesters. Chanting reverberated through…
ROCHESTER, Minn. (AP) Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton will spend one more day at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester after undergoing surgery for prostate cancer. Dayton is expected to return to the governor’s residence Sunday. Spokesman Linden Zakula says Saturday that the governor’s surgery was a success and the surgeon found no sign the cancer had spread beyond the prostate. Dayton…
DULUTH, Minn. – Representative Rick Nolan was back in Duluth today. This time, talking health care. The congressman and medical professionals were part of a panel discussion sponsored by the United Way. Nolan said, while republicans want to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, there’s no answer to how they plan to do it. “ In a way, they’re…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Republican lawmakers want to prohibit University of Wisconsin employees from performing abortions or providing services at facilities where abortions are performed other than hospitals. Representative André Jacque and Senator Chris Kapenga are circulating a bill targeting an arrangement between Planned Parenthood and the University of Wisconsin in which faculty members work part-time at the organization’s Madison…
BROWNSVILLE, Wis. (AP) – A Dodge County construction company is the lone Wisconsin firm bidding on the federal government’s call for designing and building a wall along the U.S. Mexico border. The Fond du Lac Reporter reports that Brownsville-based Michels Corp. is answering the government’s early call for bids to build a wall spanning the roughly 2,000 mile border with…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The Minnesota House has taken a step toward giving the state sole authority over whether to hike the minimum wage or require sick leave, a move opponents say strips local control from cities in favor of the state businesses. The Republican-controlled House passed the bill following hours of debate Thursday, mainly along party lines. The…
ST. PAUL, Minn.- Minnesota officials are bracing for billions of dollars in additional health care expenses if President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans move ahead with a plan they’re considering to replace the Affordable Care Act. A draft state planning document obtained by The Associated Press shows Minnesota would lose $1.3 billion starting next year under a Republican proposal that…
MADISON, Wis.- Republicans in the Wisconsin state Legislature are trying again to outlaw sanctuary cities for immigrants who are in the country illegally. The bill being circulated for co-sponsors would prohibit local governments from enacting any ordinances, resolutions or policies that would prevent federal immigration laws from being enforced. Violators would lose state aid up to $5,000 a day. A…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) _ Gov. Mark Dayton is recovering from surgery to treat a recent prostate cancer diagnosis. Deputy Chief of Staff Linden Zakula said Dayton’s surgery went as planned Thursday, with the procedure ending about 11:30 a.m., and the governor is resting comfortably at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Dayton revealed his diagnosis just a day after he collapsed…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A bill allowing Minnesota liquor sales to open on Sundays is on its way to Governor Mark Dayton’s desk. The push to legalize Sunday liquor sales goes back years, but it has regularly failed at the Legislature by wide margins. An influx of new, more supportive lawmakers and pressure from Republican House Speaker Kurt Daudt…
