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CBS News
16 hours ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Minnesota Legislature to pay for enhanced home security for members in wake of lawmaker shooting attacks
Both chambers of the Minnesota Legislature will now cover the costs for enhanced home security for members in wake of the politically motivated shooting attacks on lawmakers and their spouses last month. The secretary of the Senate confirmed to WCCO that the funds will come from the Minnesota Senate's existing state budget appropriation and any member who requests that support will get the assistance. The state House will have a similar policy, a source said, to pick up the tab for roughly $4,500 towards the cost of installing additional security measures. Authorities say a masked gunman assassinated DFL Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark and attempted to kill DFL Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette in a politically-motivated attack in the middle of the night. He also had an alleged hit list targeting other Democratic state and federal elected officials. The change in both chambers would be in addition to the up to $3,000 elected officials can draw from their state campaign account to pay for security, including for arming homes and services like identity theft protection and credit monitoring. In 2021, lawmakers authorized that expense. Sen. Aric Putnam, DFL-St. Cloud, used some of those funds to cover installing a security system at his house a few years ago after receiving threatening messages online and by phone. He said the Legislature tapping into its budget for additional resources to help lawmakers is a good idea. "We always had these concerns, but now our attention is drawn to them a little more and I think it's an opportunity for us to kind of use that attention to make people more safe," he told WCCO in an interview. Sen. Julia Coleman, R-Waconia, said she installed a security system right after the June 14 attacks and the $3,000 she could use from her campaign account was just shy of the total cost of boosting safety at her home. "I'm grateful that we have that opportunity and that resource available because it's a steep price to get the equipment installed, but it's not quite the amount for what I consider a pretty basic system and basic monitoring," she explained. The new policy in the Legislature will expand the amount of funds available to lawmakers who choose to take similar steps. Coleman said "it's about damn time" for the change. The move in Minnesota comes as the U.S. House leadership in Washington this week announced a pilot program significantly increasing the amount of money members of Congress can use towards personal and home security for the next few months. Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said he would evaluate "all the data points, see how effective it was, how it was utilized, and then make decisions going forward" once the beefed-up security funding ends at the end of this fiscal year on Sept. 30. "We live in an enhanced threat environment," Johnson told CBS News. There have been discussions for years about security in the Minnesota Capitol Building, which right now does not require visitors to pass through a metal detector before entering. The tragedy adds a new level of urgency. Some current and former lawmakers believe that should change; while others, like Putnam, think keeping the state's seat of government accessible to Minnesotans is important. Also in the immediate wake of the shootings, the names of cities and towns where lawmakers live were removed from the state legislative website. Next month, the special advisory panel tasked with oversight of Capitol security will meet for the first time since the attacks.
Fox News
a day ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Star Tribune touts DFL's endorsement of Omar Fateh for Minneapolis mayor, wonders if he's another Mamdani
The Minnesota Star Tribune is highlighting Minnesota's Democratic Farmer-Labor party endorsement of state Sen. Omar Fateh for Minneapolis mayor over incumbent Jacob Frey, and asking if Fateh will become "The Mamdani of Minneapolis." "Three years ago, Minnesota Sen. Omar Fateh was in the hot seat, sitting through a Senate ethics investigation into an alleged quid pro quo with a Somali news outlet," Minneapolis City Hall reporter Deena Winter wrote in a Tuesday article entitled, "The Mamdani of Minneapolis? Omar Fateh brings the left's insurgency to mayor's race." "On Saturday, Fateh was riding high, as Minneapolis Democrats endorsed him to be the city's next mayor over incumbent two-term Mayor Jacob Frey," Winter wrote. "Now the race begins in earnest, reflecting a conflict that's been brewing for years," she continued. "A comparatively moderate Democratic mayor against a rising young progressive who's part of the ascendant Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) wing of the party — an election that is likely to draw national attention and money while potentially upending the power dynamic in City Hall." Fateh, the son of Somali immigrants, says on his campaign biography page that he is the first Somali American and the first Muslim to be in the Minnesota Senate. He was elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2020 and is running on raising the city's minimum wage, increasing the supply of affordable housing, and fighting to stop what he calls the "cycle of the MPD's violence and brutality." Winter likened Fateh to New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, who won the Democratic primary in the city's race for mayor. Mamdani, a self-avowed democratic socialist, espouses such policies as government-run grocery stores and widespread rent freezes. "Fateh has drawn national attention since Mamdani's win, with some calling him the 'Mamdani of Minneapolis,'" Winter wrote. In her piece, Winter noted that Fateh "supports a ban on the police interacting with Immigration and Customs Enforcement," and highlighted that he "called a June federal drug raid in south Minneapolis 'blatant fascism,' accused MPD of cooperating with ICE, and said it would be 'unconscionable' for police to help with crowd control at an ICE raid." Winter reported that Frey's campaign is challenging the results of the DFL endorsement, saying they are "questioning why only 578 votes were recorded on the first ballot, even though over 1,000 delegates and alternates were checked in." Fox News Digital reached out to Fateh and Frey's campaign for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Fox News
a day ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Star Tribune touts DFL's endorsement of Omar Fateh for Minneapolis mayor, wonders if he's another Mamdani
Print Close By Rachel del Guidice Published July 23, 2025 The Minnesota Star Tribune is highlighting Minnesota's Democratic Farmer-Labor party endorsement of state Sen. Omar Fateh for Minneapolis mayor over incumbent Jacob Frey, and asking if Fateh will become "The Mamdani of Minneapolis." "Three years ago, Minnesota Sen. Omar Fateh was in the hot seat, sitting through a Senate ethics investigation into an alleged quid pro quo with a Somali news outlet," Minneapolis City Hall reporter Deena Winter wrote in a Tuesday article entitled, "The Mamdani of Minneapolis? Omar Fateh brings the left's insurgency to mayor's race." "On Saturday, Fateh was riding high , as Minneapolis Democrats endorsed him to be the city's next mayor over incumbent two-term Mayor Jacob Frey," Winter wrote. THE PLOT TO STOP MAMDANI: DEMOCRATS SCRAMBLE TO BLOCK FAR-LEFT TAKEOVER IN NEW YORK "Now the race begins in earnest, reflecting a conflict that's been brewing for years," she continued. "A comparatively moderate Democratic mayor against a rising young progressive who's part of the ascendant Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) wing of the party — an election that is likely to draw national attention and money while potentially upending the power dynamic in City Hall." Fateh, the son of Somali immigrants, says on his campaign biography page that he is the first Somali American and the first Muslim to be in the Minnesota Senate. He was elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2020 and is running on raising the city's minimum wage, increasing the supply of affordable housing, and fighting to stop what he calls the "cycle of the MPD's violence and brutality." Winter likened Fateh to New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, who won the Democratic primary in the city's race for mayor. Mamdani, a self-avowed democratic socialist, espouses such policies as government-run grocery stores and widespread rent freezes. SANDERS ENDORSES SOCIALIST MAMDANI IN MOVE TO BLOCK CUOMO IN NYC MAYORAL RACE "Fateh has drawn national attention since Mamdani's win, with some calling him the 'Mamdani of Minneapolis,'" Winter wrote. In her piece, Winter noted that Fateh "supports a ban on the police interacting with Immigration and Customs Enforcement," and highlighted that he "called a June federal drug raid in south Minneapolis 'blatant fascism,' accused MPD of cooperating with ICE, and said it would be 'unconscionable' for police to help with crowd control at an ICE raid." Winter reported that Frey's campaign is challenging the results of the DFL endorsement, saying they are "questioning why only 578 votes were recorded on the first ballot, even though over 1,000 delegates and alternates were checked in." Fox News Digital reached out to Fateh and Frey's campaign for comment, but did not immediately receive a response. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Print Close URL
Fox News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Blue state Democratic lawmaker set to resign after felony burglary conviction: report
NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! A state senator in Minnesota plans to resign after she was convicted Friday of felony burglary stemming from a 2024 break-in at her stepmother's home. State Sen. Nicole Mitchell, 51, will vacate her position by early Aug. 4, the Associated Press confirmed, citing her attorney. She represents State Senate District 47, in the suburbs east of St. Cloud, and is part of the Democratic Farm-to-Labor Party (DFL). She was also found guilty of a second felony, possession of burglary tools. DEM STATE SENATOR CAUGHT ON BODYCAM ADMITS 'I'M NOT GOOD AT THIS' DURING ALLEGED HOME BREAK-IN In the next week-and-a-half, she will reportedly "wrap up her legislative duties" before officially ending her service. Mitchell was arrested on April 22, 2024, and claimed that she had entered her stepmother Carol Mitchell's Detroit Lakes home to retrieve her late father's ashes and other belongings, which she said Carol would not hand over. Police bodycam footage from her arrest shows her sitting in the back of the police cruiser and telling an officer she was "just trying to get some of my dad's things." "Clearly, I'm not good at this," she said during her arrest. During her trial, she reportedly testified that she did trespass at the home, but did not intend to steal anything. Rather, she said she was checking in on Carol, who had Alzheimer's disease. MURDERED DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKER'S HOME BROKEN INTO JUST DAYS AFTER FATAL SHOOTING Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, herself a member of the DFL, called for Mitchell's resignation upon her conviction. "Senator Mitchell has been afforded due process, a trial by a jury of her peers, and that jury has delivered a verdict. I am relieved to see the end of Senator Mitchell's trial. The case's resolution brings clarity to the situation," Murphy said. "Senator Mitchell has told colleagues that she intended to resign if found guilty of this crime, and I expect her to follow through on that pledge. Our caucus remains focused on the issues that matter to Minnesotan families and communities." State Senate Republican Leader Mark Johnson is pushing for Mitchell's immediate resignation, instead of waiting until Aug. 4. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "Senator Mitchell was convicted of two felonies; she doesn't get to give the Senate two weeks' notice," he reportedly said. "The only reason Mitchell is still in office is because Democrats needed her vote to pass their agenda and refused to hold her accountable during session." Mitchell did not immediately return a comment request.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jacob Frey's campaign challenging Minneapolis DFL endorsement of Omar Fateh
The Brief Jacob Frey is challenging the Minneapolis DFL's endorsement of Omar Fateh as the city's next mayor. Frey's campaign alleges only 578 votes were counted in the first round of balloting, when more than 1,000 delegates and alternates were checked in. Frey made his first public appearance since on Monday, but did not address the result. MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Minneapolis DFL held its convention on Saturday at Target Center, and Jacob Frey did not get the endorsement for mayor. That instead went to State Senator Omar Fateh. Frey has been the mayor of Minneapolis since 2018. What we know Frey made his first public appearance since the DFL convention on Monday as state leaders gathered to celebrate the reopening of the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis. He made celebratory comments about the bridge and did not take any questions before leaving the event. Frey's wife is due with a child. Frey to file endorsement challenge Mayor Frey's campaign released a statement after the vote at the DFL convention. "This election should be decided by the entire city rather than the small group of people who became delegates, particularly in light of the extremely flawed and irregular conduct of this convention. Voters will now have a clear choice between the records and leadership of Sen. Fateh and Mayor Frey. We look forward to taking our vision to the voters in November." Why you should care On Monday, Frey's campaign filed a challenge to those results with the Minnesota DFL Party. Campaign officials say the challenge centers on the extraordinarily high number of missing or uncounted votes. They say the voting system is "highly flawed" and "untested." Frey's campaign says 578 votes were counted in the mayoral ballot, despite more than 1,000 delegates and alternates being checked in at the time of the first ballot. Frey Campaign Manager Sam Schulenberg said,"Everyone who endured this multi-hour convention process deserved to have their voices heard. DFL leaders, delegates, and voters across our city and party are filing challenges to ensure that the inaccurate balloting of the convention does not create a permanent rift in our party. In an overwhelmingly Democratic city like Minneapolis, there is no reason to push through a DFL endorsement using a highly flawed process that clearly missed or did not count a large percentage of the votes cast." 'It will work its way out' What they're saying Gov. Tim Walz was also at Monday's event, and was asked about Frey not getting the endorsement. "Some of you know my history with endorsements, I don't put a lot of time on them. Party does the party work, the rest of us who are there. We'll take a look at everything on that and it will work its way out," Walz said. "I would just say that I have had the privilege of working with Mayor Frey for quite a few years here. We'll talk." Solve the daily Crossword
