Latest news with #DFL-Minneapolis
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ag budget includes funding to replace canceled federal grants, but food banks say it cuts assistance
Soybean production in Worthington. Photo by. When the Trump administration cut funding for a program that gave food banks money to buy and distribute food from local farmers, Minnesota lawmakers decided to continue the program at the state level. The two-year, $115 million state agriculture budget has been approved by the House and Senate and is awaiting the signature of Gov. Tim Walz, and sets up a modest state program to replace the one cut by the federal government. But Second Harvest Heartland, the biggest hunger relief organization in the state, says the budget still partially defunds the Farm to Food Shelf program, which allowed Second Harvest to purchase excess produce from Minnesota farmers at a steep discount. (The budget boosts funding for a related program for dairy.) Rep. Fue Lee, DFL-Minneapolis, carried a bill to create a state program that mirrors the endangered federal Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program. Schools, food banks, governments and businesses can apply for grants to purchase food from Minnesota farmers and distribute it for free. Grant recipients must purchase 70% of the food from small farms — those that bring in less than $100,000 per year — or from farmers who rent their land. Lee's bill ended up in the budget, with $1.4 million over two years directed to the Local Food Purchasing Assistance grant program — around half as much as the federal government gave to Minnesota last year for the program. Minnesota Farmers Union, Land Stewardship Project and Minnesota Farmers Market Association were among the bill's supporters. Zach Rodvold, a lobbyist for Second Harvest Heartland, said the net effect of the budget is a cut in overall food assistance — on top of other federal cuts to food aid, as well as proposed cuts to SNAP, which helps low-income people buy groceries. 'What they voted for was a cut that will cost almost 4 million pounds of produce every year indefinitely,' Rodvold said. That's partly because the dollars that went to the Farm to Food Shelf program stretched farther — the food banks were paying pennies on the dollar for produce that farmers didn't intend to sell in traditional markets. The new state program, called the Local Food Purchasing Assistance grant program, pays farmers the market price for their produce. The Local Food Purchasing Assistance grant program will also allow recipients to contract with farmers for future production, creating a secure market for small Minnesota farmers.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ethics panel deadlocks on complaint against Minnesota Senate President
An ethics complaint Republicans filed against Minnesota Senate President Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis, stalled Monday after a legislative ethics panel failed to reach consensus on how to proceed. The two Democratic-Farmer-Labor and two Republican members of the Senate Subcommittee on Ethics deadlocked on whether there was probable cause that Champion broke ethics rules when he helped obtain millions in state funding for a nonprofit whose founder he had done free legal work for. They also tied in a 2-2 vote on a DFL-backed motion to dismiss the complaint. The lack of action comes after the subcommittee asked Champion to disclose any potential conflicts of interest at an April 24 meeting but made no other rulings. Champion initially asked for an advisory opinion from the Senate Subcommittee on Ethics after his pro bono work for a Minneapolis violence prevention organization had come to light earlier in April. He temporarily stepped down as chair of the Ethics Subcommittee and Sen. Sandy Pappas, DFL-St. Paul, took over the position as the panel handled the matter. Champion faced allegations about potential conflicts because he carried a 2023 bill that helped the Minneapolis violence prevention nonprofit 21 Days of Peace obtain $3 million in funding. In 2025, he sponsored another bill to help provide another $1 million. Republicans in their complaint argued Champion's pro bono work for the nonprofit's founder, Rev. Jerry McAfee and his parent group, Salem, Inc., harmed public perception of the Senate by giving the impression of a conflict of interest. 'Due to the relationship Salem Inc. had with Sen. Champion, it is difficult for the public to have faith that the projects selected by the Legislature for public funds are being chosen based on merit,' said Sen. Michael Kreun, R-Blaine, who brought the complaint against Champion. Champion has maintained that his pro bono work for McAfee ended in 2022 and did not coincide with his sponsorship of the bills. He and his lawyer also argued that his ties to the nonprofit do not violate Minnesota Senate ethics rules because there was no financial interest. 'I thank the members of the ethics subcommittee for their work. As I have maintained since the beginning of this discussion, I have followed the rules of the Senate,' Champion said in a statement. 'I did not introduce or advocate for legislation on which I had a conflict of interest and I'm grateful that the subcommittee did not find probable cause.' Minnesota's ethics rules for legislators are not particularly expansive. Current law bans members from voting on matters that result in a direct financial gain for themselves or their business disproportionate to others in the same field. Political observers and lawmakers of both parties have noted that Minnesota's part-time 'citizen legislature' naturally lends itself to members voting on issues directly related to their work and communities. Teachers, nurses and business owners often back or carry bills directly related to their lines of work. Champion's backers have argued that his work with nonprofits and religious leaders in his district is the mark of an effective state representative. In response to DFLers' unwillingness to join GOP members in backing the ethics complaint Monday, Kreun said it was 'disappointing that partisanship won out.' Letters: 'Let's not make it harder to learn,' Walz wrote. A private school principal responds. Debate on unemployment benefits for school workers derails key MN budget piece St. Paul, MN Wild trim Xcel Center's state request from $400M to $50M Minnesota loosens distance exemption on state employee return to office order Minnesota Senate OKs liquor bill with 'social districts' provision
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ethics panel deadlocks on complaint against Minnesota Senate President
An ethics complaint Republicans filed against Minnesota Senate President Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis, stalled Monday after a legislative ethics panel failed to reach consensus on how to proceed. The two Democratic-Farmer-Labor and two Republican members of the Senate Subcommittee on Ethics deadlocked on whether there was probable cause that Champion broke ethics rules when he helped obtain millions in state funding for a nonprofit whose founder he had done free legal work for. They also tied in a 2-2 vote on a DFL-backed motion to dismiss the complaint. The lack of action comes after the subcommittee asked Champion to disclose any potential conflicts of interest at an April 24 meeting but made no other rulings. Champion initially asked for an advisory opinion from the Senate Subcommittee on Ethics after his pro bono work for a Minneapolis violence prevention organization had come to light earlier in April. He temporarily stepped down as chair of the Ethics Subcommittee and Sen. Sandy Pappas, DFL-St. Paul, took over the position as the panel handled the matter. Champion faced allegations about potential conflicts because he carried a 2023 bill that helped the Minneapolis violence prevention nonprofit 21 Days of Peace obtain $3 million in funding. In 2025, he sponsored another bill to help provide another $1 million. Republicans in their complaint argued Champion's pro bono work for the nonprofit's founder, Rev. Jerry McAfee and his parent group, Salem, Inc., harmed public perception of the Senate by giving the impression of a conflict of interest. 'Due to the relationship Salem Inc. had with Sen. Champion, it is difficult for the public to have faith that the projects selected by the Legislature for public funds are being chosen based on merit,' said Sen. Michael Kreun, R-Blaine, who brought the complaint against Champion. Champion has maintained that his pro bono work for McAfee ended in 2022 and did not coincide with his sponsorship of the bills. He and his lawyer also argued that his ties to the nonprofit do not violate Minnesota Senate ethics rules because there was no financial interest. 'I thank the members of the ethics subcommittee for their work. As I have maintained since the beginning of this discussion, I have followed the rules of the Senate,' Champion said in a statement. 'I did not introduce or advocate for legislation on which I had a conflict of interest and I'm grateful that the subcommittee did not find probable cause.' Minnesota's ethics rules for legislators are not particularly expansive. Current law bans members from voting on matters that result in a direct financial gain for themselves or their business disproportionate to others in the same field. Political observers and lawmakers of both parties have noted that Minnesota's part-time 'citizen legislature' naturally lends itself to members voting on issues directly related to their work and communities. Teachers, nurses and business owners often back or carry bills directly related to their lines of work. Champion's backers have argued that his work with nonprofits and religious leaders in his district is the mark of an effective state representative. In response to DFLers' unwillingness to join GOP members in backing the ethics complaint Monday, Kreun said it was 'disappointing that partisanship won out.' Letters: 'Let's not make it harder to learn,' Walz wrote. A private school principal responds. Debate on unemployment benefits for school workers derails key MN budget piece St. Paul, MN Wild trim Xcel Center's state request from $400M to $50M Minnesota loosens distance exemption on state employee return to office order Minnesota Senate OKs liquor bill with 'social districts' provision
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Minnesota Senate ethics committee takes no action on complaint against Champion
Senate president Bobby Joe Champion, right, talks after leading the session during the regular legislative session Monday, March 27, 2023. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer) The Senate ethics committee on Monday took no action on a complaint against Senate President Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis. A GOP complaint alleged he violated Senate rules when he spearheaded state funds to an organization run by a former legal client. Republicans filed the complaint against Champion after Reformer reporting found that he advocated for a $3 million grant to violence prevention nonprofit 21 Days of Peace, run by north Minneapolis Rev. Jerry McAfee, but didn't disclose that McAfee had been his legal client. Champion says he did the work pro bono. Last month, the Senate Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct found that Champion had no financial conflict of interest when he advocated for an additional $1 million in funding for 21 Days of Peace earlier this year, but didn't make any findings about his 2023 actions. The committee, evenly split between Republican and Democratic members, on Monday voted on four related motions, which failed 2-2, on party-line votes. Because the committee deadlocked on taking action, the complaint will likely die and not be relitigated again. David Zoll, Champion's attorney, argued that Champion followed Senate rules, which state that senators only need to disclose a conflict of interest if an action were to benefit them financially. Champion represented McAfee pro bono, so he followed Senate rules even though he didn't disclose it, Zoll argued. Champion at the hearing criticized the media, arguing that the GOP senators in their ethics complaint relied on articles that presented a misinterpretation of the Senate ethics rules. 'A reporter can say that any of us have done something — and whether they're right or wrong — we would find ourselves sitting in this seat, because we don't have the power of the pen,' Champion said. Sen. Mary Kunesh, DFL-New Brighton, echoed Champion's criticism of the media. 'I think it's really important to recognize the role that media plays in making or breaking an individual, not just here in the Senate, but also bringing in information that perhaps is going to influence the general public one way or another without knowing the full bit of information,' Kunesh said. Champion has never disputed the facts of the Reformer's reporting. In a statement after the hearing, Champion said he was grateful the ethics committee didn't issue a finding of probable cause and is eager to get back to work. 'Elected officials have a responsibility to act with integrity, and to earn the trust and confidence of the public,' Champion said. 'I am proud of my record, and of my work as both a legislator and an attorney, particularly the pro bono legal services I have provided to churches and nonprofits.'
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Minnesota Republican senator: No more wit, pop culture, portmanteaus on our road signs
Sen. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa, left, and Doran Clark, DFL-Minneapolis, right, share a moment on the floor during session Wednesday, April 23. (Photo by A.J. Olmscheid/Senate Media) State Sen. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa, offered an amendment to a transportation funding bill Thursday that would mandate the Minnesota Department of Transportation use digital road signs that 'convey a clear and simple message without witticisms, colloquialisms, neologisms, portmanteaus, hashtags, electronic or internet shorthand or slang, popular culture references that target or are comprehended by a limited segment of the driving population, or any other message relying on hidden meanings, targeted cultural knowledge, or unconventional syntax to understand the message.' Drazkowski explained during a floor speech that MnDOT's use of wit in its safety messages — which he called 'Big Brother type messages — is distracting and dangerous. He read a few of the digital billboards in use by MnDOT in recent weeks. 'Only the hot dish should be baked. Don't drive high.' 'Weed like to remind you that driving high is illegal.' 'Don't rely on a four-leaf clover. Drive safe and sober.' The messages compel drivers, Drazkowski said, 'to figure out what the message means and having the neurons in your head focusing on that, all the while distracting you as a driver from the roadway.' Drazkowski — who opposed the cell phone-while-driving ban in 2019 — cited an article in Science by a University of Minnesota researcher and a colleague, which used data from a Texas study to warn that 'cognitive overload' can increase distraction and accidents. Indeed, NPR reported last year that the federal government has issued recommendations 'that states phase out signs that have 'obscure' meanings or use pop-culture references that could require drivers 'greater time to process.'' State Sen. Ann Johnson Stewart, who is a DFL civil engineer of Wayzata, said on the Senate floor that she'd called friends at MnDOT and been assured the signs are safe and merely a fun way to get the public — and especially children — involved in road safety. Drazkowski, who has had moments of internet fame, like when he repeated debunked tales about schools providing litter boxes for students who identify as cats, said MnDOT shouldn't be making the decision: 'I did expect my Democrat friends to call the government. It's one of my frustrations with this place … it's reflexive: What does the government wanna do? They just wanna fun. Fun kills at 65 miles per hour.' The amendment failed.
