Latest news with #DFL-Roseville
CBS News
14-02-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Future of sports betting in Minnesota uncertain after bill fails to advance through key committee
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Sports gambling supporters thought they hit the jackpot when key stakeholders endorsed their bill to make legal bets a reality in Minnesota this year. But the future of what would be the largest expansion of gambling in decades is uncertain, after a setback during a Senate committee on Thursday. The proposal would've allowed for sports betting at the state's casinos and through mobile apps. Under the plan, the tribes — which run the casinos — have exclusivity over both in-person wagers and contracting with online platforms. The state's horse racing tracks were set to get a slice of the revenue pie, since there wouldn't be sports gambling allowed at their locations. The state's professional sports teams were also on board, creating what the bill author, DFL Sen. Matt Klein, called a "rare phenomenon": legislation backed by all stakeholders, whose uneven support for earlier iterations had unraveled previous efforts to get it over the finish line. But that buy-in wasn't enough to advance the measure forward. On a tie, it didn't advance through its first test in the Senate, creating a roadblock on the quest to get the measure passed this session. "That particular bill had the support of all interested parties. It had bipartisan support. It had the support of both me and [GOP] Sen. Jeremy Miller who has worked on this issue on the other side of the aisle for years and so it should've been easy," Klein told WCCO after the hearing. "But it was hard. People have legitimate concerns and they weren't ready to move forward in committee today. I'm not sure where we go from here." Opponents have deep concerns about how the expansion would impact problem gamblers who are addicted, particularly when it comes to online bets. Last month, they had a hearing spotlighting those harms. "To think that we can legalize sports gambling but not suffer the consequences lived by citizens around the world where sports gambling is legal is a foolish bet," Jack Meeks, chairman of Citizens Against Gambling Expansion, told the Senate State and Local Government Committee Thursday. Right now, Minnesota is an outlier in the country. Thirty-eight states have given sports betting the green light, according to the American Gaming Association. Klein and other supporters make the point that Minnesotans are already betting on sports — just without safeguards and regulations in place. Under his proposal, there would be certain consumer protections, like a ban on push notifications from any gambling app and prohibiting sportsbooks from providing promotions or incentives that might drive a problem gambler to bet even more. No sportsbook could advertise at schools or college campuses, and the law wouldn't allow in-game bets on college athletics. Only Minnesotans 21 and older could bet. Addiction services were also set to get a share of gambling revenues. Sen. Jon Marty, DFL-Roseville, a longtime opponent of sports gambling, put forward his own bill in the same committee Thursday, which would allocate half of all revenues to addiction support services — compared to 8.5% in the Klein bill. The panel approved that proposal for possible consideration in a larger package at the end of session, but it may not have the votes to pass either chamber. There is a coalition of sports betting supporters that cuts across party lines, but it's a delicate balance. Even the smallest changes could derail its chances.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Minnesota lawmakers push ban on cellphones in classrooms statewide
A new state law takes effect next month requiring all Minnesota school districts to have a policy adopted in efforts to crack down on students' cellphone use during the school day. As the mandate's March 15 deadline approaches, some Minnesota lawmakers are already proposing changes that would ban cellphones in all classrooms, and most schools entirely, beginning next year. Senators Alice Mann (DFL-Edina), Jordan Rasmusson (R-Fergus Falls), Steve Cwodzinski (DFL-Eden Prairie) and John Marty (DFL-Roseville) have authored the latest proposal, S.F. 508, which would amend Minnesota's law to add the following provision: "Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, the school district or charter school's school cell phone policy must prohibit cell phones and smart watches in school for students in grades kindergarten through 8 and prohibit cell phones and smart watches in classrooms for students in grades 9 through 12. The policy must provide exceptions for devices necessary for medical use, exceptions for devices included in an individualized education program for a student with a disability, or other exceptions at the discretion of the school principal." The current state law requires districts to adopt a cellphone policy, but it allows for local school boards to decide what the policy directs. Many districts rolled out their new policy on the first day of school back in September. The rules now in play across the state range from requiring phones to be turned off and put away to requiring student phones be locked in a Yondr pouch for the entirety of the school day, according to reporting by MPR News. Speaking during a Committee on Education Policy committee meeting on Monday, Mann said phones in classrooms are taking a serious toll on students' ability to focus on their overall mental health. Mann she said heard of instances of students taking pictures of tests, taking pictures of classmates without consent and sending nude photos of classmates in group chats. "In one district, when we asked if kids had ever seen a naked picture of a random classmate, the majority of the kids that were at the round table shrugged and said "yeah" - like it was no big deal, as our jaws hit the floor," Mann said. Mann said district leaders also report cell phones are driving an increase in conflict between students, conflict between teachers and students and cyber bullying. According to Mann, districts with cell phone bans report an improved culture, more social interaction among students and other benefits. State cell phone bans in schools are in effect in states such as Florida, Louisiana, Indiana, Virginia and South Carolina, as some other states are currently piloting bans. A informal survey conducted at the Minnesota State Fair last year found most fair-goers supported cell phone bans for K-12 students. The 2024 House of Representatives' State Fair Poll asked fair-goers how they felt about prohibiting K-12 students from using cell phones during the school day. The poll found two-thirds of respondents, or 68.6%, were in favor of such a ban, while about 21% opposed the policy and roughly 11% were undecided. The proposal in the Senate does not currently have a companion bill in the Minnesota House.
