Latest news with #OneMinnesota
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Walz, sounding like a candidate, hammers Trump in state of the state address
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz delivers the State of the State address Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer) Gov. Tim Walz on Wednesday night delivered his seventh state of the state address, cleverly using the state's grim budget outlook to paint himself as the man in the middle, ready to bring lawmakers to a compromise in the fashion of his long ago campaign slogan, One Minnesota. Walz also used the address to hammer President Donald Trump and his sometimes sidekick Elon Musk, attacking what Walz called the 'chaos and destruction' they've unleashed on the federal government. In the process, Walz continues to keep his name in the mix of national Democratic leaders who will stand up to the Trump administration and maybe take a shot at the White House in 2028. Walz, who says he'll announce whether he'll run for a third term after the legislative session, spoke for about 22 minutes in the well of the Minnesota House. Here are some key takeaways: Walz spent four years as a good soldier defending the unpopular and infirm President Joe Biden and then as the vice presidential nominee on the losing Kamala Harris ticket. Walz is now able to deflect criticism of his own tenure by launching broadsides against Trump, whom he pummeled for his tariffs, immigration policies and Musk's shambolic gutting of critical federal services. Walz emphasized that the federal chaos has been done knowingly and on purpose. Walz said Trump isn't a leader. 'That isn't servant leadership. It's not any kind of leadership. It's small, it's weak and it's petty. It takes the awesome power of the federal government and turns it into a crude weapon, wielded by a man who wants to be king,' Walz said. Walz said Minnesota leaders will need to rebuild the government from the ashes after Trump leaves office, and 'these small, petty men will disappear into the dustbin of history.' Democrats have struggled for eons to explain to Americans who they are and the direction they want to take the country. Walz sought to boil it down with a message that he can take on the road to Iowa diners and New Hampshire barrooms. 'Security. Opportunity. Freedom. I hear it everywhere I go. And every time I do, I find myself feeling proud of Minnesota,' Walz said. He used the phrase to argue that Democrats delivered all three during their two years of trifecta rule: a child tax credit, enhanced labor rights, a tax cut on Social Security benefits for the majority of Minnesotans and a paid leave program that will launch in January. Democrats loudly cheered and stood in support of their victory lap, but the line from Walz that got the biggest applause from Democrats was about freedom: 'If you say you love freedom, but you don't believe freedom is for everybody, then the thing you love isn't freedom — it's privilege,' Walz said. The governor has proposed slowing state spending on disability services to address Minnesota's looming multi-billion dollar deficit. He defended his position, arguing that lawmakers of years past had 'put us on a path of unsustainable growth.' Numerous disability rights advocates have criticized Walz's proposal to slow spending growth, arguing that services will be cut and workers harmed. Walz said those who need care will be served. 'This budget was not written to please everyone. It was written to bring everyone to the table,' Walz said. The governor also touted his sales tax proposal, which would broaden the tax to include legal and financial services while lowering the rate. 'I'm proposing an unprecedented tax cut for working people – a reduction in the statewide sales tax.' Walz's plan would cut the sales tax .075%, which would save Minnesotans 75 cents for every $1,000 they spend on taxable goods and services. Republicans have spent the legislative session highlighting recent high-profile cases of fraud in public programs. Walz won the loudest — and most bipartisan — cheers of the night when he discussed combating fraud. 'The truth is, as long as there have been programs aimed at helping people, there have been people looking to steal from those who need them most,' Walz said. 'We've made strides in catching those bad actors, stopping their schemes. We've sent a lot of crooks to prison.' (The federal government has done the bulk of the work holding fraudsters accountable in Minnesota.) At times, Walz's own government was slow to respond to fraud. Even as the number of autism treatment providers and spending on the program exploded, Walz's own Department of Human Services told the Reformer last year that this was no cause for alarm. The FBI late last year raided two autism treatment providers armed with search warrants. 'Bottom line: I believe that when criminals try to steal public funding, you don't cut the funding, you stop the criminals. And that's exactly what we do,' Walz said. Republican legislative leaders criticized the governor for focusing on problems in Washington, arguing Minnesota needs to address its own issues. 'Minnesota has to be our first priority,' said House Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring. Republican House Floor Leader Harry Niska, R-Ramsey, said that Walz's speech played well for the Democratic base, but Walz failed to take responsibility for Minnesota's grim budget outlook. 'It was really unfortunate that while there was not quite an olive branch, but maybe a few buds from an olive tree, given by the governor, most of it was overshadowed by (an) angry rant about Donald Trump, and I don't think that that serves the state of Minnesota,' Niska said. Republicans again criticized Democrats for spending the 2023-24 budget surplus — which arose from generous federal contributions to the states, and robust tax collections — and wreaking havoc on the medium-term fiscal outlook. If Walz was at times playing to a national Democratic audience with his hits on Trump, he's right about the primacy of the federal government in Minnesota's budget. In 2024, Minnesota spent $18.5 billion on Medicaid, of which $11 billion — 60% — was federal funding. Which means that depending on what happens in Washington — especially if Republicans follow through on plans to cut Medicaid by hundreds of billions of dollars — Walz and Minnesota lawmakers may find themselves back in St. Paul in an emergency special session to deal with the fallout later this year.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
10 Minnesota environmental nonprofits join forces for Earth Day fundraiser
Ten of the state's leading environmental nonprofit groups are joining forces for an Earth Day fundraiser, in hopes of raising money to protect the environment. The goal? Raise more than $250,000 to protect Minnesota's land, water and wildlife — and spark action on urgent issues like climate change, polluted lakes and disappearing pollinators, organizers said. The 'One Day, One Earth, One Minnesota' collaboration will raise funds to protect Minnesota's natural resources while also addressing the state's most urgent environmental challenges like climate change, water pollution, habitat loss and environmental injustice. Tuesday, April 22, marks the 55th anniversary of Earth Day but organizers encourage people to donate early. Money raised will help account for a shortage in public funding, with recent federal cuts widening the gap, they said in a news release Friday. 'This initiative empowers individuals to step up, take action, and drive meaningful change. Every donation will directly support critical, on-the-ground efforts across the state, including ecological restoration, habitat protection, community engagement, and climate resilience,' organizers said. Members of the participating organizations all said they felt proud to be involved in the collaboration. 'We're proud to be part of One Day. One Earth. One Minnesota, because real environmental change doesn't happen alone — it takes collaboration, creativity, and collective action,' said Kateri Routh, executive director of Great River Greening. 'This Earth Day, we're joining forces with nine incredible organizations and leaning into community-centric fundraising to turn individual passion into collective impact — for our land, our water, and future generations.' The collaboration is especially important in light of recent cuts in government funding. 'For months, we've felt uncertainty and dread about the loss of environmental funding at the national level. It feels great to join with other Minnesota environmental groups to fight that uncertainty,' said Patricia Ohmans, founder and director of Frogtown Green. 'Not only will this campaign raise much-needed funds to continue our important work in environmental restoration, but it also demonstrates our commitment to working together to improve green spaces for the future of all Minnesotans,' said Hayley Ball, executive director of Urban Roots. When Rebecca Otto, board chair of the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, first heard her organization was participating in the collaboration, she said, 'I thought, 'Yes — that's exactly what this moment needs.'' She said she was proud to be part of an organization that recognizes the future is in partnerships. Luisana Méndez, founder and executive director of Huellas Latinas, said that every step taken in nature 'can be an act of transformation — not only personal, but also collective.' All of the organizations said they believe strength is in numbers. 'We believe everyone deserves clean air, land, and water, and we won't get there alone. Community is the heart of our work, and it only makes sense for us to carry that commitment to collaboration through our fundraising. We are stronger together,' said Laura Scholl, executive director of Metro Blooms. Participating organizations include: ● Environmental Initiative. The Minneapolis organization 'brings people from communities, businesses, nonprofits and government together to solve environmental problems.' They do this by: Convening and facilitating conversations on environmental issues where collaboration is needed most; planning and hosting events for people to network, share ideas, and learn from one another; and managing on-the-ground projects to improve our air, land and water. ● Friends of the Mississippi River. The St. Paul organization 'engages people to protect, restore and enhance the Mississippi River and its watershed in the Twin Cities region.' It works with public and private landowners, local governments and concerned community members to protect and restore critical lands ecologically linked to the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities metro. In addition, it works and protects habitat and improves climate resilience through planning, land protection and natural resources restoration services. ● Frogtown Green. This St. Paul organization is 'a resident-led, volunteer-powered group that began with the creation of Frogtown Park & Farm. (…) Since that success, we have created six more parklets and gardens; planted more than 1,000 free fruit and shade trees; created 10,000 square feet of pollinator habitat; and sponsored dozens of events.' ● Great River Greening. This St. Paul organization's goal is 'to inspire, engage and lead local communities in conserving and caring for the water and land that enrich our lives.' They work to 'increase biodiversity, cleaner water and air, improved soil health, stronger natural systems, and enhance habitats for pollinators, wildlife, plants and people.' ● Huellas Latinas. The St. Paul organization 'was born to inspire and empower Latino communities to embrace and participate in outdoor recreation through inclusive and culturally responsive year-round outdoor recreation programs that promote wellness and connections to nature, foster a sense of belonging, and strengthen community ties.' ● Metro Blooms. This Minneapolis organization 'partners with communities to create resilient landscapes and foster clean watersheds, embracing the values of equity and inclusion to solve environmental challenges. It 'works with individuals, community groups, local government, nonprofits, business owners, artists, elders, renters, youth and people most impacted by environmental injustices. ● Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy. The St. Paul and Duluth-based organization said it uses 'law and science to protect Minnesota's environment, its natural resources and the health of its people. For 50 years, we've worked in the courts, at the Legislature and with public agencies to enact, strengthen and enforce smart environmental law. (…) We work in solidarity with communities to protect the environment, especially where people are disproportionately impacted by pollution and social inequities.' ● Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light. This Minneapolis organization 'works in partnership with faith and spiritual communities and all Minnesotans to build transformative power and bring the lights of people's unique gifts to addressing the climate crisis.' ● Owámniyomni Okhódayapi. The Owámniyomni project (previously called the Falls Initiative) in Minneapolis is 'an effort to create a place of healing, restoration, connection and education at Owámniyomni (St. Anthony Falls), on 5 acres of property adjacent to the Upper Lock. The lock closed to commercial navigation in 2015 and is owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Owámniyomni Okhódayapi is the city and Park Board's agent in negotiations with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It is also a cost-sharing partner.' ● Urban Roots. The St. Paul organization's mission is to 'cultivate and empower youth through nature, healthy food and community.' It 'operates as a youth development program and is one of the largest youth employers on the East Side of St. Paul. We create economic and educational opportunities for under-resourced, majority BIPOC youth. Its vision is 'a world where all communities have unlimited access to nature and healthy food.' Routh of Great River Greening said the donations will 'help fuel efforts to restore lakes and rivers, safeguard forests, protect pollinators and build a healthier Minnesota for future generations.' To donate to the 'One Day, One Earth, One Minnesota' fundraiser, go to
