Minnesota News & Current Events | Public News Service

Connexus Energy operates a 'solar meadow' at its headquarters in Ramsey, Minn. (Photo courtesy of Fresh Energy)

Friday, June 9, 2023

Summer's In Bloom, Including 'Solar Meadows' in MN

By Elizabeth Hewitt for Reasons to be Cheerful.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Minnesota News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Net…

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency says its new study into the economics of removing PFAS

Thursday, June 8, 2023

New Study Puts Price Tag on PFAS Removal from MN Water Systems

As more research emerges about the chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, government agencies are faced with the task of figuring …

Organizations tracking a new U.S. strategy to build peace in countries prone to conflict say it is designed to remove longstanding obstacles to stability, such as women not being allowed to participate in their local economy. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

Global Fragility Act Turns U.S. Peacekeeping Approach on Its Head

Minnesotans and the rest of the U.S. population sometimes feel the ripple effects of instability in other parts of the world, and humanitarian groups …

Four years ago, Minnesota approved what was described as one of the toughest wage-theft laws in the country. But some construction union leaders say the practice is still prevalent within the industry. (Adobe Stock)

MN Adds Extra Wage Theft Protection for Construction Workers

As the summer construction season ramps up, the industry is preparing for new requirements under a pending Minnesota law change. In recent years…

This spring, Minnesota joined the nearly two dozen other states that have legalized recreational marijuana use in some form. (Adobe Stock)

Newly Signed MN Marijuana Law to 'Wipe Away' Minor Offenses

Two months from today, Minnesota will begin the process of removing low-level marijuana convictions for those who have them on their criminal records…

For years, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has been quickly targeted for cuts when Congress is at odds over spending priorities. (Adobe Stock)

MN Hunger Relief Leader: SNAP Threats Off Mark

Whether it's the recent debt ceiling negotiations or the Farm Bill debate, a key federal food assistance program is again at the mercy of budget …

As workers try to move forward from the pandemic's aftereffects, labor leaders, including the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, say protections and stronger benefits should help get their careers back on track. (Adobe Stock)

MN Session Produced 'Under-the-Radar' Victories for Workers

Minnesota legislators adopted a lot of major policies in this year's session, including actions to support workers in many different fields. State …

Community Action Agencies provide services that go beyond energy assistance and home weatherization. Many offer job training programs that take into account the barriers low-income individuals face in advancing in the workplace. (Adobe Stock)

With New Partners, MN's Poverty-Fighting Offices Expand Financial Reach

May is Community Action Month, and Minnesota agencies that help address poverty say demand for services isn't going away. To help clients thrive…

In addition to shielding waterways from harmful sources, a new Minnesota environmental spending bill includes funding for planting trees and other efforts to accelerate carbon sequestration. (Adobe Stock)

MN Goes Big on Committing Funds to Protect Natural Resources

From protecting and studying waterways to addressing chronic wasting disease, conservation voices say there are a lot of important items in …

Beyond wellness checks and important screenings, health experts recommend women take personal time to reflect or relax to keep the stress from building up. (Adobe Stock)

Women's Health Month: Adding Personal Wellness to Your To-Do List

As Women's Health Month continues, experts in Minnesota and elsewhere are reminding women to prioritize their well-being. The Centers for Disease …

Over the next budget years, state aid for Minnesota public schools will increase to more than $23 billion. (Adobe Stock)

Budget Stability, Flexibility Among Highlights of MN School Funding Plan

Many Minnesota school districts say they have been walking a financial tightrope, but leaders appear to be encouraged by the new education funding …

As the nation grapples with mass shooting events around the country, statehouses are under pressure to adopt gun restrictions with such laws unlikely to pass a divided Congress. (Adobe Stock)

Evidence Touted as MN Moves to Adopt Gun-Safety Laws

Minnesota appears to be on the verge of adopting new gun-safety laws. Some of the common talking points have come up in debate, but groups demanding …

The Hispanic or Latino community now makes up more than 6% of Minnesota's population and more than 5% of the state's workforce. (Adobe Stock)

MN Report: Latinos Poised to Become Economic Force

Over the past decade, Minnesota has seen a 38% increase in residents who identify as Latino or Hispanic. Amid a tight labor market, a new report …

Even prior to the racial reckoning, Minnesota was known for its disparities, including child development outcomes. (Adobe Stock)

MN Faces Key Decision on Program to Reduce Child-Development Disparities

A few years ago, Minnesota launched a pilot program to give communities of color more power to improve outcomes for child development as they …

Minnesota is poised to join nearly a dozen other states that have paid leave programs. Minnesota's plan would not be required for employers that have their own plans bigger than the one proposed. (Adobe Stock)

MN Paid-Leave Backers: Workers, Families Closer to Crucial Benefit

Minnesotans are learning more about a statewide paid leave plan, which cleared a major legislative hurdle this week. Groups tracking the …

Advocates for educators say morale issues are playing into the current nationwide teacher shortage. (Adobe Stock)

MN Educators: Public Should Lend an Ear, Time to School Staff

As Teacher Appreciation Week continues, Minnesotans are reminded of the commitment educators bring to the classroom, and the message is coming from …

Studies have shown that while Minnesota has an overall healthy population, there are glaring health disparities. That has prompted efforts to help racial and ethnic groups have equal access to necessities, in hopes of boosting health outcomes. (Adobe Stock)

MN Steps Outside Doctor's Office to Improve Health Outcomes

Research keeps emerging about social determinants of health, including a new study linking these factors to suicide risks. In Minnesota, nonprofits …

The Land Stewardship Project recently surveyed more than 700 farmers and food system workers from Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin about Farm Bill priorities. They want to see things such as crop insurance reform, as well as less consolidation in agriculture. (Adobe Stock)

MN Family Farms Make Their Case for Farm Bill Inclusion

Congress is gathering input as it looks to reauthorize the Farm Bill. Voices from Minnesota's agricultural sector hope independent family farms get a …

Park Plaza Cooperative, based in Fridley, has been a Resident-Owned Community for more than a decade. (Photo courtesy of PPC)

Resident-Owned Communities Intersect Housing and Climate Justice

By Ray Levy Uyeda for Prism.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Minnesota News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News Se…

Nonviolent Peaceforce, which has deployed peacebuilding efforts in conflict zones around the world, is now focusing on addressing youth violence in North Minneapolis. (Adobe Stock)

Minneapolis Youth Violence Prevention Program Gains Bigger Presence

Some youth violence intervention programs around the U.S. saw their outreach work upended by the pandemic. But a new Minneapolis initiative focusing …

Postal union leaders say understaffed facilities are taking a toll on the health and safety of postal workers and the service they provide. (Adobe Stock)

Postal Employees Say They're Fighting 'Toxic' Work Environment

Today is International Workers Day, and in the U.S. postal workers say they're struggling to keep up amid staffing shortages and a work environment …

Minnesota is one of only about a dozen states that tax Social Security income. (Adobe Stock)

MN Social Security Tax Debate Comes Into Focus

The current Minnesota legislative session has seen a lot of big policy moves, and Social Security tax relief could be next. A compromise plan is …

According to an industry group, renewables account for 81% of all new power generating capacity built in Minnesota in the last decade. (Adobe Stock)

Report: MN's Clean-Energy Transition Gains Stronger Foothold

For a third year in a row, zero-carbon sources accounted for the majority of electricity generated in Minnesota, according to the latest edition of …

MN Local Government: Give Us a Voice in Marijuana Plan

This week, the Minnesota House began the floor-vote process for a bill that would legalize and regulate recreational marijuana for adults. Lawmakers …

According to the American Library Association, a record 2,571 unique titles were targeted for censorship in 2022, a 38% increase over the previous year. (Adobe Stock)

Amid Censorship Craze, Library Campaign Aims to Turn the Page

Public libraries are known for their quiet settings. But during National Library Week, staff leaders in Minnesota and elsewhere are being vocal about …

In the past two years, the federal government has adopted two major laws to provide states billions of dollars to beef up infrastructure, including clean energy. But there are strings attached, as states must provide matching funds to maximize available grants. (Adobe Stock)

MN Joins 'Matching-Funds Game' for Clean-Energy Projects

Minnesota has taken a big step in unlocking more funds from Congress to secure clean energy projects. The state was under pressure to come up with …

With Democratic majorities this session, supporters of updating the Minnesota state flag are hopeful the effort will clear all legislative hurdles. (Adobe Stock)

MN State Flag on Track for Redesign

In recent years, the Minnesota state flag has come under scrutiny for its depiction of Native Americans, and now, a Legislative proposal would set up …

Electric vehicles, which can carry a battery pack with up to 50,000 volts of electricity, can be a danger, both to passengers and first responders, in accidents. (Adobe Stock)

EV Accident Response Training Emerges for First Responders

The auto industry and public agencies are looking ahead to a bigger transition to electric vehicles, and it's not just adding more charging stations…

Leech Lake Tribal College, established in 1990, is one of three fully accredited Tribal Colleges and Universities in Minnesota. (Photo courtesy of Tribal College Journal)

MN Tribal Colleges: State Support Could Elevate Campuses

Tribal colleges not only teach students, they're also institutions that maintain Native American languages and cultural history. In Minnesota…

In the fallout from the 2020 presidential election, statehouses around the country have re-examined election laws. In Republican-led states, tighter rules have been adopted, but in Minnesota, which now has a Democratic majority, expanding voting access has been a priority. (Adobe Stock)

MN House Advances Sweeping Election Policy Bill

Voting-rights advocates say democracy in the United States has been tested in the past few years. In response, the Minnesota House has passed a bill …

According to state data, twice as many children in Minnesota died from gunshots than from cancer in 2020. (Adobe Stock)

MN Pediatricians, Coalition Demand Action on Gun-Violence Prevention

Recent mass shootings in Louisville and Nashville add to the list of tragedies that gun-safety advocates say should compel preventive action…

Leaders with the Minnesota Freedom Fund say the criminal-justice system relies on a predatory cash bail system, suggesting prosecutors are ignoring constitutional protections which say a person cannot be given bail deemed 'excessive.' (Adobe Stock)

Group Works to Disrupt the Business of Cash Bail in MN

By Sonali Kolhatkar for Yes!Magazine.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Minnesota News Connection reporting for the YES! Media-Public News Service …

Federal officials say cold-climate heat pumps can provide high-efficiency heating in freezing temperatures without producing greenhouse gas emissions. (Adobe Stock)

Science Moms Hope 'Cleanversations' Spur Climate Action from Families

April is Earth Month, and moms who work in scientific fields are trying to get the attention of parents in Minnesota and elsewhere - hoping they'll …

Cub Foods worker and United Food and Commercial Workers Local 663 member Kris Foslien is among the Minneapolis area employees that had planned to go on strike in hopes of securing higher wages. (Mike Moen/PNS)

Grocery Workers at Popular MN Chain Reach Deal After Strike Threat

UPDATE: This story from 4/6 has been updated to reflect that a last-minute agreement was reached, averting a strike. (08:15 a.m. CST, April 7…

President Joe Biden speaks to an audience gathered at the Cummins Inc. facility in the Minneapolis suburb of Fridley. He was there to tout his administration's policies that offer investments in manufacturing, infrastructure and clean-energy technology. (Mike Moen/PNS)

Biden Visits MN as Part of Manufacturing, Clean Energy Investments Tour

President Joe Biden was in Minnesota on Monday as part of a tour to highlight investments in infrastructure and manufacturing, including clean-energy …

Federal officials say over-the-counter availability of Naloxone could happen later this summer. (Adobe Stock)

Feds OK Over-the-Counter Sales of Overdose-Reversing Drug

States such as Minnesota continue to grapple with recent spikes in fatal overdoses tied to opioids. Now, a federal agency has taken what aid groups …

A 2021 Congressional report said tens of thousands of COVID-19 infections, as well as hundreds of worker deaths, were traced to meatpacking plants in the United States at the onset of the pandemic. (Adobe Stock)

MN Looks to Update Worker-Rights Law for Meatpacking Industry

The meat processing industry continues to face scrutiny over labor practices in states like Minnesota. Proposed legislation would update a 2007 law…

In 2021, 241,000 new apprentices entered the national apprenticeship system, but a new policy report says Black workers are still underrepresented. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Apprenticeship Programs Need to Improve for Black Workers

Labor leaders and various industries recently celebrated the 85th anniversary of a federal law that laid the groundwork for registered apprenticeship …

Smoking prevention groups said because there are thousands of flavored tobacco products on the market, teens are gravitating toward them and picking up health risks along the way. (Adobe Stock)

Proposed Flavored Tobacco Ban for MN Back on Table

Youth advocates continue to sound the alarm over the impact flavored tobacco products have on teenagers, and hope Minnesota lawmakers take another …

According to a Move Minnesota poll, 86% of respondents report driving as one of the main ways they get around, but nearly one in five drivers would prefer to travel by another mode. Advocates say expanding mass transit or walking options could help. (Adobe Stock)

Poll: Minnesotans Want Transportation Options Beyond Roads

A Minnesota bill could surface as early as this week, calling for a proposed tax increase to fund transportation needs. Advocates and local …

In 2021, the U.S. maternal mortality rate was 33%. That compares to 24% in 2020. (Adobe Stock)

U.S. Sees Major Spike in Pregnancy-Linked Deaths

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show another increase in the nation's maternal mortality rate, and a Minnesota expert …

Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil, or is present at or near the surface of the soil all year or for varying periods of time, including during the growing season, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (Adobe Stock)

MN Included in Wetland Restoration Funding

Funding priorities under the federal Inflation Reduction Act continue to roll out, including a new effort for Minnesota and some surrounding states …

Minnesota advocates have been pushing for tighter permit regulations in areas that have records of environmental injustice. With the governor's office promoting similar provisions, they hope to be successful this session. (Adobe Stock)

MN Could Include Environmental Justice in Deciding Industrial Projects

Racial disparities exist in Minnesota when it comes to asthma cases. Environmental-justice advocates said it is one example of pollution …

Since 2017, Lakes and Prairies Community Action Partnership in Minnesota has helped low-income clients train to become certified nursing assistants. (Adobe Stock)

Nursing Career Path Widens for Low-Income Minnesotans

Amid workforce issues within health care, the state of Minnesota is poised to soon roll out a nursing recruiting initiative. In the meantime…

Pictured are several of Minnesota's MATCHCOUNTS competitors for the current season. (Photo courtesy of program officials)

Beyond Hockey and Hoops, MN's Math-letes Compete in State Tourney

Minnesota's famed high school state hockey tournament is underway, and there is another statewide competition which does not involve a puck. Younger …

School social workers, who are trained mental health professionals, say working with younger students often allows more access to families as they try to help develop a more nurturing environment. (Adobe Stock)

MN Applies 'Trauma Layer' to Early-Childhood Intervention Work

This week is National School Social Work Week, and in Minnesota, there are efforts to enhance support for students and families in early-childhood …

Federal conservation programs are designed to help farmers implement practices that make their land more resilient to climate change, including improving soil health. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Still Room for Growth Under Ag Conservation Programs

There are longstanding federal programs that help farmers adopt climate-friendly practices in working their land. But a new report says despite some …

All the states that border Minnesota have approved laws that legalize sports betting. (Adobe Stock)

MN Sports-Betting Bill Advances

Another Minnesota House committee has endorsed a bill that would allow sports betting within the state, but there are calls to add some provisions as …

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