The Week at a Glance

COVID-19: Cases in Minnesota continue to climb week after week. Seven-day rolling average is 1876 cases per day. Positive test rate is 5.7%.
- 34.8% of Minnesotans have received at least one vaccine dose.
- Minnesota prisons struggle to keep COVID at bay as over 4,000 inmates have tested positive and 100 are still recovering from COVID-19, according to the Department of Corrections.
- The Minnesota State fairgrounds will be used as a mass vaccination site beginning on April 14.

The Trial of Derek Chauvin:
- Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo took the witness stand on Monday, testifying against former officer Derek Chauvin.
  - In Rare Testimony, Chief Says Chauvin ‘Should Have Stopped’ Pinning Floyd, by Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, Shaila Dewan and John Eligon of The New York Times
  - Minneapolis police chief: Derek Chauvin 'in no way' should've kept George Floyd pinned by the neck, by Paul Walsh, Chao Xiong and Rochelle Olson of Star Tribune
- The trial has had a ripple effect throughout the Twin Cities and across the state of Minnesota.
  - Chauvin’s trial leaves many Black viewers emotionally taxed, by Noreen Nasir and Corey Williams of Associated Press
  - After George Floyd’s death, Minnesota lawmakers grapple with demands for more police reforms, by Dana Ferguson of Forum News Service
  - A new Morning Consult/POLITICO poll finds that many voters are closely following the trial.

Last Weekend

Saturday, April 3: Three Minnesotans were unwittingly named as plaintiffs in lawsuits which challenged the results of the 2020 election. Susan Shogren Smith, the attorney who brought the lawsuits to court, cited “countless irregularities,” but offered no evidence to support the claims.
Sunday, April 4: Derek Chauvin trial: Emotional testimony marks first week as witnesses recount George Floyd’s arrest

Key Events, Court Rulings & Executive Branch Developments

Monday, April 5: Capacity increases for Metro Transit buses and trains went into effect on Monday. Masks are still required for passengers.
Monday, April 5: As federal money pours into Minnesota, the cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis are offering summer school to all public school students who wish to take part in summer education.
Tuesday, April 6: Over half of the Minnesota GOP’s online fundraising money went to Win Red, a Trump-backed online fundraising platform.
Tuesday, April 6: St. Cloud is facing a once-in-a-generation decline in its labor force as a result of the pandemic.
Wednesday, April 7: Minneapolis criminal defense attorney Lynne Torgerson is the second Republican to get into the race for the GOP nomination for Attorney General of Minnesota.
Thursday, April 8: via WCCO, Minnesota Ranks Among States With Most COVID Restrictions, Surrounded By States With Fewest
Thursday, April 8: By a 4-3 vote, The Saint Paul City Council denied a $57M housing development along the Green Line. Opponents expressed concerns about affordability; supporters note that the lot has been vacant for years and that the building didn’t require any variances or tax benefits.
Friday, April 9: via FOX 9, A second Minnesotan has been arrested in connection to the January 6th Capitol insurrection. “[Victoria] White is charged with entering in a restricted building, disorderly conduct in a restricted building, violent entry on Capitol grounds, demonstrating in a Capitol building, impeding law enforcement officers performing official duties and obstruction of justice.”

Update from the Minnesota Legislature

Monday, April 5: via Bill Salisbury of the Pioneer Press, MN lawmakers pressured to strengthen laws after overturned rape conviction
Tuesday, April 6: via Laurel Beager of International Falls Journal, “Minnesota House DFL leaders and legislators released tax, education, labor, and workforce budget bills today. The legislation includes significant ongoing investments in education, prioritizes economic assistance to those most impacted by COVID-19, and asks big corporations and the wealthiest to pay more in order to fund these needed investments.”
Tuesday, April 6: via Bernadette Heier of KEYC, The Minnesota House Capital Investment Committee learned more Tuesday about the proposed $17.8M contained in Gov. Tim Walz’s bonding request for the Minnesota Sex Offender Program in St. Peter.
Wednesday, April 7: Different election bills introduced by Democrats and Republicans at the Minnesota legislature capture the deep partisan divide around new voting legislation.
Thursday, April 8: Senator Mary Kiffmeyer (R-Big Lake), Chair of the State Government Committee, told members of her committee on Wednesday that she was putting a hold on the federal funding from the American Rescue Plan, indefinitely preventing the Walz Administration from using the money.
Thursday, April 8: via Tim Pugmire of MPR News, “The House DFL bill would raise more than $350 million over the next four years by raising the motor fuels tax by about 5 cents per gallon over that time. The increase would not come all at once, but rather in stages that would continue into the future. The automatic increases would come through indexing the tax to inflation.”
Thursday, April 8: via Walker Orenstein of MinnPost, House Democrats grapple with winding down Walz’s emergency powers
Friday, April 9: via press release, “Today, in the final hearing before rolling out the 2021 House Capital Investment Bill, the House Capital Investment Committee heard testimony on a series of bills focused on investing in equity-grounded projects throughout Minnesota.”
Friday, April 9: via Brian Bakst of MPR News, “A House public safety budget bill would usher in additional requirements around law enforcement training, misconduct reporting, handling of body camera footage and limitations in justified use of force.”
Friday, April 9: The House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee approved a $1.7 billion omnibus bill on Thursday by a party-line vote.

Congressional Delegation Update

Monday, April 5: via Hunter Woodall of Star Tribune, Senator Amy Klobuchar’s views on the Senate filibuster have shifted since she first arrived in Washington.
- Related: Democratic senator Tina Smith: 'I'd vote to get rid of the filibuster hook, line and sinker’ by Daniel Strauss of The Guardian
Tuesday, April 6: via Press & News, “Congressman Tom Emmer (MN-06) has introduced the Expanding Access to Inpatient Mental Health Act, which will eliminate an arbitrary cap on mental health services which has served as a barrier to individuals seeking treatment.”
Tuesday, April 6: via Deb Gau of the Marshall Independent, Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach doesn’t think spending is the solution to infrastructure improvements and economic recovery.
Wednesday, April 7: Congressman Pete Stauber and Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach participated in a panel on reopening the northern border between Minnesota and Canada.
Wednesday, April 7: via press release, “Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) sent a letter to the directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) demanding a status report on the progress of taxpayer-funded research on gun violence, as well as an estimate for when that research will yield actionable recommendations for policymakers.”
Thursday, April 8: via Jake Judd of KNSI News, “U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar was in St. Cloud Wednesday to tout recent pandemic relief for small businesses and restaurants. Senator Klobuchar was the author of the Restaurants Act included in the latest round of federal COVID-19 relief approved in January. Klobuchar says she has a particular love for restaurants because her first jobs were in restaurants.”
Friday, April 9: via Beret Leone of KTTC, “Minnesota DFL Sen. Tina Smith visited Rochester Thursday. She toured several local organizations, hearing how they've been impacted by the pandemic, how federal funding has helped and where they hope to go next.”
Friday, April 9: via press release, “Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) announced the reintroduction of the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (EICDA), bold legislation that would utilize market forces to combat climate change and incentivize the speedy transition to a clean energy economy. The bill earned 86 bipartisan co-sponsors in the previous Congress, and Rep. Phillips is an original co-sponsor.”