Brian Bakst
@Stowydad
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"A top political reporter" at @mprnews (according to legal filings), formerly @ap .
St. Paul, Minn.
Joined September 2008
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Former Minn Gov Arne Carlson, a two-term Republican, says Dem Sen. Al Franken should rescind his planned resignation, pending Ethics probe. An excerpt of his commentary:
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NEW: 8th Circuit Court of Appeals rules in Minnesota's absentee ballot deadline case that absentee ballots must be in by 8pm on Election Day.
"There is no pandemic exception to the Constitution."
Court holds out possibility of counting later and says late ballots set aside.
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In first remarks since Wednesday,
@GovTimWalz
calls it "the most difficult week in Minnesota" in memory.
"What the world has witnessed since the killing of George Floyd on Monday has been a visceral pain, a community trying to understand who we are and where we go from here."
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BREAKING: Former Vice President Walter F. Mondale has died at age 93.
He died around 7:21 p.m. in his downtown Minneapolis residence, surrounded by family and holding a picture of his late wife, Joan Mondale, according to a family spokesperson.
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Census Bureau says Minnesota got the LAST seat.
We never take the last of anything!
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BREAKING:
@GovTimWalz
says Attorney General Keith Ellison will lead prosecution in
#GeorgeFloyd
case
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So members of Congress who travel hundreds of times per year are suddenly outraged by having to pass through metal detectors?
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.
@GovTimWalz
installs a Little Free Library in his office and is starting it out with books banned or restricted in other places. Latest example of his plunge into the culture clashes playing out across the country.
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JUST IN: Minnesota Supreme Court DISMISSES Trump/
#mnleg
GOP caucus challenge to late-arriving ballots.
A federal appeals court ruling requiring segregation of ballots for potential removal of counts still applies for ballots arriving after Nov 3, pending additional litigation
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Couple of developments in GOP lawsuit over Minnesota's now-certified election results:
-Retired Supreme Court Justice Christopher Dietzen named an acting justice for case (three justices are recused)
-DFL moved to intervene via filing by
@marceelias
-More filings are due today
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.
@LtGovFlanagan
says "I'm not going to perform for folks. I'm not going to feign sadness. I will not shed a tear over the loss of a statue that honored someone that by of his own admission sold nine and 10-year-old girls into sex slavery. So let us start there."
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JUST IN: A federal judge has put the
#mn02
election back on track for November, granting an injunction for
@AngieCraigMN
against enforcing a Minnesota state law that would have pushed race to February.
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"Tim Walz is the governor for four more years. Republicans, quite frankly, we didn't have a red wave. We had a blue wave." -
@drscottjensen
in concession remarks.
#mngov
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At a rally in the rotunda,
@GovTimWalz
says
#mnleg
is in the back half of its session. “Paid family and medical leave will get done and signed into law.”
“You might have noticed things are getting done around here.”
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My colleague
@timpugmire
signs off today after a great career.
He's as kind, dependable and fair as they come -- an even-keeled presence on a beat where people are often looking to stir up trouble.
He'll be missed by
@MPRnews
, its audience and likely by the Capitol community.
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Many years ago when I worked for
@AP
, I was asked to freshen the Walter Mondale obit first crafted by the legendary Walter Mears. (I had previously written Jane Mondale's).
I called Fritz Mondale to ask some questions and he knew right away: "You're working on my obit, huh?"
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MN Senate passes new gun restrictions on 34-33 vote.
House plans to take up the bill on Saturday and would go to
@govtimwalz
from there.
#mnleg
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The case was a 2-1 decision, with Judge Kelly arguing that plaintiffs failed to show they were entitled to relief.
"The court’s injunctive relief will cause voter confusion and undermine Minnesotans’ confidence in the election process," Kelly wrote.
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Apparently unpopular take: Every utterance by a certain Minnesota business owner is not newsworthy or even worth passing along despite the clicks/RTs it lands you.
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JUST IN:
@JimForMN
says he's calling
@keithellison
to formally concede a very close MN Attorney General race
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NEW:
@GovTimWalz
says Hennepin County Sheriff David Hutchinson should resign
@LtGovFlanagan
adds her voice to the cal. She’s a constituent.
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ALL 3 GUILTY Verdicts reached at 1:44 p.m., 1:45 p.m., 1:45 p.m.
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Minneapolis Mayor
@Jacob_Frey
says he won’t welcome President
@realDonaldTrump
to town in October and calls his actions “reprehensible”
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Mike Max is both informing me and raising my blood pressure.
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@NickRiccardi
The only proper response is to inundate you with dog pics. Dog Twitter, have at him.
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NEW: Minnesota will have a 5-day vaccination event for teacher/child care workers at Xcel Energy Center. School leaders learned on conference call this morning, sources tell
@ElizShockman
and I.
Asked about it,
@MDHCommMalcolm
told
@KerriMPR
that Walz will discuss details today.
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Just having your standard before-bedtime discussion with the kids about Minnesota’s sentencing guideline grid.
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Harrington says authorities have discovered premixed bottles of gasoline and oil that have been stashed and used to start fires in buildings.
There also have been stolen vehicles and weapons recovered.
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Former Minnesota Congressman Jim Ramstad has died. He was 74 and had been in failing health.
Served in Congress from 1991 to 2009. He served as an
#mnleg
state senator the decade before that.
He was known for his work on addiction/recovery/mental health issues and tax policy.
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UPDATE: Minnesota House repasses the bill to provide a no-charge school breakfast and lunch to all students each day. Vote was 71-54.
It's on its way to
@GovTimWalz
, who says he'll sign the bill soon after he receives it.
#mnleg
.
@govtimwalz
says he hopes to sign the universal school lunch/breakfast bill by Friday if
#mnleg
can get it to him. He mentions a March 17 deadline for getting a program in place for next school year.
House needs to have one more vote on bill, but it could happen today.
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Multiple people who have worked at or closely with
@mngop
have contacted me to stress how close Anton Lazzaro is with current Chair Carnahan and Rep. Hagedorn. They travel together, attend social events and he was among 50 or so guests at their wedding. (Photos confirm)
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Hey
#mnleg
/
#mnpolitics
followers:
@mprnews
is thrilled to announce the marvelous Dana Ferguson is joining our
@MPRpolitics
team.
She says she's excited to make the jump to radio starting Aug. 23.
(She was hoping to tell the world herself but a Twitter hack prevented it.)
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Secretary of State
@MNSteveSimon
hands out “I Will Vote” stickers to some of the first newly registered voters under the “restore the vote” law that gives formerly incarcerated people a quicker path back to the voting booth.
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Lake Elmo event site that hosted
@mnsrc
gathering has now been notified,
@paulgazelka
says in statement via text: “Based on your questioning, we realized we had not notified the event site. I just got off the phone with the owner and apologized for our oversight."
#mnleg
Still working to determine:
-if anyone was known to be ill prior to the gathering
-the number of positive tests among party attendees
-whether the venue was alerted to cases so they could take steps to test/quarantine staff
-if anyone at the gathering was at special session.
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NEW: There will be NO curfew for Minneapolis and St. Paul tonight after a week of nighttime movement restrictions in aftermath of
#GeorgeFloyd
death.
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.
@mnsrc
’s Leader Jeremy Miller concedes that
@SenateDFL
will have a
#mnleg
majority.
DFL will control both chambers and Gov’s office for first time since 2012-13.
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Ordering up a pre-Christmas blizzard for the ages to make sure people comply with your social gathering limits is
#allinthegameyo
,
@GovTimWalz
.
(Yes, this is intended with full sarcasm font.)
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UPDATE: On a party-line 34-33 vote, the Minnesota Senate passed an adult-use recreational marijuana bill.
It sets up negotiations with the House over a different version of a cannabis legalization and regulatory structure.
#mnleg
(photos
@benjovland
)
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Minnesota-raised and educated Jake Sullivan (Southwest High School in Minneapolis) is announced as
@JoeBiden
's National Security Adviser
#localangle
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Minneapolis has also sent first responders to Buffalo.
( Worth pointing out that there's a front-and-center debate in
#mnleg
about mutual aid financial reimbursement, centered on Minneapolis. )
There is an unspeakable depravity in doing harm to those who work to heal us. Those who have stepped up and risked their own health for ours.
Our first responders are on their way to the scene to help. Today Minneapolis stands with our neighbors in Buffalo.
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“Our current laws are doing more harm than good,”
@zackstephenson
says as he introduces an adult-use marijuana legalization bill that also includes an expungement process for past convictions.
#mnleg
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Live your life as though your funeral service will be nationally televised.
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Starting FRIDAY in Minnesota, bars/restaurants face new restrictions.
In-person service cutoff at 10 p.m.
No bar seating/counter service. Limits on standing bar games (darts, pool, etc).
Wedding reception/event caps phased in at 50 people on Nov. 27, then 25 after Dec. 11.
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State moves to revoke bail and place Chauvin in custody. Judge grants motion. Chauvin is handcuffed and led out.
#DerekChauvinTrial
#georgefloyd
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Minneapolis
#mnleg
delegation urges
@GovTimWalz
to transfer
#GeorgeFloyd
case prosecutions to
@AGEllison
. They write that they lack faith in Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, who filed first charges today. He is cc’d.
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Alibi has had its liquor license suspended for 60 days, says
@MnDPS_AGED
Alibi Drinkery, in Lakeville was standing-room only Wednesday afternoon after opening in defiance of Gov. Walz's COVID-19 restrictions on bars and restaurants. His address, which announced changes to those restrictions, was broadcast on TVs around the bar.
@StarTribune
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BRAG TIME: Secretary of State
@MNSteveSimon
says Minnesota's 79.96% turnout (the highest since 1956 when voting age was 21) will be tops in the country.
Shame voters couldn't get to 80% though.
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NEW: U.S. Supreme Court denied a petition by a Minnesota group that wanted to suspend a mask-use mandate as it relates to polling places. Justice Gorsuch denied petition without written comment.
State officials say voters who don't wear masks have options, including curbside.
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I’ve reached the playing-nine-holes-of-golf-with-your-daughter-is-absolutely-magical stage of life.
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Replies to the easing of restrictions in my timeline are fairly split between:
He's moving way too fast.
He's not moving fast enough.
Welcome to elected office during a global pandemic.
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.
@GovTimWalz
is signing an executive order this hour solidifying access to gender-affirming care as LGBTQ+ rights erode in other states.
Rep.
@leighfinke
says, “Minnesota is a place that will allow you to be who you are. … We’re queer forever here, cannot be replaced.”
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JUST IN: Minnesota Supreme Court dismisses GOP election contest that sought to halt certification of the 2020 election results. Court says "petitioners have the burden to show by a preponderance of the evidence that relief under section 204B.44 is required."
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.
@LouRaguse
is one of the nicest, hardest-working reporters in town, and just trying to do his job. Hope this doesn’t become the norm.
Came across this clip in
@FOX9
video from Monday's protest/rally outside Shady's Tavern in Albany, MN. This is
@LouRaguse
, a fellow Reporter & friend trying to cover the story. And getting *harassed* for wearing a mask. A judge will decide soon whether the bar can legally re-open
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Total Minnesota vote as of 5:30 a.m. is 3,215,123.
On a voting eligible population of 4,118,462, that would represent a 78% turnout.
That's the highest since 2008 when there were fewer votes and eligible voters.
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BIG: Minnesota Chief Justice Lorie S. Gildea is stepping down come Oct. 1.
She was appointed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty to lead the 7-member court.
It has 5 appointees of DFL governors and will have just one remaining Republican appointee who is nearing mandatory retirement age.
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Back in the day, the late great Jim Ragsdale, the now-retired Pat Sweeney and the failed-at-retirement
@bsalisbury
used to mark the last day of session with a bourbon on the Capitol steps. They invited youngsters like me to partake. Here’s to you, fellas. Especially Jim.
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"Just to be clear: No one thinks that this is easy. And no one thinks this is fair in how it's hitting. This virus is not fair." -
@GovTimWalz
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Sources:
@GovTimWalz
will issue a statewide mask order that requires them in indoor spaces (offices, stores, etc)
- Begins midnight Friday (effectively Saturday)
- Children 5 & under exempt
- Cities can adopt tougher rules
- Businesses must post notice, ensure compliance
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Ok, hear me out: This forced slowdown has caused our family and friends to actually slow down. I can’t remember a time we’ve spent so much quality time just ... talking, hanging out.
It’ll get old, we’ll get back to overscheduled lives, but we’ll have some cherished memories.
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NEW:
@GovTimWalz
says Minnesota Department of Human Rights is lodging a civil rights violation charge against the Minneapolis Police Department over the death of
#GeorgeFloyd
during a Memorial Day arrest.
It will lead to a state discrimination investigation of the department.
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VACCINE UPDATE:
@GovTimWalz
says next TWO priority groups now eligible for COVID vaccine starting Wednesday. State reached its goal of 70% of 65+ (anyone in that category remains eligible)
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The faithless elector in MN. His ballot declared invalid. An alternate elector is appointed.
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AHEAD: The Walz administration will announce today that Minnesota state employees will face a choice after Labor Day: Prove they’ve been vaccinated or submit to weekly COVID-19 testing to be back in the office.
The policy was communicated to union leaders in a morning call.
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Trump campaign threatens to sue over demand that it pre-pay for Target Center security, other Minneapolis rally costs. (estimate of $530k)
Campaign manager/law firm say court action could commence Tuesday.
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Tim Walz and Tim Pawlenty reuniting Tuesday for their
#covid19
boosters, according to
@GovTimWalz
office. Health Commissioner
@MDHCommMalcolm
will join them. All three got J&J in March.
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Sorry you feel that way,
@nathanmhansen
. These questions, which many are asking, should be easily answered and hopefully they will be soon.
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Pretty sure my youngest is going as a Super PAC for Halloween.
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I’m sorry candidates, can we redo the last 10 minutes? America totally got distracted by
#DebateFly
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I'm going to go out and enjoy the beautiful weather this evening.
You all have fun fighting in my mentions.
Feel free to delete me from your back-and-forth debates where none of you will convince the other to see it your way.
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Minnesota Attorney General
@AGEllison
says "I would not call today's verdict justice, however, because justice implies true restoration. But it is accountability, which is the first step toward justice. Now the cause of justice is in your hands. I mean the hands of the people."
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Shortest State of the State I've covered (been on the beat since 1999). About 12 minutes.
Most singular messaged speech I've heard. All about the coronavirus fight.
And the only one I've covered in shorts, t-shirt, hat and unshaven face.
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