ADA, MN—Ada-Borup-West and Win-E-Mac School Superintendent Aaron Cook visited state lawmakers Tuesday at the Capitol in St. Paul. Cook talks about the trip. Cook was asked if his group got a heads-up on what Governor Tim Walz’s education budget would be. There will be more about Wednesday’s Ada-Borup-West School Board meeting Thursday morning at 9…
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The Minnesota Legislative Session continues to move along, and area legislators are hard at work trying to pass legislation. One of these legislatures is Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, who says there’s a lot of work to be done, in a short time period. Minnesota’s fraud issues have made national headlines as of late, and…
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ST. PAUL, MN—During a conversation with R&J News last week, Minnesota State Representative Steve Gander said arguably the biggest issue in the Legislature right now is fraud. The East Grand Forks Republican says creating an Office of Inspector General would be a great help. Gander says another priority is to stop fraud before it starts.…
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Fraud is expected to be one of the biggest issues for both the DFL and GOP in the Minnesota Legislature this year, and House Democrats have officially announced their package to address this ongoing issue. House DFL Leader Zack Stephenson says House Democrats are committed to holding fraudsters accountable, which he thinks this package does. …
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With the Minnesota Legislature now back together in St.Paul, lawmakers have been introducing bills and looking over others. Recently, Governor Tim Walz proposed a $10 million relief package for small businesses affected by immigration enforcement. State Representative Steve Gander of East Grand Forks says he doesn’t see that proposal going anywhere. Representative Gander will talk…
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ST. PAUL, MN—Minnesota’s 2026 Legislative Session gets under way Tuesday. Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson of East Grand Forks tells us about this year’s priorities. A year ago, the Minnesota Senate passed a bill that would add an office of inspector general. The House version of that bill did not pass. Johnson was asked if…
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If you live in Norman, Clay or Polk County, there’s a chance that you will be receiving a mailer from the West Central Regional Water District over the coming weeks. West Central Regional Water District Chair Lucas Spaeth tells us more about this mailer, and what it’s for. Spaeth says they are also sending out…
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The Minnesota Senate Capital Investment Committee visited Halstad, Crookston, Moorhead and East Grand Forks this week to tour potential projects that could be included in a 2026 bonding bill. One place that wasn’t on the committee’s agenda was Mahnomen—which has been trying for years to get state funding for improvements to the city’s hospital. R&J…
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Yesterday, Minnesota Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson of East Grand Forks spoke to R&J News about the possibility of a special session in the State Legislature. Voters might wonder what would happen if no bill would advance in the Legislature. Senator Johnson had this to say. Governor Tim Walz has dropped hints about calling a…
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The Minnesota State Legislature is in recess until next year, but it’s never too early to look ahead, and project what might be in store. One of the people who have started looking ahead is Senator Jordan Rasmusson (R-Fergus Falls), who goes over some things that may be priorities in 2026. As for Rasmusson, he…
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