A bill that would have lowered Minnesota license tab fees to pre-2023 levels failed to advance in the House transportation committee. State Representative Steve Gander of East Grand Forks says the Legislature has to cut down on spending. Meanwhile, there’s another bill about license tabs being considered in St. Paul—this one would raise the fees.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced a supplemental budget plan Tuesday. Governor Walz said his supplemental is responsible, and tackles a number of affordability issues affecting Minnesotans statewide. Walz also shared more details on the budget which includes a cut to the tax rate. The Minnesota Legislature has until Monday, May 18 to pass legislation as…
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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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