Brian Bakst

6 days ago | mprnews.org | Brian Bakst |Matthew Alvarez

Almost 40 percent of the state budget goes to preschool through high school education – around $25 billion over two years. For school districts, state dollars make up most of what gets spent on classroom costs, from teacher salaries to specialists to materials. So it’s no surprise that the education budget bill is always one of the last to come together.

1 week ago | mprnews.org | Brian Bakst |Matthew Alvarez

This month marks two years since Minnesota lawmakers passed the bill to legalize marijuana use and possession for adults 21 and older. Commercial sales have taken a bit of time to get going. Outside of Minnesota tribal communities and the medical cannabis program, the retail space is still taking shape. The initial licenses around cultivation, transportation, distribution and sales could be issued soon. Even then, it will take time for everything to shake out.

2 weeks ago | mprnews.org | Brian Bakst |Matthew Alvarez

Gov. Tim Walz had his chance this week to assess the condition of Minnesota in a speech where he spent a lot of time focused on what the president is up to. Had November’s election ended differently, Peggy Flanagan would have been the one delivering the State of the State address at the Minnesota Capitol. Instead, the DFL lieutenant governor was seated beside Walz at this week’s speech. She’s running for the U.S. Senate in 2026. Flanagan has competition for the DFL nomination.

3 weeks ago | mprnews.org | Brian Bakst |Matthew Alvarez

The Minnesota House and Senate chambers and all the committee rooms have been quiet this week while the Legislature is on recess. The Capitol will be a busy place though as the dash-to-the-finish begins next week. That phase can be filled with strategy, hijinks and downright trickery. In one respect, it’s how the Capitol wound up in St. Paul in the first place.

1 month ago | mprnews.org | Brian Bakst |Matthew Alvarez

The Legislature’s spring recess is approaching and with about six weeks left in the session, many issues still unresolved. Housing is top of mind for many Minnesotans and lawmakers at the Capitol — whether to rewrite zoning standards statewide to encourage construction of more low-to-moderate cost housing. The issue has created some cross-party alliances, but the bills in front of lawmakers haven’t satisfied all who have a stake in the decisions.