Brian Bakst
Political Reporter at Minnesota Public Radio (St. Paul, MN)
"A top political reporter" at @mprnews (according to legal filings), formerly @ap.
Articles
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2 weeks ago |
mprnews.org | Brian Bakst |Matthew Alvarez
The Minnesota Legislature is hanging around a bit longer. The yearly work was supposed to end Monday, May 19 but lawmakers adjourned with unfinished business. Now, they’re gearing up for a special session. Most of the budget is unresolved and the final points of agreement are still not in hand. So when might this be done and is a government shutdown a possibility? Friday at noon, MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst speaks with Gov.
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3 weeks ago |
mprnews.org | Brian Bakst |Matthew Alvarez
The end of the Minnesota Legislature’s session was supposed to be right around the corner — Monday, May 19 — but just like the choppy start of this year’s session, the ending is proving to be difficult. Back in January, a politically tied House got off to a delayed start now. Now, the possibility of a special session looms over the Capitol.
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4 weeks 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.
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1 month 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.
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1 month 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.
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Sen. Tina Smith won’t seek reelection in 2026, putting Minnesota seat up for grabs #mnsen https://t.co/2ExnWEqgY9
Now what in Minnesota? Depends on Democratic ticket success and TIMING https://t.co/o1yPaeQ83r
It’s Walz https://t.co/sZctK25lPD
