Peter Cox

6 days ago | mprnews.org | Peter Cox

The Minnesota Senate passed a bill Thursday that would establish a new spending oversight entity known as the Office of Inspector General. Backers of the bill, which passed on a lopsided vote, is to cut down on fraud in state spending. The bill is an outgrowth of the Feeding Our Future nutrition aid scandal that led to what prosecutors say was a $250 million siphoning of money away from food distribution into the pockets of people running a major scam.

1 week ago | mprnews.org | Peter Cox

Create an account or log in to save stories. Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories. The first big-name Republican contender has entered the 2026 governor’s race. Kendall Qualls filed campaign paperwork Thursday to begin raising money toward his second bid for Minnesota’s highest office. Qualls, 61, is a former business executive who has led conservative advocacy groups in recent years.

1 week ago | mprnews.org | Peter Cox |Regina Medina

The driver charged in a crash that killed two people and injured nine others at a St. Louis Park restaurant last year entered a guilty plea in Hennepin County District Court on Wednesday. At a hearing this morning, 56-year-old Steven Frane Bailey pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree murder and three counts of criminal vehicular operation causing great bodily harm. Under terms of a plea deal, Bailey will serve up to 30 years in prison.

2 weeks ago | mprnews.org | Peter Cox

A plan to revitalize the Xcel Energy Center complex in downtown St. Paul is being slimmed down in hopes of gaining traction at the Legislature. The narrowed request outlined Thursday would prioritize the hockey arena upgrades but put off renovations to adjacent convention and entertainment space. Earlier this year, the city of St. Paul and the Minnesota Wild came to state leaders with an ambitious plan to update the 25-year-old hockey arena, as well as the RiverCenter and Roy Wilkins Auditorium.

3 weeks ago | mprnews.org | Peter Cox

Minnesota's top lawyer sued President Donald Trump's administration on Tuesday over executive orders related to transgender people, ratcheting up a dispute over legal protections the state has put in place. Trump's directives seek to override policies like Minnesota’s laws that allow for broad participation of transgender youth in sports. The administration has threatened to withhold funding from schools or states that don't follow new federal restrictions enacted through presidential orders.