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Capitol Report

163 episodes - English - Latest episode: 21 days ago - ★★★★★ - 1 rating

Join Shannon Loehrke for Capitol Report, a weekly public affairs program featuring Minnesota state policymakers' perspectives on pressing state issues and pending legislation.

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Episodes

The Budget Surplus, Sports Betting & More / Removing Education Mandates

March 08, 2024 17:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

The chair of the Senate Finance Committee is one of the most powerful positions in the Senate.  Any bill with a fiscal impact must get its final approval from the committee, and the chair ultimately decides which bills to consider.  Senator John Marty, DFL-Roseville, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, joins Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to talk about the budget surplus and proposals for a MinnesotaCare public option, universal health care, legalizing sports betting, and prohib...

February Budget Forecast / Breaking Barriers to Affordable Housing / Ensuring the Viability of EMS

March 01, 2024 18:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

Minnesota has a surplus of $3.7 billion for the current biennium, according to the just-released February Budget and Economic Forecast. Governor Tim Walz and legislative leaders respond to the report as they prepare to finalize supplemental spending proposals for the 2024 legislative session. During the 2023 legislative session, one billion dollars from the budget surplus was directed to housing initiatives.  Last week, a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers and advocates called a press confer...

The Role of School Resource Officers / Expanding the Crime of Doxing / Amending the Read Act

February 23, 2024 16:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

The 2023 legislature passed a law prohibiting school employees, including school resource officers (SROs), from using certain types of restraints on students. The law caused confusion among law enforcement and school officials, resulting in the removal of some SROs from schools.  Senator Bonnie Westlin, DFL-Plymouth, and Senator Zach Duckworth, R-Lakeville, are working to clarify the law. They join Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to talk about the SRO issue and other legislation the...

2024 Session Begins / Tax Fixes, Tax Policy & Artificial Intelligence / Legalizing Sports Betting

February 16, 2024 19:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

It was a sweet and bipartisan start to the 2024 legislative session, initiated by Governor Tim Walz sharing homemade apple blondies with lawmakers. After the gavel, Senate leaders offered hopeful sentiments for a cooperative session, followed by press events outlying their respective outlooks for the coming months. The Senate tax chair, one of the most powerful positions in the Senate, decides which proposals will come before the committee for consideration. Senator Ann Rest, DFL-New Hope, ...

Senate Republican Priorities / House DFL Priorities

February 02, 2024 17:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

Even-year legislative sessions are typically focused on supplemental spending, policy concerns and a bonding bill. Republican Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson and DFL House Majority Leader Jamie Long join Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to talk about some of the goals of their respective caucuses for the 2024 legislative session.  Also in the program, Representative Mike Freiberg, DFL-Golden Valley, and individuals with terminal diagnoses advocate for passage of the Minnesota En...

Investing in Minnesota's Infrastructure / Reflecting on a Changing Minnesota

January 26, 2024 16:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

One significant negotiation expected in the 2024 legislative session is the size and scope of a bonding bill to fund infrastructure around the state. In mid-January, Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan outlined their vision for a $982 million infrastructure package that prioritizes drinking water, community safety, maintenance of existing state facilities and housing. Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan joins Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to talk about the bond...

Protecting Minnesota's Waters / Mining in Minnesota

January 11, 2024 22:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

A tension exists between those who seek to protect Minnesota’s waters and those who seek to utilize the state’s mineral resources to create jobs and economic development. Senator Jenn McEwen, DFL-Duluth, is promoting legislation called “Prove It First,” which would require that certain standards be met before copper-sulfide mining permits can be issued.  Senator Robert Farnsworth, R-Hibbing, is the chief sponsor of a bill that would streamline the review and permitting process for metallic m...

Interpreting the Budget Forecast / Promoting Jobs and Economic Development

December 15, 2023 16:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

A budget surplus of $2.4 billion for the current fiscal biennium was recently announced as part of the November Budget and Economic Forecast. Erin Campbell, Commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget, joins Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to talk about the implications of the surplus and the possible warning signs on the horizon. The mission of the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is to empower the growth of the Minnesota economy for everyone. The agenc...

Analyzing Latest Economic Trends / Protecting Vulnerable Children

December 08, 2023 18:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

The November Budget and Economic Forecast, a financial snapshot prepared by Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB), projects a budget surplus of $2.4 billion dollars for the current fiscal biennium, which runs through June 2025. That number is $808 million more than was projected at the end of the 2023 legislative session. The report attributes the increase to stronger than expected consumer spending, business investment and employment. On this week's program, Dr. Laura Kalambokidis, State Ec...

Advocating for Tribal Issues / The End-of-Life Option Act

December 01, 2023 17:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

Senator Mary Kunesh, DFL-New Brighton, was recently elected to serve as the chair of the National Caucus of Native American State Legislators, a group that works to raise the profile of tribal issues in state legislatures and to improve public policy.  She joins Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to talk about the needs of indigenous people and to outline her priorities as the new leader of the caucus. The people of Oregon voted in 1994 to approve medical aid in dying, the first state...

Securing Public Data, Preparing for AI / The State of Minnesota's Agriculture

November 17, 2023 19:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

Advances in technology have dramatically changed how people live, and Minnesotans expect the highest level of efficiency and security from state government, whether renewing license tabs, buying a fishing license or applying for a state service. Tarek Tomes, Minnesota's Chief Information Officer and Commissioner of MNIT, joins Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to talk about the agency's efforts to protect data and the possibilities for Artificial Intelligence. Minnesota’s agricultura...

Providing Second Chances / Creating an EMS Task Force

November 10, 2023 17:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

Since 2014, Minnesota has had a petition-based system for people with low-level criminal convictions to have their records expunged. The Minnesota Clean Slate Act of 2023 will automate the expungement process, beginning January 1, 2025. The Senate’s chief author of the new law, Senator Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis, joins Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to explain the new efforts providing second chances. Burnout, stress and low wages are some of the challenges facing Minneso...

The State of Minnesota's Agriculture / Assisting the Elderly and Vulnerable

November 03, 2023 17:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

Minnesota’s agricultural production is valued at $21.3 billion, seventh in the United States, according to the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. Thom Petersen, Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture, joins Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to talk about the health of the state's agricultural economy, efforts to diversify the industry, the newly established grain indemnity fund and the importance of international trade relations. The 2024 legislative session convenes ...

Creating a Vision for Minnesota / Evaluating Changes in Education

October 13, 2023 18:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

Last May, in front of a crowd of DFL leaders, committee chairs and lawmakers, Governor Tim Walz held a One Minnesota Budget signing ceremony, signaling a major shift to progressive policies in the state. Governor Tim Walz joins Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to talk about the cost of raising kids, new state agencies, the attack on Israel, international trade and his plans for the 2024 legislative session. The budget approved during the 2023 legislative session included an E-12 edu...

Funding the Great Outdoors / Supporting Farm to School Food Programs

October 06, 2023 21:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

Sarah Strommen, Commissioner of Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources, called the legislature’s 2023 budget a “truly historic investment in natural resources and outdoor recreation.” She joins Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to talk about her agency's efforts, including the "Get our MORE" initiative, improved mechanisms for conservation and outdoor recreation and upgrades to state park services and infrastructure. President Harry S. Truman signed the National School Lunch Act...

Preparing for an Aging Population / Changing the Metropolitan Council

September 29, 2023 17:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

A result of the 2023 legislative session was the creation of a Task Force on Aging, to identify and develop state resources for an aging population.  Representative Ginny Klevorn, DFL-Plymouth, is the task force chair, and she joins Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to talk about the group's priorities. Minnesotan’s awareness of the Metropolitan Council has likely increased over the past few years due to the cost overruns and other problems with the Southwest Light Rail Transit proje...

Addressing Housing and Homelessness

September 21, 2023 22:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

A new apartment complex called Identity Dinkytown near the University of Minnesota has delayed opening, leaving the students who signed leases with limited housing options as the fall semester begins. Senator Lindsey Port, DFL-Burnsville, Chair of the Senate Housing and Homelessness Prevention Committee and Senator Eric Lucero, R-Saint Michael, Lead Republican of the committee, join Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to talk about the unfinished Dinkytown apartment complex, reforming l...

Changing the Metropolitan Council / Managing Driver’s License Backlogs

September 15, 2023 16:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

The 2023 legislative session provoked the formation a task force to study and evaluate options to reform and reconstitute the Metropolitan Council, a regional taxing authority, planning agency and provider of services like sewage, parks, and transportation in the Twin Cities. Senator Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, joins Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to talk about the task force, the latest with the Southwest Light Rail Transit project,...

Keeping School Resource Officers / Getting Back to School

September 08, 2023 17:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

Republican lawmakers, law enforcement officers and school officials have recently called on Governor Tim Walz to convene a special legislative session in order to repeal or amend a new law that prohibits school staff, including School Resource Officers, from using certain physical restraints on students. On this week's program, Senator Zach Duckworth, R-Lakeville, ranking member of the Senate Education Policy Committee, is leading the effort to change the law, and he joins Capitol Report mod...

Requiring Coverage for Infertility Treatment / Supporting Minnesota's Workers

July 28, 2023 18:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization that focuses on health policy, an estimated ten percent of people need fertility assistance to have a child.  Senator Erin Maye Quade, DFL-Apple Valley, is the sponsor of a bill that would require both private and public health plans include coverage for infertility treatments.  She joins Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to explain the rationale for the health plan mandate. The labor budget, approved by the legislat...

Building Minnesota's Economy / Prioritizing Clean Energy / The Supreme Court Chambers

June 30, 2023 17:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

On this week's Capitol Report program, Senate Jobs and Economic Development Chair Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis, describes the historic investments in programs to grow and diversify the state's workforce and strengthen Minnesota’s economy.  Senator Nick Frentz, Chair of the Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment and Climate Committee, also joins moderator Shannon Loehrke, to highlight the investments in climate resilience.  Further, Shannon talks with State Capitol Historian Brian Peas...

Highlighting Historic Infrastructure Investments and Tax Relief Measures

June 23, 2023 20:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

Governor Tim Walz and the Minnesota Legislature enacted historic measures during the 2023 legislative session. A $2.6 billion dollar package for upgrades to wastewater systems, local roads and bridges, state college and university assets and much more was enacted into law. The DFL-controlled legislature also took advantage of a projected $17.5 billion dollar state surplus to craft a tax relief package totaling $4 billion over the next four years. Senator Sandy Pappas, chair of the Senate Cap...

Funding for State and Local Government / Making it Easier to Vote

June 09, 2023 17:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

The next state budget for state and local government and elections offers one-time investments in cybersecurity, creates several commissions and task forces, provides salary increases for constitutional officers and agency heads and makes a number of changes to elections and voting. Senator Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, chair of the Senate State and Local Government and Veterans Committee, and Senator Jim Carlson, DFL-Eagan, chair of the Senate Elections Committee, talk with Capitol Report mode...

Evaluating the 2023 Legislative Session / Providing Environmental Stewardship / Legalizing Recreational Cannabis

June 02, 2023 17:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

Governor Tim Walz and DFL leaders hold a ceremonial bill signing celebrating the passage of a new two-year state budget. Plus, Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson joins Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to offer his perspective on the new budget. Representative Rick Hansen, Chair of the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee, called the committee’s budget bill “the most significant environment and climate bill in Minnesota history, both in terms of its investment and its r...

Banning PFAS Chemicals / Improving Refinery Worker Safety / End of Session Highlights

May 19, 2023 20:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

At least two bills sponsored by freshman Senator Judy Seeberger, DFL-Afton, have crossed the finish line. One will phase out the non-essential use of PFAS chemicals, and it is included in HF 2310, the omnibus environment, natural resources, climate, and energy finance and policy bill, which passed the Senate Thursday, May 18. Governor Tim Walz is expected to sign it in the coming days. The second improves worker safety at refineries. Senator Seeberger joins Capitol Report moderator Shannon L...

Expanding Access to Voting / Supporting and Honoring Veterans

May 12, 2023 20:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

Governor Tim Walz signed into law the "Democracy for the People Act," which proponents contend will improve access to voting.  The new law includes automatic voter registration, voter pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds and allows voters to receive absentee ballots automatically.  Senator Liz Boldon, DFL-Rochester, Senate sponsor of the measure, joins Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to provide details about the new law. Minnesota’s significant budget surplus has allowed lawma...

Investing in Transportation Infrastructure / Paid Family & Medical Leave / Senate Passes Cannabis and Tax Bills

May 05, 2023 18:00 - 31 minutes - 21.7 MB

The Senate and the House have formed a conference committee to reach a final agreement on a transportation budget package for the next two years. Senator Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, joins Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to talk about what it will take to meet Minnesota's transportation infrastructure needs. Tuesday, on a vote of 68-64, the House passed a measure to create a paid family and medical leave program. The Senate is expecte...

MN Safeguards Abortion, Gender-Affirming Care / Supporting Vulnerable People / Free College

April 28, 2023 16:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

Minnesota is now a Midwestern sanctuary for abortion services and gender-affirming care, according to new laws signed by Governor Tim Walz Thursday, April 26. The three bills, which narrowly passed the Senate days earlier,  ban conversion therapy, protect out-of-state patients and providers of abortion care and codify an executive order that safeguards people seeking gender-affirming care.  The Governor and legislative leaders agreed to devote $1.3 billion of the surplus to the budget area ...

Advancing Criminal Justice and Public Safety / Expanding Affordable Housing

April 21, 2023 17:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

The legislature is passing budget bills, with lengthy floor sessions occurring in both chambers.  After a lengthy debate Friday, April 14, and on a party-line vote, the Senate passed the Judiciary and Public Safety funding package.  Senator Ron Latz, DFL-St. Louis Park, chair of the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, joins Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to outline several of the initiatives funded by the omnibus budget package. One billion dollars of Minnesota's $17.5 b...

Repealing Abortion Laws / Lowering Prescription Drug Prices

March 31, 2023 17:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

In January, Governor Tim Walz signed into law the Protect Reproductive Options Act, also known as the PRO Act. The law codifies the Minnesota Supreme Court’s ruling that guarantees the right to the full spectrum of reproductive care in the state. But laws have been passed over the years that restrict reproductive options, and although those laws may not be currently enforced, Senator Erin Maye Quade, DFL-Apple Valley, would like to see those statutes repealed. She joins Capitol Report modera...

DFL Budget Targets / GOP Tax Plan / Lowering Gas Prices

March 24, 2023 16:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

The budget targets presented by Governor Tim Walz and DFL legislative leaders utilize the state’s $17.5 billion budget surplus to supplement spending in more than thirty budget areas, including $3 billion dollars earmarked for tax relief, aids and credits. Following details and highlights of the budget announcement, Senator Bill Weber, R-Luverne, ranking member of the Senate Tax Committee, joins Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to outline the GOP "Give It Back" tax relief proposal. ...

Legalizing Adult-use Cannabis / Online Driver Education

March 10, 2023 17:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

A bill that would legalize the recreational use of cannabis by adults, create a regulatory framework for cannabis products, expunge cannabis-related convictions is moving through both the House and the Senate.  Senator Lindsey Port, DFL-Burnsville, sponsors the bill in the Senate, and she joins Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to describe the proposal. A variance due to the pandemic that allowed driver education instruction to be offered online will expire in August.  Senator John J...

State Budget Forecast / Surplus Spending Proposals

March 03, 2023 20:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

State budget officials announced Monday, February 27, that Minnesota’s economic outlook appears to be stable. Despite the inclusion of inflationary calculations due to a new law, the state continues to have a projected $17.5 billion budget surplus, available to lawmakers as they craft the state’s next two-year budget. Jim Schowalter, Commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget, and Dr. Laura Kalambokidis, Minnesota's State Economist, join Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to provi...

Consumer Protection Proposals / Establishing Carjacking as a Crime

February 17, 2023 18:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

Senator Matt Klein,  DFL-Mendota Heights, is the new chair of the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee.  He joins Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to outline a handful of consumer protection bills, including banning conversion therapy, deterring catalytic converter theft and prohibiting excessive price increases on generic prescription drugs. Senator Warren Limmer, R-Maple Grove, ranking minority member and former chair of the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committe...

Renewable Energy Mandate Becomes Law / Paid Family and Medical Leave / Legalizing Sports Betting

February 10, 2023 18:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

A plan to create a Paid Family and Medical Leave program is progressing through both legislative bodies.  Senator Alice Mann, DFL-Edina, chief author of the Senate bill, joins Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to describe the proposed insurance plan.  Recent efforts to legalize sports betting in Minnesota have fallen short.  Senator Jeremy Miller, R-Winona, joins Shannon to talk about a new proposal that he believes could garner bipartisan support. Also in the program, highlights fr...

The '100 Percent by 2040' Energy Bill, New Reproductive Rights Law

February 03, 2023 19:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

A bill to update clean energy goals, including the benchmark of 100 percent carbon-free electricity production by 2040, passed the Senate on a party-line vote of 34-33 Thursday, February 2.  House File 7 now heads to the Governor's desk for his signature. The Senate sponsor of the measure, Senator Nick Frentz, DFL-North Mankato, and the Senate Energy Committee ranking minority member, Senator Andrew Mathews, R-Princeton, join Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to provide their perspect...

Governor's Budget Proposal / Improving Worker Safety / Establishing Earned Sick and Safe Time

January 27, 2023 20:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

Senator Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, is the chief author of a bill that aims to improve the working conditions of workers at Amazon warehouses in Minnesota.  Senator Sandy Pappas, DFL-St. Paul, is the chief author of a bill that would require that all workers have access to paid time off.  The lawmakers join Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to talk about their respective measures.  Also in the program, highlights from the Governor's budget proposal, including the response from Republi...

Protecting Reproductive Options / Aiding Unemployed Iron Ore Miners

January 20, 2023 18:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

Senate File 1, a bill intended to ensure a right to abortion and other reproductive care in the state, has been making its way through various Senate committees.  The author of the bill, Senator Jennifer McEwen, DFL-Duluth, joins Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to discuss the intent of her legislation. Freshman Senator Grant Hauschild, DFL-Hermantown, wasted no time moving legislation to help his Iron Range constituents. With strong bipartisan support, he successfully championed a ...

The 2023 Opening Day, A New Senate President, Introducing a New Senator

January 06, 2023 19:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

The 2022 midterm election resulted in the so-called trifecta in state government, with the DFL in control of the Governor's office, the House of Representatives and the Senate.  The makeup of the 2023 Senate is historic: Senator Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis, is the first person of color to be elected President of the Senate.  Also for the first time, women make up of the majority in the DFL caucus, and Black women are represented.  Newly-elected Senator Zaynab Mohamed, DFL-Minneapoli...

Explaining the Budget Surplus / Analyzing the State's Economy

December 09, 2022 17:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

State budget officials have released the latest budget and economic forecast, which shows a projected budget surplus of $17.6 billion.  The information will inform Governor Walz’s budget proposal, due in January, and will set the stage for the coming legislative session as lawmakers create a budget for the next two years.  On this week's program, Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Jim Schowalter and Dr. Laura Kalambokidis, Minnesota's State Economist, join moderator Shannon Loehrke...

Growing Minnesota's Economy, Reflecting on Public Service

December 02, 2022 15:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

The Governor's Council on Economic Expansion recently presented a series of recommendations to grow Minnesota's economy.  Called "Minnesota's Moment: A Roadmap for Equitable Economic Expansion," the plan outlines several recommendations in various policy areas, including enhancing childcare support, expanding the state's infrastructure--including broadband--improving educational and training opportunities, and reducing barriers to job creation.  Commissioner Steve Grove of the Department of ...

New Leadership in the Minnesota Senate

November 18, 2022 17:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

The results of the 2022 midterm election have changed the power dynamics of the Minnesota Senate. Senator Kari Dziedzic, DFL-Minneapolis, was selected by her Senate DFL colleagues as the next Majority Leader. In the role, she will navigate the caucus' priorities in setting the agenda for the entire Senate. Senator Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, will head the Senate Republican Caucus as the next Minority Leader. The new leaders join moderator Shannon Loehrke to talk about their new respons...

Reviewing the Election / Secular Government Caucus / Reflecting on an Expansive Senate Career

November 11, 2022 16:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

Governor Tim Walz, along with DFL legislators, will be in a strong position to secure their legislative agenda as a result of this year’s midterm election. Beginning in 2023, DFLers will hold a 34 to 33 majority in the Minnesota Senate and a 70 to 64 majority in the Minnesota House. On this week's program, DFL lawmakers talk with the media about the new DFL trifecta. In early October, before the 2022 election, twenty-four DFL members of the House and the Senate founded the Secular Governmen...

Professional Perspectives on the 2022 Midterm Election

October 07, 2022 16:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

Lawn signs, campaign ads and media coverage are telegraphing the midterm election, in which Minnesota voters will choose candidates to represent them in Congress and the offices of Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State and State Auditor.  The election will also determine who fills the 201 seats of the state legislature.  Dr. Larry Jacobs, founder and director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota, and Dr. Kathryn Pearson, Political Sci...

Political Party Chairs Preview Midterm Election / Medal of Honor Memorial

September 30, 2022 16:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

Senate Republican Party Chair David Hann and DFL Party Chair Ken Martin preview the upcoming midterm election, when voters will choose their next governor, other constitutional officers and state legislators. Plus, an old memorial on the Capitol grounds begins anew as a tribute to Minnesota’s Medal of Honor recipients.

Renewing the Focus on Energy Generation

September 23, 2022 16:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

Governor Tim Walz and members of the Climate Change Subcabinet recently announced a goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The ambitious target would build upon a 2007 statutory goal of a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2025. On this week's Capitol Report program, Senate Energy Chair David Senjem, R-Rochester, and Dr. Florian Knobloch, a member of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, offer a state and global perspective on realistic e...

Evaluating the Southwest LRT Project / Funding Transportation

September 16, 2022 17:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

In March, the Legislature passed a law instructing the Office of the Legislative Auditor to investigate the cost overruns and delays in the Southwest Light Rail transit project, a 14.5-mile light rail track that will connect downtown Minneapolis with the communities of Eden Prairie, Hopkins, Minnetonka and St. Louis Park.  Senator Scott Newman, R-Hutchinson, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, joins Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to discuss the findings of the report. In...

Election 2022 / Exempting Tax on Student Loan Forgiveness / State Fair Poll

September 09, 2022 16:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

Minnesota's 2022 November ballot includes choices for constitutional officers, eight congressional house seats and all 201 state legislative seats. This election, voters will be choosing legislative candidates in newly-drawn districts. Secretary of State Steve Simon joins moderator Shannon Loehrke to explain when and how Minnesotans can begin to cast their ballots. President Joe Biden recently announced a plan to forgive $10,000 - $20,000 in student loan debt to qualifying borrowers. At the...

Visiting with Lawmakers at the State Fair / Promise of Youth

September 02, 2022 15:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

Capitol Report host Shannon Loehrke heads to the Minnesota State Fair to talk with lawmakers about the Senate and House opinion polls, the role of Minnesotans in the legislative process and the best state fair foods. A seldom recognized statue on the State Capitol grounds is being refurbished and incorporated into a forthcoming memorial recognizing Medal of Honor recipients. Shannon talks with key officials about the significance of the Promise of Youth. Finally, State Capitol historian Br...

A Deeper Look into Minnesota's First Two Governors

August 25, 2022 21:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

On this week's program, Historian Brian Pease joins moderator Shannon Loehrke to provide a deep dive into Minnesota history, including an overview of the 39 governor’s portraits hanging in the Minnesota Capitol and a look into the lives and contributions of the state’s first two Governors – Henry Sibley and Alexander Ramsey.