Politics Friday Minnesota Public Radio

By this time next year, Minnesota might have quite a few new stores where people can buy marijuana in various forms. The goal is for an early 2025 rollout of licensed retail locations. 

But will there be enough supply to meet demand — and keep prices from rising too high? And what’s going on with the effort to clear records of people who had past marijuana convictions?

MPR News host Brian Bakst talked with a couple of experts about keeping tabs on expungement of certain prior cannabis-related records and the growing business of cannabis sales.

Then, a peer-led conversation with a three Generation Z voters about how they’re approaching the coming election.  

Later, a taste of sounds and voices from the Capitol and some insight from members of our MPR News politics team. 

Guests:  

Bryant Jones is a plant scientist and a subject matter expert in cannabis cultivation for Minnesota’s Cannabis Advisory Council.  

Jim Rowader is the executive director for the Cannabis Expungement Board Minnesota Department of Corrections and a board member of the Minnesota Justice Research Center.

Samia Abdulle is a student at the University of Minnesota.

Jack McGregor is a student at the University of Minnesota.

Thomas Knutson is a student at the University of Minnesota.

State lawmakers have budgeted to provide more than $23 billion to schools in the current budget — a 10 percent bump over the prior budget. 

But many districts say they’re still feeling a strain. How come? What is being done to improve literacy, student nutrition, school safety and cultural competency?

MPR News host Brian Bakst talked with two leading senators on education issues: DFL Sen. Mary Kunesh, chair of the Senate Education Finance Committee, and Republican Sen. Zach Duckworth.

Later, there could be movement around streamlining the permitting process for business expansion projects and clean energy developments. Minnesota Chamber of Commerce president Doug Loon talks about permitting changes under discussion and why he wants them to happen. 


Guests:  


Sen. Mary Kunesh, DFL-New Brighton, is the Chair of the Education Finance Committee.

Sen. Zach Duckworth, R-Lakeville.

Doug Loon is president and CEO of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.




Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS.   

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.    

What should Minnesota lawmakers' top priorities be in 2024?
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U.S. Representative Angie Craig won Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District seat in 2018, but she’s won two reelection races by single-digit percentage margins. She’s in for another costly and competitive race.

MPR News host Brian Bakst talks with Rep. Craig about her work in Congress and her upcoming campaign.

Later, rural EMS providers are banking on state lawmakers to help keep them afloat. Sen. Jordan Rasmusson, R-Fergus Falls, joins the conversation to talk about what lawmakers could do to assist emergency services under financial strain.


Guests:  


Minnesota U.S. Representative Angie Craig   

Minnesota State Sen. Jordan Rasmusson, R-Fergus Falls 




Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS.   

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.    

What should Minnesota lawmakers' top priorities be in 2024?
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Updated: 2:40 p.m.
Anti-trust cases, consumer protection actions, defense of newly passed state laws and ramped-up criminal prosecutions — it’s all on the plate of Minnesota’s attorney general.

MPR News host Brian Bakst talks with Attorney General Keith Ellison about proposed changes to Minnesota’s gun laws, an upcoming hearing on voting rights, online scams and more.

Later, we’ll meet a Republican vying for his party’s nomination in Minnesota’s most closely watched congressional race. Joe Teirab makes his case for why he should represent Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District.


Guests:  


Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison





Joe Teirab is a Republican candidate for Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District seat

What should Minnesota lawmakers' top priorities be in 2024?
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A space shuttle could be touching down — metaphorically — in St. Cloud. 

Gov. Tim Walz last week said a donor had inquired about placing a space shuttle in central Minnesota. Walz told MPR News’ Politics Friday about the offer but gave few details about the project.

“Someone wants to give us a space shuttle — the space shuttle, a real space shuttle — to move to Minnesota,” he said.

State Sen. Aric Putnam, DFL-St. Cloud, on social media, said the shuttle could be showcased next to a new children’s museum in downtown St. Cloud. The proposed site is currently a parking lot.


In an interview with MPR News, Putnam said Felicity-John Pederson, a graduate of St. Cloud’s Apollo High School and founder of a technology company called LVX System, owns the shuttle and is interested in bringing it to St. Cloud.

The full-scale mockup of a shuttle orbiter, known as Inspiration, is currently housed near the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, but needs to be moved.

“It was primarily for training,” Putnam said. “It’s the real thing. The toilets even flush. It just never went to space.”

Pederson said the shuttle was at the end of its life cycle and scheduled to be destroyed when his company acquired it for research it was doing with NASA. NASA wanted the shuttle donated for education, he said, possibly to St. Cloud, near the Mall of America in Bloomington or another location.

“The most likely seems to be St. Cloud, but that decision is not made,” Pederson said.


Cassie Miles, executive director of the Great River Children’s Museum, said Pederson is a strong supporter of the museum and efforts to boost the economy and quality of life in St. Cloud.

“We both believe that growth is ripe right now. We’re ready to make some big changes,” she said. “Why not have the effort to bring it here?”

But the logistics of moving a space shuttle are daunting. It would need to be disassembled, transported by truck or barge and reassembled using cranes, Miles said. Finding partners willing to help will be key, she said.

Putnam said he’s had conversations with people in several industries who might be able to help make it happen, including a local trucking company.

Miles said she’s had some preliminary conversations with St. Cloud city officials about the idea. But for the most part, she and others have intentionally kept quiet about the prospect, knowing it’s likely to be met with incredulity.


“It’s really hard to bring up something as grand as an orbiter being parked in St. Cloud, Minnesota, without people going, ‘What?’” she said. “It’s hard to wrap your head around.”

Miles and Putnam were both surprised that Gov. Walz mentioned the shuttle during Friday’s interview, but Putnam said he hopes the attention helps the effort.

“Maybe this is something that helps us make it real,” he said.

There are two months to go in the Minnesota Legislature’s 2024 session, meaning high-level negotiations aren’t that far off.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz released a package of budget revisions this week and continues to make the case for other items on his agenda.


MPR News host Brian Bakst sits down with Walz to talk about how he’s juggling priorities for the legislative session with demands from outside of the Capitol.

Later, Minnesota Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, joins the show to talk about the GOP agenda for the remainder of the session.

Guests:  


Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz   

Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson  




Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS.   

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.