Author: Minnesota Reformer

Despite strong support, Minnesota’s ambitious child care subsidy program faces underfunding, leaving middle-class families grappling with high costs.

Minnesota’s bill to share police misconduct data aimed for better Brady compliance was pulled due to a lack of consensus among stakeholders.

A bill allowing school officers to use prone restraints, signed by Gov. Walz, amends a 2023 law amidst significant debate and concern for student safety.

DFL lawmakers propose a $500 million child care subsidy program to alleviate Minnesota parents’ burden, aiming to lower costs significantly.

State DFL lawmakers propose the Great Start Affordability Scholarship to aid child care costs, balancing family needs with budgetary constraints amid a shrinking surplus.

Minnesota lawmakers propose altering a law limiting school police’s use of force, sparking debate and opposition from various groups.

Local transit agencies are adopting Uber and Lyft-like microtransit services to better serve riders, with increasing demand and post-pandemic recovery.

State Sen. Kelly Morrison (DFL-45, Deephaven) formally launched her campaign for Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District Sunday evening during an event featuring former two-term Gov. Mark Dayton. Morrison, a practicing OB-GYN, is running for U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips’ seat. Phillips is in the middle of his longshot campaign for president, and last month he announced he would not seek reelection for a fourth term in 2024. Former Minneapolis city official Ron Harris is also running for the Democratic nomination in the 3rd District. Morrison told a crowd of supporters at a Minnetonka brewery that she’s running for Congress to expand progress that Minnesota…

A contingent of DFL lawmakers plan to introduce legislation next year capping child care costs at 7% of household income for all families making less than 150% of the state median income. For example, a family of four making less than $176,000 per year would spend no more than $12,320 on child care in a year. Minnesota has some of the highest child care costs in the country — families currently spend around 20% of their income on child care. The average cost of infant child care in Minnesota is more than $16,000 per year. The program would build on existing child care subsidies,…

Gov. Tim Walz issued the first veto of his entire tenure on Thursday, striking down a bill that would have set minimum pay rates for Uber and Lyft drivers and provide them greater protection against being fired. Walz’s office announced the veto hours after Uber said it would pull out of greater Minnesota and only provide “premium services” in the Twin Cities metropolitan area if the governor signed the bill into law. In the same email announcing the veto, the governor said he issued an executive order to convene a working group — including drivers, riders, and transportation network companies — to make…