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North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live is comprised of a weekly 30-minute magazine-style newscast and daily, five-minute headlines segments that shine a spotlight on the stories and perspectives of Minnesota’s diverse communities, including Black, Latine, Asian American, East African individuals, people living with disabilities, LGBTQIA2S+ residents, laborers, veterans, and those from Greater Minnesota.
YOU ARE LISTENING TO NORTH STAR STORIES: VOICES FROM WHERE WE LIVE, A DAILY NEWSCAST ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE IN MINNESOTA.
XAN HOLSTON: WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON. COMING UP... ROCHESTER HONORS THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF A LONGTIME LEADER OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY. AND ... LAST MINUTE ATTEMPTS TO CHANGE MINNESOTA’S VOTING LAWS...
BUT FIRST...
SEN. MATT KLEIN: I APPOLOGIZE TO MY COLLEAGUES.
XAN HOLSTON: AS MINNESOTA LAWMAKERS TAKE AIM AT ONLINE PREDICTION MARKETS … D-F-L SENATOR MATT KLEIN IS SAYING SORRY AFTER BETTING ON HIS OWN RACE.
SEN. MATT KLEIN: BY NOW YOU HAVE READ THAT I PLACED A $50 WAGER ON THE ELECTION IN WHICH I AM A CANDIDATE.
XAN HOLSTON: KLEIN BET HE WOULD WIN HIS PRIMARY LAST OCTOBER IN THE RACE FOR U-S REPRESENTATIVE ANGIE CRAIG’S SEAT … HE SAYS IT’S THE ONLY BET HE PLACED. KLEIN IS ALSO AN AUTHOR ON A BILL WOULD BAN SITES THAT LET USERS BET ON FUTURE EVENTS… FROM SPORTS TO THE WEATHER … AND ELECTIONS. THE BILL WOULD MAKE RUNNING A PREDICTION MARKET IN MINNESOTA A FELONY AND KEEP CONVICTED VIOLATORS OUT OF LAWFUL GAMBLING FOR TEN YEARS.
WHILE VOTING ON A BROAD ELECTION BILL THURSDAY … SENATE REPUBLICANS TRIED TO ADD THEIR “SAVE” … OR SAFEGUARD AMERICAN VOTER ELIGIBILITY ACT … A STATE VERSION OF PRESIDENT TRUMP’S FEDERAL “SAVE” ACT. IT WOULD REQUIRE PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP TO REGISTER TO VOTE … INCLUDING FOR SAME-DAY REGISTRATION … AND WOULD MAKE THOSE VOTERS’ BALLOTS PROVISIONAL UNTIL THEIR CITIZENSHIP WAS VERIFIED. THE 70-PAGE AMENDMENT NEVER WENT THROUGH COMMITTEE … AND DEMOCRATS SAY IT WOULD COST MONEY AND CREATE NEW HURDLES FOR ELIGIBLE VOTERS. REPUBLICAN SENATOR MICHAEL HOLMSTRUM … SAYS THE BILL WOULD HELP ROOT OUT FRAUD FROM MINNESOTA’S ELECTION SYSTEM.
SEN. HOLMSTRUM: THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT WILL BE DISENFRANCHISED BY THIS AMENDMENT ... ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO VOTE.
XAN HOLSTON: BUT DFL SENATOR BONNIE WESTLIN SAYS IT WOULD CREATE BIG BARRIERS FOR PEOPLE WHOSE CURRENT NAME DOESN’T MATCH THEIR BIRTH CERTIFICATE … INCLUDING MANY MARRIED WOMEN … AS WELL REJECTING CURRENTLY ACCEPTED FORMS OF I-D SOME VETERANS, STUDENTS, AND TRIBAL VOTERS USE.
SEN. WESTLIN: I WOULD CALL THIS THE SUPPRESSING AMERICANS FROM VOTING ACT, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT IT DOES.
XAN HOLSTON: THE ‘SAVE’ AMENDMENT FAILED ON A PARTY-LINE VOTE … AND THE LARGER ELECTIONS BILL NOW HEADS TO THE HOUSE.
LEGISLATION INSPIRED BY THE ATTACKS ON FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER MELISSA HORTMAN AND SENATOR JOHN HOFFMAN AND THEIR FAMILIES... PASSED THE MINNESOTA HOUSE WITH UNANIMOUS, BIPARTISAN SUPPORT. THE MAN WHO ATTACKED THE HORTMANS AND HOFFMANS WAS DRESSED IN A BLUE UNIFORM AND WEARING WHAT LOOKED LIKE A BADGE WHEN HE KNOCKED ON HOFFMAN’S FRONT DOORS. DFL REPRESENTATIVE KRISTIN BAHNER SPOKE BEFORE THE VOTE.
REP. KRISTIN BAHNER: WE KNOW THAT THE REASON THE HOFFMAN’S OPENED THAT DOOR IS BECAUSE THEY BELIEVED THAT PERSON WAS A POLICE OFFICER.
XAN HOLSTON: THE BILL MAKES IMPERSONATING LAW ENFORCEMENT A FELONY… CREATES HARSHER PENALTIES IF A FIREARM IS INVOLVED OR ANOTHER CRIME IS COMMITTED… AND REQUIRES OFFICERS TO CLEARLY IDENTIFY THEMSELVES. THE BILL NOW MOVES TO THE SENATE ... AND IS EXPECTED TO HEAD THE GOVERNOR’S DESK FOR HIS SIGNATURE.
FIRE DANGER IS QUICKLY BECOMING A MAJOR CONCERN ACROSS MINNESOTA. WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE CURRENTLY A PERFECT SETUP FOR FAST-MOVING GRASS FIRES. AMPERS MEMBER STATION KAXE’S LARISSA DONOVAN REPORTS ... THE STATE WILL PROSECUTE PEOPLE WHO VIOLATE THE BURN BANS.
LARISSA DONOVAN: AS RED FLAG WARNINGS CONTINUE FOR MUCH OF MINNESOTA WITH DRY FUELS AND WARM, WINDY AIR, FIRE PERSONNEL ACROSS NORTHERN MINNESOTA HAVE BEEN BUSY THIS WEEK RESPONDING TO GRASS FIRES. A ST. LOUIS COUNTY WOMAN IS FACING CHARGES OF NEGLIGENT BURNING FOLLOWING A GRASS FIRE THAT EXPANDED TO 10 ACRES TUESDAY. DEPUTIES, LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND THE MINNESOTA DNR RESPONDED TO THE REPORT JUST AFTER NOON TUESDAY. THE FIRE NORTH OF COTTON BURNED A FEW UNINHABITED OUTBUILDINGS BUT WAS CONTAINED A FEW HOURS LATER. ON MONDAY, RESPONDERS IN THE PARK RAPIDS AREA BATTLED A 10-ACRE GRASS FIRE THAT ESCAPED INTO THE WOODS — AS OF WEDNESDAY, THE FIRE WAS 100% CONTAINED. UNDER RED FLAG WARNINGS BURNING PERMITS FOR BRUSH PILES WILL NOT BE ISSUED. LARISSA DONOVAN, KAXE NEWS.
XAN HOLSTON: WHETHER FROM FIRE, SMOKE, OR SMOG … THE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION’S “STATE OF THE AIR” REPORT SAYS MINNESOTA’S AIR QUALITY IS A MIXED BAG. THE NEW REPORT GIVES LOW MARKS ACROSS THE METRO FOR SMOG AND PARTICLE POLLUTION … BUT NOTES CANADIAN WILDFIRE SMOKE IS CONTRBUTING TO LOW AIR QUALITY ACROSS THE MIDWEST. THERE’S GOOD NEWS UP NORTH … DULUTH-GRAND RAPIDS RANKED AMONG THE CLEANEST METRO AREAS IN THE COUNTRY FOR YEAR-ROUND AIR QUALITY … AND COOK COUNTY TIED FOR THE SECOND CLEANEST IN THE NATION.
ROCHESTER IS REMEMBERING JOYCE GIBBS… A TRAILBLAZER AND PILLAR OF THE CITY’S BLACK COMMUNITY. ROCHESTER’S CHAPTER OF THE NAACP ANNOUNCED HER PASSING ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22nd. JOYCE GIBBS AND HER FAMILY ARRIVED IN 1963 AS ONE OF ROCHESTER’S FIRST BLACK FAMILIES, FACING DISCRIMINATION IN HOUSING, EDUCATION, AND DAILY LIFE. SHE WAS A YOUTH MENTOR, EDUCATOR, AND COMMUNITY CONNECTOR... LEAVING BEHIND A LASTING LEGACY OF COURAGE, COMPASSION, AND COMMUNITY IN ROCHESTER. JOYCE GIBBS WAS 93 YEARS OLD.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
NORTH STAR STORIES IS PRODUCED BY AMPERS, DIVERSE RADIO FOR MINNESOTA'S COMMUNITIES WITH SUPPORT FROM THE MCKNIGHT FOUNDATION AND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA. ONLINE AT AMPERS DOT ORG.