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This week Margaret Vesel and Matthew Bergeron recap the Minnesota legislature‘s second special session and the ongoing negotiations over a capital investment bill, a tax bill, and a supplemental appropriations package. They also turn their attention towards the August 11 primary election and discuss a number of key races to watch.

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Margaret Vesel and Matthew Bergeron recap the Minnesota Legislature’s week-long June special session and preview the special session beginning on July 13, 2020. They discuss the ongoing negotiations over law enforcement reform, capital investment, and bonding and examine how the seemingly unrelated issues are interconnected when it comes to finding a “comprehensive deal”.

Continue Reading A Summer of Special Sessions: Is July’s Special Session the Last Chance for a Deal on Bonding, COVID-19 Relief & Police Reform?

Introducing our new CapWatch podcast series which is an extension of the Larkin Hoffman Podcast Briefing series. In this series, we discuss the end of Minnesota’s 2020 legislative session and the special session in June. The CapWatch podcasts cover the political dynamics at the Minnesota Capitol and give an overview of the policy and spending

On Tuesday, February 11, 2020, the Minnesota Legislature returned to the Capitol for the start of the 2020 legislative session. Having passed a biennial state budget in 2019, this year’s “short session” will run until May 18, 2020.  With the only politically divided state legislature in the nation and all 201 legislators on the ballot

Over the last year and a half, St. Paul civic and business leaders have frequently commented on a growing number of commercial vacancies along the Grand Avenue business district as a number of longtime restaurants and retail establishments have either closed or relocated.  The loss of high-profile businesses, particularly near Victoria Crossing, has led many

Politics can be loud. With all the national media and punditry focused on the 2020 presidential primary, it would be easy to miss the significant local races on the ballot this November. However, with economic markers pointing towards a potential slowdown or recession, having a strong understanding of the local political landscape is essential for

Stretching from the Cathedral of St. Paul to the Mississippi River, St. Paul’s Summit Avenue is one of the premier stretches of Victorian homes in the United States. Throughout the last four decades, the neighborhood has been the target of investment and restoration that has solidified Summit Avenue as an iconic part of Minnesota’s Capitol

As new housing options and a variety of transit oriented developments pop up throughout the Twin Cities, many communities are struggling to balance their desire for walkable neighborhoods and easy access to amenities with the increased density and population growth that usually comes as part of such development. A primary example of that back-and-forth struggle