In an era that is plagued by terrorism, cyber warfare, and the constant the threat of nuclear confrontation, the political world continues to fail to discuss at length one of gravest threats the nation and the state of Minnesota face: an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack that shuts down the power grid. An electromagnetic pulse is a short burst of electromagnetic energy that is able to effectively shut down power grids of varying sizes. Emprimus, a Minnesota company is acting to harden the nation’s power grid and protect citizens from a terrifying EMP attack.

In order to lessen the threat of  EMP attacks, public-private partnerships will be needed. One local company that is on the cutting edge of developing technology to prevent EMP the consequences of EMP attacks, is the Minneapolis based Emprimus. Established in 1984, Emprimus does research and develops products that protect critical military and non-military electronic systems.

According to US  News, “little has been done to take the necessary steps to protect our infrastructures, thus our vulnerability [to be attacked] only continues to increase.”  Why are EMP attacks so dangerous one may wonder? Due to the fact that we live in digitized modern society, virtually everything is operated by electricity, and therefore is susceptible the consequences of a failing power grid. Water supplies, refrigeration, modern medical procedures, government services, and modern methods of communication (cell phones, e-mail, etc.) are just some of the many things that would be decimated by the faltering of the nation’s power grid.

Peter Pry, Executive Director of the bi-partisan congressional group, EMP Task Force  says it would take the nation only $2 billion dollars to harden and protect our electric grid, but notes that if the nation fails to do so and falls victim to an EMP attack, 9 out of 10 people would die due to starvation, disease, and societal collapse.  To put this in perspective, 2 billion  is how much the U.S. gives in foreign aid to Pakistan per year, and Pry thinks we should halt that foreign aid: “If we suspended that for one year and put it toward hardening the electrical grid, we could protect the American people from this threat.”

Gale Nordling, President and CEO of Emprimus, believes that his company’s job is not only researching and developing products to prevent the consequences of an EMP attack, but also to educate the public on this increasingly pertinent issue. The devices that Emprimus helps to develop retail for roughly $500,000, but Nordling notes that this is only a small fraction of what electric transformers that power the grid cost. Most fascinating of the devices Emprimus develops is an Inferential Detector, which is able to “Detect a wide range of radio frequency threat intensities [used in EMP attacks], ranging from nuisance levels to those that damage electronics and cause data integrity issues.” Detection is a key component of keeping the grid safe.

Emprimus is proving itself to be on the cutting edge of preventing the consequneces of EMP attacks, and will remain instrumental in securing the power grid.  Subscribe to Alpha News to learn more about how private companies are making a difference in Minnesota.

The post MN Company Seeking to Protect Power Grid From Grave Threats appeared first on Alpha News.

Politicians in St. Paul may have a lightened week ahead, but members of both the House and Senate face some tough decisions in the Minnesota Legislature.

The REAL ID Act will be making its way through The Civil Law and Data Practices Committee at 9a.m. on Monday, April 25, 2016. The act was enacted in 2005 in the post 9/11 era where the Federal Government was trying to tighten security in the Country. As reported by Alpha News, Minnesota is one of four States who have not complied with the Federal Regulation. As it stands, current Minnesota Driver’s License do not meet Federal regulations. It could pose a problem as the REAL ID’s will be required to travel. Governor Dayton was granted an extension until 2018 to get the program underway in Minnesota. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Smith (R-Maple Grove), will be discussed in room 10 of the State Office Building to go over changes in fees, identification requirements, rule-making requirements, and reports to the legislature.

Senators will be locked and loaded as they prepare to take on an important topic in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, April 26, 2016. Sen. Latz (D- St. Louis Park) will be taking aim at gun owners across the State as he introduces legislation for criminal background checks and for restrictions on gun ownership.

S.F. 2493 will require criminal background checks for the transfer of gun ownership. The law will enact penalties for those who complete the transfer without background checks. A first conviction will be charged with a gross misdemeanor. A second conviction is more substantial as an individual may be found guilty of a felony, can me imprisoned for up to two years, and can also be subject to a fine of up to $5,000.

Exclusions apply in cases of historical collections, repair, between licensed dealers, a loan between law enforcement, and between hunters (for a period of 12 hours).

The law sets out specific instruction on how and to whom guns may be transferred.

S.F. 2980 is introduced as a voluntary database and gun violence protectant orders. One section of the bill will create a database of individuals who voluntarily admit that they wish to be denied a gun permit and want to be denied the option of purchasing a gun. The database will be run by the Commissioner of Human Services. Local law enforcement agencies will have access to the database, but only on an individual request. The bill also lays out the duties of the Commissioner in running the database, duties of law enforcement in a voluntary gun transfer.

Gun Violence Protective Orders allows individuals to petition the Court to ban another individual from having a gun for a determined period of time. The individual that is filing the petition must prove that an individual poses a danger to themselves or others. The order can be issued for having a history of making threats to having an arrest record. If a person is issued a gun violence protective order, they have 24 hours to transfer their guns to a licensed dealer or law enforcement.

If an individual is caught lying to the Court when petitioning for the order, they will be charged with a misdemeanor. If a person violates the order, they will be charged with a misdemeanor and will not be allowed to own a gun for five years.

The Senate Sergeant of Arms will be at the door handing out tickets before 8:30 a.m. as seats will be limited.

Subscribe to Alpha News as we continue to keep you informed on happenings at the State Legislature.

The post REAL ID and More Gun Regulation Are on the Table This Week at the Capitol appeared first on Alpha News.

As committee omnibus budgets continue to make their way to the floor for votes, the legislative session continues to become more and more controversial. On Wednesday, April 29th the Minnesota House of Representatives passed its jobs, economic development, housing, environment and agriculture supplemental omnibus bill (HF 3931) with the help of some DFL Representatives.  

This supplemental omnibus bill has left some Democrats feeling dissatisfied.  Rep. Rick Hansen (South St. Paul), DFL-Lead on the Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Finance Committee, released a press release condemning the passage of the bill: “The entire House Republican jobs, economic development, housing, environment and agriculture bill is a major disappointment to Minnesota, and the Environment portion is abysmal.”

Hansen argues that Republicans failed to address the Emerald Ash Borer issue that plagues the state, “refused to accept an amendment that would provide requirements of reporting toxic chemicals in children’s products,” and “irresponsibly” took control of setting the water levels on state lakes.

DFL Rep. Tim Mahoney voiced his contempt for the jobs portion of the bill in a press release, asserting, “Despite having a $900 million budget surplus, the bill shifts and cuts funding from vital areas and only invests $13 million in our state, leaving the majority of the surplus for tax cuts.” Mahoney went on to argue “House Republicans have ignored workers and economic development,” to  appease to the state’s wealthiest individuals “who finance their [Republicans’] elections.”

House Republicans offer a starkly different view of the passage of the bill. GOP Rep. Pat Garofalo, Chair of the Job Growth and Energy Affordability Policy and Finance Committee, asserted in a press release, “This bill reduces corporate subsidies, promotes economic development throughout our state, and creates new opportunities for those individuals who are being left behind in the Obama economy.”

Rep. Denny McNamara, R-Hastings, Chairman of the Minnesota House Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Finance Committee notes that the Republicans did compromise: “We’ve fully funded Governor Dayton’s request to prepare the State of Minnesota for potential lawsuits regarding PolyMet, and we’ve also provided supplemental funding for state parks.”

The bill passed 72-54 by the House of Representatives will now be considered by the Senate. The Senate is expected to pass one budget bill, that will be supplement to the budget passed in 2015.

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It is a light week for legislators at the Capitol. Both the House and Senate are in session this Monday. There are a few key bills making its way through the legislature the first week of May:

The Committee on Finance is meeting in room 1200 of the Minnesota Senate Building at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 3rd, 2016. Senator Ann Rest (D-New Hope) is seeking to change the way that Minnesotan’s vote for their presidential nominee. The Presidential Primary Establishment bill seeks to convert Minnesota from a caucus state to a primary state. The issue, which has caused division within the GOP and DFL respectively, has hit a new level after the March 1st caucus. After the GOP had a record-breaking turnout and the DFL with similar results, many volunteers and activists within the parties are calling for a change in the system.

If passed, the primary would operate just like the state primary with separate ballots for each party. Voters must identify with the party they choose to vote for and their choice becomes a matter of public voter information. Caucuses will have to meet at a later date as voting results will bind delegates according to their party. The Secretary of State’s office will have to reimburse voting center expenses for conducting the primary and a one-time allocation of $111,000 will be given to the Secretary of State’s office for computer programming costs.

Senator LeRoy Stumpf (D-Plummer) will be presenting the U of M bond issue and appropriation for various University projects and opportunities on Tuesday in the Finance Committee
hearing. The bill seeks $100,000,000 be sent to the Board of Regents for higher education asset preservation and replacement. The bill will allow the sale of bonds up to $100,000,000.

Senator Sandra Pappas (D-St.Paul) will also present the Fantasy Sports Game Requirements and Authorizations bill to the Finance Committee on Tuesday. The bill will require that individuals and relatives of those who work for fantasy game companies that require an entry fee with a cash prize be banned from participating. The site must verify that contestants are over 18 years of age.  The passage of the bill prevents fantasy sports betting from being banned in Minnesota.

The bill, should it pass, will also require measures to prevent gambling addiction. The fantasy site will have to include a public service announcement about gambling addictions and compulsive behavior and list resources on where to get help. The site will also have to create a service to customers that allow players to ban themselves from playing at any time via phone, web, or online chat.

Subscribe to Alpha News as we continue to track happenings at the Minnesota State Capitol.

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One of the most talked about issues the legislature has sought to address in the 2016 legislative session is lack of rural access to high speed broadband.  A fight over the amount of funding to be appropriated to address rural broadband access has recently heated up at the state’s capitol in the House of Representatives. The House of Representatives passed an omnibus finance bill that includes rural broadband funding on April 27, by a 72-54 margin.

The money appropriated in the omnibus bill passed by the republican-controlled House of Representatives appropriates $15 million in Fiscal Year 2017 and $25 million in Fiscal Year 2018 for the Border-to-Border broadband program. The state’s DFL-controlled senate requested $85 million, and Governor Dayton requested $100 million to be spent on rural broadband funding.

The $40 million appropriated over the course of the next two years falls drastically short of what DFL members wanted, and has many members expressing their frustration. DFL Representative Erik Simonson says that “Communities are begging for better broadband, and we’ve done virtually nothing,” referring to the House’s decision not to appropriate more funds from the $900 million budget surplus.

Alpha News has explored how lack of access to broadband in rural areas is stagnating economic development.  The map below depicts broadband access across the state. Unserved areas dominate the state’s landscape.

The map depicts that outside of St. Cloud, the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro, Duluth, and parts of western Minnesota, much of the state remains unserved or underserved by broadband.  The Center for Rural Strategies argues that broadband “is not a luxury, but a necessity” in today’s day and age. It also asserts that broadband access “becomes crucial in economics, education, and civic life, communities that are left behind pay a higher price for their lack of access.”

Rural GOP Representative Ron Kresha (Little Falls) argues that the broadband component of the omnibus budget is a “historic moment” for rural broadband.

The Senate is expected to consider this bill later this week. Obtaining a compromise when there remains at least a $45 million difference in preferred appropriation will be a tough gap to bridge. Subscribe to Alpha News to get breaking information pertaining to rural broadband funding and state omnibus budgets.

The post Disagreements on Broadband Funding Remain appeared first on Alpha News.

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) recently awarded $17.87 million dollars to over 30 small cities dispersed throughout the state via their Small Cities Development Project Initiative.  According to a DEED press release, cities and townships with under 50,000 people and counties with under 200,000 people are eligible to apply for grants to complete projects with the goal of “improving communities.”  Once cities have been chosen to receive a grant, they have 30 months to complete their project.

Communities applying for the Small Cities Development Project grants must meet one of the following goals: benefit low to middle income peoples, improve slum or blighted conditions, or eradicate a threat to public health or safety.

Below is the list of the approved projects to be undertaken (list taken directly from the Deed Press Release):

• Adrian, $418,400, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation
• Albert Lea, $526,700, mixed-used rental housing rehabilitation and commercial building rehabilitation
• Barnesville, $937,725, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation and commercial building rehabilitation
• Baudette, $324,300, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation
• Blackduck, $888,750, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation and construction of sewer and water lines
• Brainerd, $650,105, multi-family rental housing rehabilitation and commercial rehabilitation
• Clinton, $733,125, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation and commercial building rehabilitation in the cities of Clinton, Graceville and Beardsley
• Crookston, $600,875, duplex rental housing rehabilitation, multi-family rental housing rehabilitation and commercial building rehabilitation
• Eagle Bend, $856,100, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation, streetscape improvements and commercial rehabilitation
• Fairfax, $618,700, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation and commercial rehabilitation
• Fairmont, $305,250, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation
• Fulda, $425,500, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation
• Ghent, $1.03 million, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation in the cities of Ghent and Echo and construction of wastewater lines in Echo
• Henning, $802,560, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation, single-family rental housing rehabilitation, multi-family rental housing rehabilitation and commercial rehabilitation
• Hill City, $479,550, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation and single-family rental housing rehabilitation
• Howard Lake, $498,000, commercial building rehabilitation and rehabilitation of a community facility
• Kasota, $345,000, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation
• Lakefield, $846,560, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation, mixed-use rental housing rehabilitation and commercial rehabilitation
• Lancaster, $572,125, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation, multi-family rental housing rehabilitation and commercial rehabilitation
• Le Roy, $534,420, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation and commercial rehabilitation
• Le Sueur, $462,840, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation, single-family rental housing rehabilitation, duplex rental housing rehabilitation and multi-family rental housing rehabilitation
• Lewiston, $434,138, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation and multi-family rental housing rehabilitation
• Osakis, $532,250, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation and commercial rehabilitation
• Preston, $615,600, single-family rental housing rehabilitation, duplex rental housing rehabilitation, multi-family rental housing rehabilitation and commercial rehabilitation
• Rush City, $342,000, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation, single-family rental housing rehabilitation and commercial rehabilitation
• Springfield, $463,050, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation
• Thief River Falls, $556,600, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation
• Warba, $680,520, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation in the cities of Warba and Zemple and rehabilitation of a community center in Warba
• Wendell, $182,000, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation
• Windom, $600,000, multi-family rental housing rehabilitation
• Cook County, $226,800, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation in Lutsen
• Lake County, $384,475, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation and commercial rehabilitation in the city of Finland

According to DEED Commissioner Shawntera Hardy, this funding will “enable cities from Adrian to Windom to improve their housing options, rehabilitate commercial buildings and update infrastructure,” adding “The Small Cities Development Program is helping to build healthy and thriving communities throughout Minnesota.”

To learn more about publicly funded projects in rural small communities across the state, subscribe to Alpha News.

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Governor Dayton (DFL) along with Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith (DFL) announced two new proposals for transportation funding.

In the past few weeks the House, Senate, and the Governor’s administration have been going back and forth trying to find an amicable solution for funding a transportation bill. With a week left in the session, House Speaker Kurt Daudt (R- Crown), Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk (DFL- Cook), and Governor Dayton have agreed that the bill should provide $600M for transportation projects every year.

Option one would call for $100M to be attributed from the general fund in 2017, with $200M being attributed to transportation for the nine years afterwards. There would be a price increase in vehicle tabs. This would be the first time that vehicle tab prices have risen since Governor Jesse Ventura (I) took office in 1999, when he capped vehicle tab renewal prices at $75. There would also be a 0.5 cent increase in the metro area sales tax for transit. Governor Dayton stated that while raising the price of vehicle tabs might be unpopular with average Minnesotans, “there is no such thing as a free lunch.” He added that Minnesota was paying for years of neglect.

Option two would also take $100M in 2017 from the general fund in 2017 and $200M for the following nine years. There would be no gas tax, but a greater increase in vehicle tabs. The first option generated $250M from vehicle tabs, but option two would generate $400M or about 25% more than option one. The sales tax increase in the metro would remain the same.

Overall the Governor hopes to generate $600M for roads and bridges and $280M for transit every year for the next decade. Governor Dayton said that while he was willing to listen to other options that either the House and Senate could present, he would not compromise on the $600M price tag. Governor Dayton was adamant that if this demand was not met, then there would be no transportation bill.

The Governor was quick to criticize the proposal by House Republicans. He claimed that the proposal was not real money and did not add up as it double counts money that MNDOT already had in its operating budget and counts the general obligation bonding that was a one-time fund that could not be counted on. Governor Dayton said he wanted to see a plan from House Republicans that used “real and sustainable money.”

Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith said that a potential consequence of not passing this bill would mean that approximately $900M of Federal Aid meant for transportation would leave the state. Governor Dayton also stated that maintenance of the state’s current transportation infrastructure was currently under-funded by $400M. As a result, infrastructure would continue to get worse and deteriorate. If the bill was rejected, future projects in place around the state would be put on hold.

Subscribe to Alpha News as we continue to track the transportation bill at the State Capitol.

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For the second straight legislative session, lawmakers were busy working down to the final minutes to pass massive pieces of legislation. Compromise was not reached on the legislature’s top priority: a long-term transportation plan or bonding bill that would fund an abundance of public works projects.

The fact that decisions were made once again within the last few hours of the legislative session has some members upset.  “Two years in a row, we have seen a complete lack of transparency. It is an embarrassing and unacceptable process,” said DFL House Minority Leader Paul Thissen (Minneapolis) in a press release, adding “Minnesotans are frustrated by it and sense that special interests are pulling strings behind the scenes. We should never let this happen again.” Thissen made waves in January after introducing a legislative plan that would mandate transparency, but the measure was rejected by the House of Representatives.

DFL representatives are not the only party disappointed with the session’s end, Senator Roger Chamberlain (R-Lino Lakes) also thought it was much too secretive. “I hate this end-of-session nonsense. You have big omnibus bills and get a few people in a room getting stuff together that … undermines the democratic process,” said Chamberlain.

The Uptake reports that the House of Representatives witnessed the panicking of legislators in the last hours of the session, public scoldings of the legislative body during floor speeches, and failures to ensure that members had ample time to read and consider legislation they were expected to vote for or against.

The transportation bill that was passed by the House of Representatives, did so by a 91-39 measure.  It included $819 million in bonding, $1.1 billion in spending, $278 for transportation, $189 million for higher education, $154 million for water infrastructure public works projects, and $94 million for employment and economic development.

Despite the chaos, both chambers managed to pass a spending bill, which included appropriated funds for the following: $259 million in tax cuts, programs aimed at lesssening the economic gap between individuals of color and their white counterparts, rural broadband initiatives, and prekindergarten programs.

Although a plethora of legislative priorities were not addressed in-depth, and long term solutions were not crafted, according to the Star Tribune Governor Dayton says he sees no reason to call for a special session (only he has the authority to do so).

Subscribe to Alpha News for continued coverage of the post-session reactions and responses.

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The $182 million supplemental budget was passed on the last day of the legislative session, by a margin of 95-39 in the House of Representatives, and 50-16 in the senate with bipartisan support. The Governor is expected to consider the bill within the next few days.

According to Minnesota State Session Daily, money was appropriated in the bill as follows:

• Jobs, Energy and Equity: $75 million, including $35 million for broadband and $35 million for equity;
• State Government: $45.23 million;
• E-12 Education: $25 million;
• Public Safety: $24.97 million;
• Environment and Agriculture: $7.18 million;
• Higher Education: $5 million; and
• Health and Human Services: $0

Despite its passage, the bill was met with ample controversy, particularly as it related to transparency.  Rep Tim Mahoney (DFL-St. Paul) connected this year’s experience to a similar one he had in the last minutes of the previous legislative session, stating “Last year I got 60 seconds to read your bill; this year I get three-and-a-half hours to read your bill.”

DFL House Minority Leader Paul Thissen (Minneapolis), a vocal critic of the chaotic finishing of the 2017 legislative session, argued, “One of the themes of this bill, members, is great expectations that have been crushed.”

Some legislators struck a much more optimistic tone.  Rep Penny Flanagan (DFL-St. Louis Park) praised the bill for providing funding aimed at lessening disparities that exist between Caucasians and Minnesotans of color.  “The face of Minnesota is changing,” argued Flanagan, “we need to keep up with that change.”

Included in the supplemental budget bill are four tax provisions, which according to Session Daily is expected to total $39 million in Fiscal Year 2018 and $29 million in Fiscal Year 2019. The four tax provisions are:

1. Elimination of sales tax for modular homes;
2. tax credit for families who have a stillborn baby;
3. exemption of military pensions from state tax; and
4.  a one year extension for the angel investment tax credit.

To learn more about the latest happenings from the Governor’s office as to whether Governor Dayton signs the supplemental budget into law, or vetoes the legislation, subscribe to Alpha News.

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Last Friday night and Saturday morning brought much contention on the floor of the Minnesota GOP Convention in Duluth, MN. In what has been an almost two-week battle for delegates via email and social media, the delegation ruled in favor for an amendment that would strip the Judicial Elections Committee (JEC) of its power to hold conventions and nominate potential candidates.

The battle for delegates has mostly been a one-sided fight on behalf of the Judicial Elections Committee. Throughout the last week, the Committee has sent numerous emails to both alternates and delegates trying to sway the convention vote in their favor. The emails included information on who they are and what they do, but also attacked Minnesota Republican Party Chair Keith Downey by making him the face of the battle. 

Keith Downey and the Minnesota Republican Party offered a rebuttal early Friday morning via email with a historical account of the Judicial Elections Committee and the process the Constitution and Bylaws Committee took in order to reach their conclusions.

Friday night led to a heated battle on the floor as the delegation began to hear both sides argue their position on what needed to be done about the Judicial Elections Committee.

The Judicial Elections Committee fought against the Party releasing a minority report written by attorney’s Harry Niska and David Asp claiming that the report was biased and unprecedented. Ultimately, the delegates voted in favor of hearing the minority report. In it, Asp and Niska expressed their disappointment in the deliberate concealment of knowledge that could not only hurt a candidate’s credibility to run but also hurt the party by who they nominate.

Delegates voted to suspend talks for the evening but were just as passionate Saturday morning. Larson, a delegate from Goodhue County spoke asking for a no vote stating that BPOU’s had the opportunity to have their voices heard but chose not to send delegates to their committee. Larson also said that the Judicial Elections Committee’s biggest job was to prevent the Minnesota State Legislature from adopting an amendment causing individuals to lose their right to vote (also known as the quie amendment). Jim Carson, Chair of CD4 spoke in favor of the amendment stating that any candidate who lost their race by 500 votes could blame the Judicial Elections Committee for the loss. He also went further in stating that the new amendment would require judicial candidates to go through the same vetting process as other candidates looking for the party’s endorsement.

State Senator Dave Thompson (who chaired the convention) called for a vote in which the aye’s had the overwhelming majority. As a result, the Judicial Elections Committee will no longer be allowed to hold conventions or nominate candidates running for judicial office. Any candidate that wishes to receive the party’s endorsement will now have to follow the nomination procedure just as any other candidate for office would.

MNGOP Chair Keith Downey was happy with Saturday’s outcome. In a press release from the State Party on Tuesday, Downey congratulated delegates on eliminating “the process of ineffective and controversial judicial endorsements.”

The post MNGOP Convention Delegation Votes to Strip JEC of its Power appeared first on Alpha News.

A new report suggests that Wisconsin’s policies under Governor Scott Walker have seen the state outpace Democratic-controlled Minnesota in a number of economic factors, particularly in post-tax income.

The report published by the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute and authored by University of Wisconsin – Madison economist Noah Williams, took issue with President Obama’s statements in LaCrosse last November in which he claimed that Minnesota’s steps to raise taxes on the top two percent and raise the minimum wage proved Republican theories on economics wrong since the end of the great recession.

Williams’ report concludes that this is only true when examining broad measurements like total GDP growth, without factoring in Minnesota’s greater population growth over the same period of time.

“It is difficult to see evidence for the claims that Wisconsin’s policies have led to a decline in the middle class, while Minnesota has embraced policies strengthening the middle class,” Williams writes.

When the goal is to see how the states’ citizens are faring, there is a different story to be told.

The report finds that while Wisconsin and Minnesota have seen pre-tax incomes grow at nearly identical rates since 2011, 6.3 and 6.4 percent respectively, the per-capita after-tax income growth has been more than a full percentage point higher across the border than it has been in Minnesota.

President Obama’s assertion that Wisconsin’s conservative policies have been failing the middle class also rung hollow under Williams’ examination. Williams found that both states have seen increases in income inequality, and both states have seen the percentage of middle class households decrease. In Wisconsin however, the shift was from low-income to middle-income, and middle-income to high-income, while Minnesota saw shifts in both directions from middle-income households.

Williams is hesitant to label these discrepancies as the result of any one policy, as there are too many other variables in play, from population to each state’s starting points. He does note though that, “We have seen that the relative tax policies appear to have affected after-tax incomes, boosting disposable income growth in Wisconsin.”

The report concludes saying that states have done better than the national average in recovering from the great recession, and that a fair examination past broadly general statistics shows that there is little truth to claims that Minnesota’s policies have made it a better place to live than Wisconsin.

The post Report Shows Minnesota Losing Economic Border War With Wisconsin appeared first on Alpha News.

Minnesota’s Attorney General Lori Swanson joined 16 other State Attorney Generals around the country in the fight against Exxon Mobil.

Exxon Mobil was originally being investigated by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, stating that the company lied to both the public and its investors about the dangers of climate change.

One columnist at the New York Post summed up the investigation as a “witch-hunt.” Lowry, the author of the article states that fraud charges stem from the groups different point of views on climate change than that of Exxon Mobil. Lowry states that Green 20, or the historical coalition that AG Swanson is a part of “shouldn’t be entrusted with the power of a meter maid, let alone a top position in law enforcement.”

Congress has decided to take matters into its own hands and investigate the attorney generals involved in the original investigation of Exxon. Congressman Lamar Smith (R – Texas), who is the chairman of the House Science Committee, has requested all communications between the Schneiderman’s office and the climate change activists since 2012.

Legal experts are siding with Exxon stating that there is no legal reasoning for the investigations and that Exxon’s belief and statements about climate change potentially fall under the First Amendment.

The House Science Committee also sent a letter to Attorney General Lori Swanson on May 18th, 2016 requesting copies of all correspondence she has had with pro-climate change organizations, stating that she has potentially abused her power of prosecutorial discretion. AG Swanson has until May 30, 2016, to turn over all documents to the House Committee. There is no word on whether AG Swanson has complied with the order.

The Minnesota Progressive Project has applauded AG Swanson for her role in the Green 20 coalition. They state that “Exxon’s role in misleading the public and investors has lead to only 64% of the public believing in climate change compared to 97% of climate scientists.”

The post U.S. House Committee to Investigate MN Attorney General Lori Swanson appeared first on Alpha News.

Both Republican and Democrat leaders in the House and Senate met with Governor Dayton yesterday over the looming question of whether a special session would occur. Tensions between the parties grew after the Governor refused to sign a $260M tax bill aimed at providing relief to many in Minnesota.

Senate Minority Leader David Hann held a press conference with House Speaker Kurt Daudt, in which both leaders agreed that there were some trust issues with Governor Dayton, pointing specifically to how the Governor vetoed the tax relief bill after he promised Republican leaders that he would not use it as leverage. The tax relief bill had a $100M error, something Speaker Kurt Daudt claimed could be fixed without a veto and was caused by the Governor’s revenue department.

Leaders also expressed their excitement that the bonding committee was being put back together, hoping for an open and public discussion about bonding. Republican Senate Minority Leader David Hann in a press release early yesterday stated that House Republicans did their jobs “in good faith” while denouncing the Governor and Senate Democrats for “deliberately obstructing progress.”

Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith, Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk, and House Minority Leader Paul Thissen also held their own press conference in which they pointed the finger at the House Republicans for the sessions failure. House Minority Leader Paul Thissen was especially critical of Speaker Kurt Daudt as he described the House bonding bill as “fantasy that only exists in the speakers mind.”

Leaders disagreed with several points, mainly the Governor’s involvement in the bonding bill, bonding bill negotiations, and Southwest Light Rail.

Majority Leader Bakk stated that he felt that the Governor was not really included in the process of the bonding bill and hoped that public hearings with the bonding committee would allow the Governor the opportunity to contribute. Speaker Daudt adamantly stated that over half of the bonding bill ($545M of $995M) were based on the Governor’s input.

While DFL leaders were able to determine that $1.15B was a good middle ground, they were not able to confirm how that number compared to past bonding bills. Republican Leaders were insistent that $1B was the middle ground and that the $995M bonding bill that failed in the last night would have been the largest bonding bill in Minnesota History.

Southwest Light Rail continues to be a major topic between the parties as both Lieutenant Governor Smith and Majority Leader Bakk were very clear that Southwest Light Rail would not be taken off the table. Speaker Daudt was also very clear that Southwest Light Rail would not be going anywhere since there were two pending lawsuits against it.

Leaders in both parties plan to meet Wednesday morning with the Governor to further discuss the possibility for a special session.

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Data released by the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that Duluth’s unemployment rate has increased more than a full percent over the prior year.

The data, which is not seasonally adjusted for temporary jobs such as construction, showed Duluth gained more than 2,000 unemployed persons from April 2015 to April 2016, while adding only 426 jobs over the same time period.

The corresponding increase of 1.4 percent, jumping from 4.8 to 6.2 over the past 12 months, is tied with Farmington, New Mexico for the seventh largest increase amongst metropolitan areas in the nation. Duluth’s March 2015 to March 2016 change in unemployment also tied for the fourth worst, as the unemployment rate increased 1.6 percent over that period. That’s behind only Odessa, Texas; Wheeling, West Virginia; and Casper, Wyoming.

All of this data comes before the layoffs that Duluth miners have been expecting of up to 1,100 mine workers, as MPR reported in late April.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ press release that accompanied the report stated that 269 metropolitan areas saw lower unemployment rates in April of 2016 compared to those of a year prior. 94 metro areas had increased rates, and 24 saw no change year over year.

Minnesota metro areas outside of Duluth saw fairly stagnant unemployment rates. Minnesota’s as a whole increased by two-tenths of a percent, as did the Mankato-North Mankato metro area, while the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington rate increased just one-tenth of a percent. The St. Cloud metro area remained at 3.7 percent year over year, and the Rochester rate decreased from 3.2 to three percent from 2015 to 2016.

Duluth is the only metropolitan area in Minnesota above the United States’ unemployment rate of 4.7 percent. At 6.2 the city is well over that threshold and further layoffs in the late spring and early summer have yet to be reflected in official employment data.

The post Duluth Unemployment Rate Up 1.4 Percent From Same Time Last Year appeared first on Alpha News.

Seven Minnesota counties saw job gains in from December 2014 to December 2015, but only two saw gains greater than the national average according to a new report released by the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The report included the 342 U.S. counties with 75,000 or more jobs. These accounted for 72.5 percent of total employment in the United States.

Anoka, Dakota, Hennepin, Olmsted, Ramsey, Stearns, and Washington counties gained jobs, but most finished in the bottom half in percent change amongst the counties reported on. Washington County’s 2.9 percent increase in total jobs saw it rank 102nd, while Olmsted County’s 2.5 percent change ranked 130th. These were also the only two counties in Minnesota which beat the national increase rate of 1.9 percent.

On the flip side, a partly 0.6 percent growth by Dakota County saw it rank 281st, and St. Louis County actually lost jobs at, placing 312th, and being one of only 34 counties to lose jobs from December 2014 to December 2015.

The same report also detailed changes in the average weekly wage in each county. Each of the seven Minnesota counties in the report saw increases in average wage, with Anoka County leading the way with a 9.3 percent increase to break the thousand-dollar mark. St. Louis, Stearns, and Washington counties remain under $900 per week, but each saw growth in excess of 5.5 percent over the course of the year. Anoka’s growth in this metric was the fifth highest in the nation, behind only Wyandotte County, Kansas; Sonoma County, California; Lake County, Illinois; and Passaic County, New Jersey.

In this metric the seven Minnesota counties that made it into the report generally outperformed the national growth rate of 4.4 percent from December 2014 to 2015. Hennepin and Olmsted counties were the only two which failed to do so, at 3.2 and 3.8 percent respectively.

The post Minnesota Job Growth Lags U.S., Leads on Wage Gains appeared first on Alpha News.

Representative Richard “Rick” Nolan (D) from the 8th Congressional District received a major endorsement Sunday night from Vermont Senator and Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders (D).

The Hill, which broke the news of the endorsement, states that the presidential candidate sent an email out to supporters endorsing both Rep. Nolan and Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) Sunday night.

In the email, Sanders announced his support for Nolan “for sticking with progressive ideas in the face of a tough race.” Rep. Nolan was one of the only members of publicly announce in April that he would use his superdelegate vote at the Democratic National Convention later this summer to support Sanders for President.

The Sanders campaign did not immediately return requests for comments by Alpha News.

Minnesota Republican Chair Keith Downey commented in a press release: “Rick Nolan and Socialist Bernie Sanders just won’t quit their radical agenda for Minnesota.” said Chairman Downey, “Even though Hillary Clinton is their nominee, Sanders felt compelled to endorse Nolan after Nolan had previously endorsed Sanders. The Nolan-Sanders mutual admiration society proves just how out of touch Rick Nolan is from his District. If the voters in the 8th District want someone to represent their true interests, its time to dump Nolan and vote for Stewart Mills in November.”

Rick Nolan faces a hard re-election this year as he faces a rematch against Republican-endorsed candidate Stewart Mills. Stewart Mills, the Vice President of Fleet Farm, originally ran against Nolan in 2014 and lost by 1.4% or less than 3,000 votes. Ballotpedia has listed this race as one to watch this election cycle.

Rick Nolan’s campaign did not immediately return requests for comments by Alpha News. In a statement to Alpha News, Campaign Manager for Stewart Mills Mike Lukach said: “That Rick Nolan welcomes the endorsement of self-proclaimed socialist Bernie Sanders is not surprising when you consider Nolan’s reckless track record of supporting to bring thousands of unchecked Syrian refugees to America; shutting down Guantanamo Ba and bringing dangerous terrorists to the United States; and expanding the EPA’s harmful overreach which threatens our mining and timber industries. The Sanders endorsement also illustrates how out of touch Hillary Clinton is with Minnesotan’s in the 8th when Nolan is actively seeking praise and approval from the socialist candidate instead.”

The endorsement of Rep. Nolan by Sen. Sanders could prove harmful to Nolan who is seeking his third term in Washington. Senator Sanders has had great success with students under the age of 30 but has struggled with getting the votes of individuals over the age of 45. Census data taken in 2014 shows the largest age group in CD8 to be individuals between the ages of 45-54 years old, while the median age is 43.1.

The post Presidential Candidate Sander Endorses Rep. Rick Nolan for Re-Election appeared first on Alpha News.

Minnesota lost nearly 2,000 jobs over the past month in total, also seeing losses in the construction and manufacturing sectors from April to May 2016.

Seasonally adjusted employment numbers from the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that Minnesota has seen employees on non-farm payrolls decrease by about 1,900 total jobs (seasonally adjusted) from April to May 2016. This puts Minnesota at 23rd, and one of 27 states that saw losses. Pennsylvania, Michigan, Tennessee, and New York all saw losses of more than 10,000 jobs, while California and Florida added more than 15,000 in the past month.

Minnesota’s loss of approximately 1,900 construction jobs was the seventh worst performance from April to May. Texas’ loss of 3,400 was the worst, while on the other end New Jersey added 2,900 jobs. 4.18 percent of Minnesota’s jobs are in the construction industry now, which puts it near the middle of the pack at the 30th highest in the United States.

Minnesota’s loss of about 2,300 manufacturing jobs also ranked the state in the bottom ten performances in the country, this time at eighth. Michigan’s loss of about 6,500 manufacturing jobs was the worst, while Florida and North Carolina added about 2,700 each. The Bureau of Labor Statistics did not have data for Alabama’s manufacturing data. Manufacturing currently accounts for 11.95 percent of Minnesota’s jobs, the 12th highest in the nation.

Over 7,000 people dropped out of the Minnesota labor force from April to May 2016. This loss of 0.23 percent of the state’s labor force was the ninth worst performance in the country. Mississippi’s 0.62 percent loss was the worst, while Maine added 0.48 percent for the best performance in the nation.

The post Minnesota May Sees Job Losses in Manufacturing, Construction appeared first on Alpha News.

Minnesota Representative Tom Emmer (R-CD6) and Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-CD3) have found themselves in hot water with conservatives around the state as news comes in that the two joined 41 other Republican members of congress in voting for H.R. 5055: Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriation Act, 2017.

While the bill itself was relatively uncontroversial, conservative groups and constituents were angry for their continued support of the bill after Representative Sean Maloney (D-NY) included House Amendment 1128, which states: “Amendment, as offered, prohibits the use of funds for government contractors who discriminate against LGBT employees. As amended by the Pitts amendment, the Federal government must not contravene the 1st Amendment, the 14th amendment, or Article I of the Constitution as it deals with contractors.”

Simply put, the amendment states that the United States Government cannot conduct deals with contractors who discriminate against the LGBTQ+ community.

Even though the bill failed to pass the House of Representatives, the fact that both Representatives Emmer and Paulsen chose to break with the majority of GOPers on the issue of transgender rights has lead to a flurry of angered reactions by conservative groups against the two congressmen.

Maggie Gallagher set her sites on Rep. Emmer in a piece with the National Review stating that Rep. Emmer changed his stance on gay rights in the aftermath of his lost bid for the Governor’s seat. Overall, Gallagher referred to the 43 Republicans as traitors.

The National Organization for Marriage has promised an intense campaign to educate voters on their representatives and how they voted in an email to followers.

Constituents on Facebook made sure to make their displeasure known to the Representatives in comments on posts asking why they would vote for the bill and not protect their children.

The anger portrayed by conservative groups and constituents may be hasty as voting records for both Representatives Tom Emmer and Erik Paulsen has shown them to hold conservative views on both marriage and LGBTQ+ rights.

Rep. Paulsen was glitter-bombed in 2011 after accepting the friend of the family award from the Minnesota Faith and Freedom Coalition. He also has a voting history of opposing gay marriage. As of 2014, he has been a part of a bi-partisan effort to increase employment protections for the LGBTQ+ community.

Rep. Emmer has been very vocal about his views of LGBTQ+ rights since his run for Governor as he opposed LGBT-inclusive anti-bullying measures, opposed gay marriage, opposed LGBT surrogates, and opposed domestic partner benefits.

Alpha News has reached out to the offices of Emmer and Paulsen and will continue to provide coverage of this story.  Subscribe to Alpha News as we continue to bring you coverage of the 2016 elections.

The post Emmer and Paulsen Break from GOP to Support Obama Transgender Policies appeared first on Alpha News.

A top attorney in Minnesota is advising people in St. Cloud not to fear their growing Muslim community. US Attorney Andrew Luger took part in hosting a panel on Islamophobia, which advised people not to believe the media spin that Islam is a religion of violence.  A Panelist told the audience, “Islam is a peaceful religion, don’t listen to the media.”

Luger asked pre-approved questions from the audience to a panel of victims of Islamophobia, The questions included “what is Islamophobia?” and asking the panelists to explain why refugees came to St. Cloud.

One panelist explained, “Most of the immigrants or refugees that are here, they didn’t come here because of their choice or because they wanted to come here, they’re just lucky that they got here.”

The panel advised the community to start asking refugees and immigrants questions in order to better understand their culture, saying, “Put the assumptions aside, put your Minnesota nice aside, and just ask the question, because that’s where the dialogue truly starts.”

Audience members Alpha News spoke with after the discussion say they wished they could ask more questions, like whether or not the Islamic community in St. Cloud is practicing Sharia Law.  One citizen says she believes they do not want to bring the issue up, stating, “They don’t want to, it’s been brought up several times, they just make light of it and shuffle it off, and that I see as dangerous.”

Luger says he hopes to have more events like this in the coming months in order to hopefully answer those concerns.

The post “Don’t Believe the Media” – Islamophobia Panel Speaks to St. Cloud Community appeared first on Alpha News.

Workers in the Duluth metropolitan area make 13 percent less on average than workers across the United States, while workers in the Twin Cities make 11 percent more.

Data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the mean hourly wage in Duluth is $20.27, compared with the national average of $23.23.

After testing for statistical significance, Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Charlene Peiffer noted that wages in the Duluth area are significantly lower than the respective national averages in 15 out of 22 major occupational groups. The worst of these was the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media category, where Duluth residents earned wages 33 percent lower than the national average, at $18.33 compared to $27.39. This was one of six categories where wages in the city are 20 percent worse than the national average.

Meanwhile, there were only three occupational groups where Duluth residents’ wages were significantly better than the national average. The Farming, Fishing, and Forestry group saw Duluth perform the best, with 45 percent higher wages on average than the U.S. as a whole, with wages at $18.39 compared with $12.67 nationally. This accounted for only 0.1 percent of total employment in Duluth, lower than nationally.  Construction and Extraction saw Duluth at 15 percent higher than the American average, while production workers in Duluth make eight percent more than the U.S. average.

The data for the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metropolitan area was much better, with the average hourly wage of $25.70 totaling 11 percent more than the U.S. average.

Peiffer noted that the area had 12 of the 22 occupational categories with significantly higher wages than the U.S. The Farming, Fishing, and Forestry group, as well as the Construction and Extraction Category group did the best, at 22 percent greater than the national average. However, these two groups accounted for only 3.2 percent of all jobs, lower than the national share of 4.3 percent.

Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media was the only category the MSP-Bloomington metro performed significantly worse than the U.S. average. Area wages were at $26.99 per hour for this category, 5 percent lower than the national rate of $27.39.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics compiles this data semiannually for metropolitan areas by means of a mail survey.

The post Duluth Employees Earn Lower Wages than Twin Cities, US appeared first on Alpha News.