Olson’s Cheers & Jeers: Finally, Minnesota gets a real winter

Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of commentary online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

•••

Ice fishing, even in the Twin Cities, got off to an early start thanks to a December freeze. Anglers are eagerly snapping up gear, booking guides for trips and wetting their lines because of the temperatures that thickened the ice to safe depths. Double cheer to what the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation calls “deep, legit Northwoods snow” that means the annual Birkie races are likely to be fully booked. Just last year, the Birkie was scouting alternative locations for the Hayward, Wis., events because of a dearth of snow. “There has been a huge outpouring,” said Ben Popp, American Birkebeiner executive director. Get out there and enjoy this real winter while you can, because they don’t come around as often as they used to.

Forest Lake native and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been relentless in his attempts to silence Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz. Kelly is arguably a national hero, having flown 39 combat missions and gone to space four times for this country. Hegseth, a former Fox News weekend host, is seeking to reduce Kelly’s military rank because the senator said it’s legal to refuse illegal orders. Hegseth’s memory is short and inadequate as he voiced identical comments himself nearly a decade ago on Fox News. Kelly sees this for what it is, saying Hegseth is trying to stifle dissent. A true national leader like Kelly shouldn’t have to deal with a conveniently promoted warrior like Hegseth, but this, unfortunately, is who we’re dealing with at the moment.

The Montana-based daughter of Gov. Tim Walz and First Lady Gwen Walz has admirably navigated life in the spotlight, hanging on to her saucy personality and managing a private life while speaking up boldly for her parents and younger brother, Gus. The first daughter kept a previously scheduled interview appointment with John O’Sullivan of One Minute Tours set for Monday, just hours after her dad dropped his re-election bid. As always, she was candid, smart and feisty. Hope Walz also says we can expect her to be even more outspoken now that her dad isn’t on the ballot in 2026. We’re all ears.

Our hopes for a higher-functioning Minneapolis City Council were short lived. At the first meeting of the year, the council elected majority and minority leaders from the same democratic socialist faction. So much for playing well with others or developing an expansive, inclusive plan for governance. Aren’t the leaders of this progressive city supposed to welcome opposing views? This sort of organizational imbalance doesn’t go over well at the State Capitol when the city comes knocking for help. Best wishes to the council moderates, including the reasonable and wise Linea Palmisano as well as Mayor Jacob Frey, who have to work with this intellectually siloed and self-righteous crew.

Minnesotans are standing up for the rigorous schedule of vaccines that protect children despite the U.S. Department of Health’s cutting back on health recommendations. Minnesota Health Commissioner Dr. Brooke Cunningham called the switch “highly concerning” and said the old pediatric schedule was based on “decades of rigorous scientific evidence.” The state is currently assessing the impact of the federal changes and will recommend next steps. Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, called the changes “radical and dangerous.” He said Minnesota should continue to follow the advice of professional medical groups such as the American Academy of Pediatrics. He’s got the numbers; Osterholm noted that 280 children died in the U.S. during the last influenza season. I’ll follow the advice of physicians and academics over an unqualified Department of Health political appointee any day.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Gov. Tim Walz publicly countered President Donald Trump’s revisionist propaganda about Jan. 6. Both leaders publicly called the storming of the U.S. Capitol for what it was: a failed insurrection led by Trump who sought to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The governor said there was “no debate” that “the president of the United States led an insurrection against a fair election to try and overturn that.” Trump has since granted blanket clemency to some 1,600 rioters who had been convicted or were awaiting trial for their actions that day. From the Senate floor, Klobuchar talked about how “the White House is trying to rewrite history by releasing a webpage that describes the day as ‘Patriots March to the Capitol’ and blames the Capitol Police for the violence. Democracy prevailed on January 6. We must protect it.”

The State Capitol still lacks weapons screening, with the next legislative session set to begin in February. Yes, there have been security enhancements since last summer that limit access to the Capitol, but not on the big question of bag and weapons screenings. An independent assessment of Capitol security listed such screenings as the top need. The Axtell Group’s report called for a “consistent weapons and hazardous materials screening model to keep dangerous items out of public spaces and keep the Capitol complex safe for employees, public officials and visitors.” The bipartisan Capitol security panel has yet to issue findings on its months of discussions, but there’s an entrenched partisan split. No surprise, but once again, it’s the Republicans who have been unwilling to even discuss the possibility of limiting anyone’s ability to pack heat.

“Quit hiding behind this, and expect for the next 11 months for me to ride you like you’ve never been ridden,” Gov. Tim Walz serving notice to Republicans, especially on gun laws.