Hot Dish 4.5.24

By Rochelle Olson

I’ve been holding onto this rant for years now and because it’s Friday, I’m going to let it rip. At the Capitol, we often hear: “Government shouldn’t pick winners and losers.” It’s said, usually by a Republican, as if this is an obscure, insidious concept that creeps into legislation and policy. I would argue it happens all day, every day. If one person gets money and another doesn’t, one winner, one loser. If someone gets a tax cut and another doesn’t, one winner, one loser. Minneapolis gets a new stadium and St. Paul doesn’t. Winners. Losers. All day. Every day. That’s enough Game Theory from me. Now I’m just going to kick back and wait to receive an angry email from someone telling me I know nothing about Game Theory. Fair enough. I am not John Nash.

Yeah, we’re going to be all over the place here today.

Thursday was opening day for the Minnesota Twins so Senate President Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis, offered his colleagues ballpark foods like hot dogs and nachos as they pushed commerce, ag and social services bills through the floor. The food was purportedly in his office just off the Senate floor. Seems fitting for a senator with the name Champion.

ADOPT DON’T SHOP: That ag bill includes a provision requiring that anyone who finds a stray animal must notify the animal’s owner within seven days. If the owner is not known to the finder, they must notify City Hall or post a picture online and make an effort to find the owner within ten days or surrender the animal to a control agency within seven days. Paraphrasing one senator: A vote against the bill means you hate puppies.

An unrelated provision in the bill would make it easier for vendors at Farmers’ Markets to offer samples. And to that I say, the return of the Mill City Market cannot return soon enough.

Speaking of Champion, he’s yet to hold an ethics hearing for the complaint filed by Sen. Erin Maye Quade, DFL-Apple Valley, against Sen. Glenn Gruenhagen, R-Glencoe, last year. Other complaints from 2023 were dismissed, but that one remains although I continue to be unable to locate evidence that anyone is trying to make a hearing happen. We’re approaching the one-year anniversary of the complaint.

MARTY TIME: Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, introduced a parcel of gambling restrictions he’d like to see in place if Minnesota legalizes sports betting. Underestimate Marty at your peril. “I think, five years from now, we’re going to have a lot of second thoughts,” Marty said. He notes that the proposals at the Capitol right now would be much more permissive than three of four surrounding states because bets could be placed on phones. The Dakotas and Wisconsin require gamblers to go to casinos. Marty also dislikes subsidies for the tracks: “When the tracks came in, they were going to generate lots of revenue for the state. And now, they’re saying we’ve got to subsidize them with public money,” he said.

ELECTRONICS EXCESS: Briana Bierschbach writes about a bill from Rep. Athena Hollins, DFL-St. Paul, aiming to make it easier to recycle electronics. The bill aims to update and expand the state’s 2007 electronic waste law and make recycling free by adding a 3.2% retail fee when Minnesotans purchase small home appliances, electronic toys and smart home devices.

UBER/LYFT: Colleague Josie Albertson-Grove reports the House Judiciary committee talked about the ride-hailing bill Thursday. Uber and Lyft lobbyists Joel Carlson and John Reich argued against provisions in the bill that would let drivers sue Uber/Lyft, and ban the companies from requiring drivers to resolve disputes with the companies through arbitration. Those provisions are backed by the Minnesota Uber/Lyft Drivers Association, but are nonstarters for both companies. Both lobbyists said drivers would be the only independent contractors with such protections.

DFL House Majority Leader Jamie Long of Minneapolis said “they’re making really good progress” on a package of statewide standards for rideshare companies. He hopes to get an agreement before the May 1 date the companies have said they’ll leave Minneapolis, but he encouraged the City Council to give state lawmakers more time to negotiate a deal.

Meanwhile, Republicans held a press conference to urge the Legislature to vote on a bill from Rep. Elliot Engen, R-White Bear Township, that would stop Minneapolis or any other city setting their own ride-hail rules.

AT THE CAPITOL: We’ve got some hearings scheduled today, but no floor sessions.

WHERE’S WALZ: He has no public events scheduled Friday.

How certain am I that the governor is unaware of the existence of this newsletter? So certain that I’m going to tell you his 60th birthday is Saturday. I know this because of the email from his dog, Scout. If that sounds cloying to you, please know that I agree completely.

Alas someone thought it clever for Scout to request you sign a surprise birthday card. (Don’t tell Walz!)

In a related story, my dog, Duke, wants to buy me a birthday present. DM me for his venmo.

READING LIST

But here’s a modest proposal: Now that men have discovered women can dazzle as athletes, maybe let’s show women the same respect in other areas. I’m confident you can figure out how to be more supportive and elevate the efforts of your female colleagues, spouses, daughters, friends. Just do it.