Speaking of #MN05, the one scheduled debate between Ilhan Omar and challenger Antone Melton-Meaux is at 1 p.m. today on WCCO Radio (there was a forum earlier this week, but not a debate).
Omar takes little time to get to Gov. Tim Walz's endorsement -- she mentions it in her first answer.
Pretty cordial so far. Melton-Meaux takes a glancing shot at Omar by saying Washington needs more leadership to fix a "toxic" atmosphere.
Omar responds that she's a progressive leader. She says not everyone who's endorsed her personally likes her, but respects her ability.
The third candidate in the debate, @JohnMasonMN, says the Democratic party's activist wing brings up a lot of major economic changes but "the movement in terms of getting things done is very slow. We’re not feeling it in the Fifth."
.@Antone_MN says @IlhanMN's $1 trillion "Homes for All" public housing push is unrealistic because it has few cosponsors, no funding mechanism, and no Senate companion bill.
“That’s not a progressive agenda. That’s simply a platitude," he says.
@Antone_MN@IlhanMN After a commercial break, Melton-Meaux faces a question about the GOP donors who've contributed to his $3.2 million second-quarter fundraising haul.
He says GOP donors who've given to him have also contributed millions to Democratic campaigns.
@Antone_MN@IlhanMN Melton-Meaux calls Omar's criticism of him "quite hypocritical" and “simply a desperate attempt to resurrect a campaign that’s in trouble."
He notes most of her donations come from outside the district, too.
@Antone_MN@IlhanMN NEW: @IlhanMN says her campaign paid her husband's consulting firm $600,000 in July for ad buys on TV and digital, lit from vendors.
"I don’t pay my husband. I pay the firm to do work," Omar said.
It's her first explanation of the payments seen here:
After defending Omar earlier in the debate, @JohnMasonMN says in closing comments that "in many ways, she’s Trump’s best dream” and “really the only one benefiting from Omar is Omar on lots of things."
She can't respond because it's the top of the hour and the debate has ended.
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Minnesota's budget surplus is now projected at $17.6 billion between now and June 2025, per @MMBCommunicates.
The projections will help #mnleg decide short-term spending plans and a two-year budget.
@MMBCommunicates Higher-than-expected tax collections and #mnleg's failure to strike deals in 2022 have contributed to another record surplus, which Democrats now have control over.
Initial story ahead of news conferences that start at 11:45 a.m.:
@mnhealth .@mnhealth assigned 35 staffers to review grant applications and recommend awards, but failed to comply with state requirements and get conflict of interest disclosures from the people, auditors found.
This left the state open to potential fraud and abuse, auditors said.
@mnhealth .@mnhealth says the people *did* file conflict disclosures, but the agency didn't retain electronic records of them. That's been fixed, health officials say in their response to the auditor's findings.
“There is enough time,” House Speaker @melissahortman says about concerns that some of the largest bills, like health and human services, won’t get done by Sunday.
“Everybody has to get realistic,” Hortman says, and no one will get 75-80% of what they want. #mnleg
I asked which issue areas are in the worst shape.
Hortman says K-12, public safety, health and human services are “tied.”
NEWS: St. Paul Police say DFL Rep. John Thompson showed up after officers pulled over his daughter Sunday afternoon, screamed and yelled at police, identified himself as a state lawmaker and handed out his business card during a "chaotic" scene.
(Thread)
Officers say they stopped Thompson's adult daughter for erratic driving and expired registration. Cops smelled marijuana. As more officers arrived, so did Thompson.
To diffuse tensions, police say they decided to charge Thompson’s daughter out of custody and let them both go.
Police are asking the St. Paul city attorney to charge Thompson's daughter with 3rd degree DWI-test refusal, a gross misdemeanor.
Thompson does not face charges, though police say the case is open.