Attorney Erik Kaardal, who is suing Gov. Tim Walz and others over Minnesota's mask mandate, has run into a very skeptical U.S. District Court Judge Patrick Schiltz this morning.
"My word, your honor," an exasperated Kaardal said after Schiltz questioned several of his claims.
Schiltz does not immediately rule on the lawsuit challenging Minnesota's mask mandate, but tells an attorney for the state that he's "leaning your way."
He says he'll have a ruling soon.
In one exchange, Schiltz said people can protest the mandate in many ways w/o violating it.
Kaardal argued violating the mandate is "not a big deal, judge. It's just a protest."
“People who are vulnerable to COVID might think it’s a bigger deal than you do," Schiltz retorted.
Schiltz also rejected a false claim that following the mask mandate requires people to break a state law banning them (with some exceptions) from concealing their identity in public.
“You’re saying things for which there’s no evidence whatsoever,” Schiltz told Kaardal.
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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.
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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.