A state lawmaker calls on those who can legally carry a gun inside the Capitol, the Minnesota Supreme Court makes a ruling on the custody case involving Red Lake Nation twins, and lots and lots of snow.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
[I AM CARRYING MY FIREARM AT THE CAPITOL.]
WHY A STATE LAWMAKER IS MAKING A CALL TO THOSE WHO CAN LEGALLY CARRY A GUN INSIDE THE CAPITOL...
AND ... THE SUPREME COURT MAKES A RULING ON THE CUSTODY CASE INVOLVING RED LAKE NATION TWINS.
BUT FIRST... SNOW...
[NAT: SHOVELING SNOW]
“NEVER TRUST SPRING WEATHER IN MARCH” …
SO SAID GOVERNOR TIM WALZ ON SOCIAL MEDIA IN ADVANCE OF WINTER STORMS THAT PUMMELED SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL MINNESOTA OVER THE WEEKEND.
AIRLINES CANCELLED HUNDREDS OF FLIGHTS … MINN-DOT SHUT DOWN PART OF INTERSTATE 35 … AND ISSUED NO-TRAVEL ADVISORIES FOR MULTIPLE PARTS OF SOUTHERN MINNESOTA.
GOVERNOR WALZ ALSO AUTHORIZED THE STATE NATIONAL GUARD TO SUPPORT COUNTIES IN THE EVENT OF ANY EMERGENCIES.
--ERIC LUCERO--
IN AN UNUSUAL AND CONTROVERSIAL VIDEO ON SOCIAL MEDIA … VETERAN LAWMAKER … REPRESENTATIVE ERIC LUCERO … IS ACTUALLY ENCOURAGING PERMITTED GUN OWNERS TO BRING THEIR GUNS TO THE STATE CAPITOL.
[ERIC LUCERO: I AM CARRYING MY FIREARM AT THE CAPITOL. IF YOU’RE A PERMIT TO CARRY HOLDER, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO EXERCISE YOUR SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS…]
IN THE VIDEO LUCERO SAYS DEMOCRATS HAVE CREATED A HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT CREATING A NEED FOR GUNS AT THE CAPITOL.
NEW SAFETY GUIDELINES AT THE CAPITOL REQUIRE VISITORS TO GO THROUGH A SCREENING PROCESS.
BUT THOSE WITH A PERMIT TO CARRY ARE ALLOWED TO BRING A GUN INSIDE THE BUILDING. RECENT EFFORTS TO CHANGE THAT RULE FAILED IN COMMITTEE.
--GUN PERMITS--
AND ... THE NUMBER OF GUN OWNERS WITH CARRY PERMITS JUMPED SIGNIFICANTLY LAST YEAR IN MINNESOTA.
IN ITS ANNUAL REPORT … THE BUREAU OF CRIMINAL APPREHENSION SAYS IT ISSUED NEARLY 66-THOUSAND PERMITS IN 2025 … THAT’S ABOUT NINE THOUSAND MORE THAN IN 2024... BUT ABOUT 40-THOUSAND LESS THAN IN 20-21.
PERMIT NUMBERS ARE NEARLY THE SAME AS 2022 AND 2023 NUMBERS …
--HOMELESS VET NUMBERS--
NEW DATA SHOWS PROGRESS IN MINNESOTA’S PROGRAM TO COMBAT HOMELESSNESS AMONG VETERANS. THERE ARE JUST 150 HOMELESS VETERANS IN MINNESOTA... THE FEWEST SINCE THE STATE STARTED ITS HOMELESS VETERANS' REGISTRY PROGRAM IN 2015.
THE NEW REPORT SHOWS A 25-PERCENT DROP SINCE LAST YEAR, AND 41-PERCENT DECREASE FROM TWO YEARS AGO.
--ICWA RULING--
WHITE FOSTER PARENTS WHO TOOK THEIR FIGHT TO KEEP A PAIR OF THREE-YEAR-OLD RED LAKE NATION TWINS TO THE STATE SUPREME COURT LOST THEIR APPEAL.
THE TWINS WERE TEMPORARILY PLACED WITH THE FAMILY WHEN THEY WERE BORN WITH SERIOUS MEDICAL ISSUES IN 2022.
THE CHILDREN WERE THEN MOVED FROM THE FOSTER PARENTS TO MATERNAL RELATIVES ON THE RED LAKE NATION RESERVATION.
THE FOSTER COUPLE FILED TO MAINTAIN CUSTODY … ARGUING THAT THE PLACEMENT RULES DISCRIMINATED AGAINST THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE WHITE.
MINNESOTA SUPREME COURT DECLINED TO HEAR THE CASE ... RULING THE COUPLE DO NOT HAVE THE CONSTITUTIONAL STANDING TO CHALLENGE THE TWINS’ PLACEMENT BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT PART OF THE CHILDREN’S ORIGINAL PLACEMENT PROCEEDINGS.
--CHIPPEWA LAND RECLAIMED--
THE GRAND PORTAGE BAND OF LAKE SUPERIOR CHIPPEWA IS RECLAIMING SOME-90 ACRES OF NORTH SHORE LAND … INCLUDING PARADISE BEACH AND FRANCIS ISLAND ON LAKE SUPERIOR. THE BAND WILL MARK THE TRANSFER WITH A SIGNING CEREMONY.
THE PURCHASE WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY A ONE-POINT-TWO MILLION-DOLLAR GIFT FROM THE LLOYD K. JOHNSON FOUNDATION ... WHICH ENABLED THE BAND TO BUY THE PARCELS FROM HIS FAMILY’S TRUST THAT HELD THE LAND FOR GENERATIONS.
BAND CHAIRMAN BOBBY DESCHAMPE SAYS THE RETURN DOESN’T ERASE THE PAINFUL HISTORY OF THE LAND GRAB ... BUT IT’S A STEP TOWARD ACCOUNTABILITY AND RECONCILIATION.
--SLED HOCKEY GOLD--
TWO MINNESOTANS, INCLUDING THE YOUNGEST TEAM PLAYER, HELPED TEAM USA’S PARALYMPIC SLED HOCKEY TEAM BEAT CANADA AGAIN, WINNING 6-TO-2 AT THE MILANO CORTINA PARALYMPICS FINAL SUNDAY.
[NAT: AND IT’S A GOLD MEDAL FOR THE UNITED STATES … (4S) THEIR FIFTH STRAIGHT PARALYMPICS SLED HOCKEY GOLD … AND THE DYNASTY CONTINUES ON THE ICE IN MILAN (10S)]
THE ROSTER INCLUDED TWO MINNESOTA PLAYERS, ... LIAM CUNNINGHAM AND LANDON UTHKE ... BOTH 18-YEARS-OLD.
THEIR WIN ALSO SEALS AN ICONIC TRIPLE OVER CANADA … AFTER THE U-S WOMENS AND MENS OLYMPIC TEAMS TOOK GOLD MEDALS OVER THEIR NORTHERN NEIGHBORS.
IN OTHER SPORTS NEWS …
--50 YEARS OF GIRLS BASKETBALL--
ON THE WEEKEND THAT MINNESOTA CELEBRATED THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF GIRLS BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS ... THE STATE HIGH SCHOOL TOURNAMENT MADE HISTORY AGAIN WITH A FEW OF ITS TITLE GAMES.
OVER THE WEEKEND … FOUR TEAMS WERE CROWNED CHAMPIONS ... TWO OF THEM CLINCHING THEIR SCHOOLS’ FIRST STATE TITLE EVER.
IN CLASS 1A, SLEEPY EYE ST. MARY’S BEAT MOUNTAIN IRON-BUHL TO WIN THE SCHOOL’S FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP EVER.
IN CLASS FOUR-A ... ROSEMOUNT CAMEBACK TO BEAT HOPKINS ... WINNING ITS FIRST TOURNAMENT TITLE.
PROVIDENCE ACADEMY BECAME THE FIRST HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM IN HISTORY TO WIN FIVE CONSECUTIVE STATE TITLES ...
AND IN THREE A … BENILDE-SAINT MARGARETS TOOK THE CROWN.
THE FIRST OFFICIAL STATE TOURNAMENT WAS IN 1976, OPENING THE DOOR FOR GENERATIONS OF FEMALE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES.
--FALCON CAM--
AND FINALLY … THE RAPTORS RETURN.
ST. PAULS FAMOUS FEMALE FALCON … ARCADIA … IS BACK IN THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES’ SAINT PAUL NESTING BOX … AND SHE MAY BE PREPARING FOR A FRESH SET OF EGGS.
NOW IN ITS SIXTEENTH YEAR … THE DNR HAS INSTALLED A NEW, HIGH-DEF CAMERA … WHICH FOR THE FIRST TIME WILL ALSO FEATURE SOUND. CHECK IT OUT ON THE DNR WEBSITE.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.