Schools in Hibbing and Duluth face challenges, the Arrowhead gets a late-season snow boost, and the Minnesota budget forecast looks good — for now.
Transcript
I’M XAN HOLSTON WITH HEADLINES FROM THE WEEKEND.
SCHOOL SHORTFALLS … A SNOW SURPLUS …
BUT FIRST, A THREE-POINT-SEVEN BILLION DOLLAR BUMP FOR THE STATE BUDGET FORECAST.
--ECONOMIC FORECAST--
THE STATE RELEASED ITS LATEST BUDGET FORECAST FRIDAY AND THE FINANCIAL PICTURE LOOKS STRONG … FOR NOW.
THE LONG-TERM FORECAST … LOOKING AHEAD TO THE 2028-29 BUDGET … SHOWS A SURPLUS OF THREE-HUNDRED-SEVENTY-SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS IN 2028 … MUCH BETTER THAN THE THREE-BILLION DOLLAR SHORTFALL PREDICTED DURING THE LAST FORECAST.
BUT THE FORECAST DOESN’T INCLUDE SOME CHANGES AROUND FEDERAL FUNDING TO MINNESOTA OR THE OPERATION METRO SURGE’S FINANCIAL AFTER-EFFECTS.
MINNESOTA’S MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET COMMISSION ERIN CAMPBELL SAYS LEGISLATORS NEED TO BALANCE ANY NEW SPENDING THIS SESSION WITH REDUCTIONS WHEREVER THEY CAN … AS MORE
[ERIN CAMPBELL: IT WOULDN'T TAKE MUCH TO HAVE $377 MILLION IN A POSITIVE BALANCE END UP BEING A NEGATIVE NUMBER IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.]
--FOOD SHELF FUNDING--
AS THE STATE DEBATES HOW TO MANAGE ITS SURPLUS, LEGISLATORS ARE LOOKING AT WAYS TO SUPPORT A GROWING NUMBER OF MINNESOTANS RELYING ON FOOD BANKS.
ADVOCATES NOTE THAT NINE-MILLION MINNESOTANS VISITED FOOD SHELVES IN 2024 … THAT’S ONE-POINT-FOUR MILLION MORE THAN IN 2023 … AND NUMBERS AREN’T GOING DOWN.
ONE BILL WOULD SEND AN EXTRA FIVE-MILLION DOLLARS TO THE MINNESOTA FOOD SHELF PROGRAM … ON TOP OF THE FOUR-MILLION DOLLARS IT GETS ANNUALLY FROM THE LEGISLATURE.
ANOTHER WOULD APPROPRIATE TEN-MILLION DOLLARS A GRANT PROGRAM FOR REGIONAL FOOD BANKS … WHICH WOULD REDUCE RELIANCE ON FEDERAL FUNDS AND WEALTHY PHILANTHROPISTS.
BOTH THOSE BILLS HAVE MOVED ON TO THE HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE.
--DULUTH SCHOOL FUNDING--
DULUTH PUBLIC SCHOOLS SAYS ITS FACING A FOUR-MILLION-DOLLAR GAP IN FUNDING … AND LOOKING TO MAKE CUTS FOR THE THIRD YEAR RUNNING.
SUPERINTENDENT JOHN MAGAS SAYS STATE FUNDING ISN’T KEEPING PACE WITH RISING COSTS IN HEALTH INSURANCE, TRANSPORTATION AND SPECIAL EDUCATION.
MAGAS SAYS THEY WILL DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO AVOID AFFECTING CLASS SIZES AND PROGRAMMING, BUT CAUTIONS …
[JOHN MAGAS: IT WILL IMPACT STAFF. IT'LL IMPACT ADMINISTRATION, IT'LL IMPACT SUPPORT STAFF. IT'LL IMPACT TEACHING STAFF, UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE 85% OF OUR BUDGET IS STAFF AND BENEFITS.]
--HIBBING STRIKE UPDATE--
HIBBING SCHOOLS MAY FACE DISRUPTIONS THIS WEEK … DEPENDING ON HOW MEDIATION GOES BETWEEN THE DISTRICT AND THE UNION THAT REPRESENTS ONE-HUNDRED-FIFTEEN SCHOOL SUPPORT STAFF.
AFSCME LOCAL 480 AND THE DISTRICT MEET THIS MORNING TO TRY AND RESOLVE A CONTRACT DISPUTE OVER WAGES AND BENEFITS.
IF MEDIATION FAILS, A STRIKE COULD START AS SOON AS TUESDAY MORNING. IN THE CASE OF A STRIKE, SCHOOLS WOULD BE CLOSED FOR THE FIRST DAY … STUDENTS WOULD RETURN THE SECOND DAY … BUT WITHOUT KEY STAFF INCLUDING PARAPROFESSIONALS, JANITORS, AND NURSES.
THE DISTRICT SAYS IT WOULD PAUSE ALL EARLY LEARNING AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROGRAMMING … BUT WINTER SPORTS WOULD CONTINUE AS PLANNED.
--OPERATION PARRIS UPDATE--
A FEDERAL JUDGE SAYS IMMIGRATION AGENTS CAN NOT ARREST AND DETAIN REFUGEES IN MINNESOTA.
IN A RULING FRIDAY, THE JUDGE RENEWED PROTECTIONS FOR VETTED LEGAL REFUGEES WHO ARE AWAITING GREEN CARDS, AND RIPPED INTO THE U-S GOVERNMENT, SAYING IT WAS TURNING REFUGEES’ “AMERICAN DREAM INTO A DYSTOPIAN NIGHTMARE.”
--CITIES CHURCH INDICTMENTS--
THIRTY MORE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH THE CITIES CHURCH PROTEST … BRINGING THE TOTAL NUMBER CHARGED TO THIRTY-NINE.
U-S ATTORNEY GENERAL PAM BONDI POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA FRIDAY THAT FEDERAL AGENTS HAD ARRESTED TWENTY-FIVE PEOPLE AND EXPECTED MORE ARRESTS SOON.
PROTESTERS … LED BY CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST AND ATTORNEY NEKIMA LEVY ARMSTRONG … INTERRUPTED A SERVICE AT CITIES CHURCH IN SAINT PAUL TO PROTEST ITS PASTOR’S ROLE AS ACTING FIELD OFFICE DIRECTOR FOR ICE.
--GUNFLINT TRAIL TOURISM--
[RUTH WAGNER: SKI TRAIL CONDITIONS ARE LOOKING LIKE THEY'RE GOING TO HOLD AND HOLD REALLY WELL FOR A WHILE YET HERE.]
LAST MONTH’S HEAVY SNOWSTORM BROUGHT A LATE-SEASON BOOST TO THE ARROWHEAD … IMPROVING TRAIL CONDITIONS AND DRAWING WINTER TOURISTS BACK TO THE GUNFLINT TRAIL.
GRAND MARAIS LODGE OWNER RUTH WAGNER TOLD AMPERS MEMBER STATION WTIP THAT BUSINESS IS HOLDING STRONG AS LONG AS THE SNOW DOES.
--DNR UPDATES--
AND FINALLY … SOMETHING SWEET.
AS WINTER WANES THROUGH MARCH … THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES IS OFFERING MAPLE SYRUP CLASSES AT PARKS ACROSS THE STATE.
LEARN TO TAP TREES … CATCH SAP … AND COOK SYRUP. COSTS VARY … CHECK THE DNR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFO.
BY THE TIME YOU’VE GOT YOUR SYRUP BOILED DOWN, THE D-N-R’S NEW LICENSING APP MIGHT JUST BE READY TO DOWNLOAD.
THE DNR SAYS IT EXPECTS TO ROLL OUT ITS NEW APP FOR PERMITS AND LICENSES THIS SPRING, THOUGH A FINAL DATE HASN’T YET BEEN FINALIZED.
THE APP WILL STREAMLINE THE PURCHASE AND STORAGE UP TO 400 DIFFERENT TYPES OF LICENSES AND PERMITS … AS WELL AS GIVE USERS ACCESS TO MAPS AND REGULATIONS.
AND FOR THE OLD FASHIONED … FEAR NOT. YOU CAN STILL BUY PAPER LICENSES DIRECTLY FROM AGENTS.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.