A St. Paul bar gets a peace prize from a European football club, northern schools consider a four-day week to cut costs, and Minnesota looks to shake its dependence on Gulf State ammonia.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
A SAINT PAUL BAR GETS A PEACE PRIZE FROM A EUROPEAN FOOTBALL CLUB …
AND.. A FOUR DAY SCHOOL WEEK TO CUT COSTS.. ...
BUT FIRST...
[TRISTAN WILMES: MINNESOTA FARMERS SHOULD NOT BE DEPENDENT ON GLOBAL MARKETS FOR ONE OF OUR MOST ESSENTIAL INPUTS.]
--AMMONIA IN MINNESOTA--
WAR WITH IRAN IS HITTING AMERICAN FARMERS ... DISRUPTING GLOBAL FERTILIZER SUPPLY CHAINS AND DRIVING UP PRICES AHEAD OF SPRING PLANTING.
MUCH OF THE WORLD’S FERTILIZER INGREDIENTS FLOW THROUGH THE PERSIAN GULF... THE WAR WITH IRAN HAS SENT AMMONIA PRICES UP ABOUT 250-DOLLARS A TON SINCE FEBRUARY
BUT A POSSIBLE ‘NEW GREEN AMMONIA’ COULD BREAK MINNESOTA FARMERS’ RELIANCE ON VOLATILE FOREIGN MARKETS ... IF STATE LAWMAKERS SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL.
ANHYDROUS AMMONIA IS A KEY INGREDIENT IN FARMING FERTILIZERS … AND ALMOST ALL OF WHAT MINNESOTA USES IS IMPORTED...
FARM BUSINESS COALITION “MINNESOTA MADE AMMONIA” IS ASKING STATE LAWMAKERS FOR EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS TO BUILD FACILITIES TO PRODUCE AMMONIA IN-STATE … LARGELY POWERED WITH WIND ENERGY. ACCORDING TO COALITION MEMBER TRISTAN WILMES:
[TRISTAN WILMES: THIS PROJECT WILL SUPPLY AMMONIA TO COVER A SIGNIFICANT PORTION — IF NOT ALL — OF OUR ANNUAL NEEDS.]
FOUR-OF THE EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS WOULD GO DIRECTLY TO TALUSAG — A PRIVATE COMPANY — TO BUILD AND OPERATE THE PROJECT.
SOME LAWMAKERS, LIKE REPRESENTATIVE LUKE FREDRICK, SUPPORT MAKING GREEN AMMONIA IN-STATE... BUT QUESTION THE LACK OF A PUBLIC BIDDING PROCESS FOR THE JOB.
[REP. FREDRICK: I IMMEDIATELY ASSUME THAT THOSE DOLLARS — ANY PROFIT THAT THEY’RE MAKING — WILL BE FUNDED RIGHT BACK TO THOSE PRIVATE EQUITY VENTURES TO ENRICH THEIR OWN POCKETS.]
A HOUSE ENERGY PANEL DEBATED THE BILL … AND COULD INCLUDE IT IN A PACKAGE OF FARM-AGRICULTURE RELATED BILLS GOING FORWARD.
--OMNIBUS BILL EXPLAINER--
RIGHT NOW AT THE CAPITOL… LAWMAKERS ARE ENTERING WHAT’S CALLED ‘OMNIBUS SEASON’…
DURING THE SECOND HALF OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION… HUNDREDS OF INDIVIDUAL BILLS THAT MAY HAVE (OR HAVEN’T!) PASSED COMMITTEES GET COMBINED INTO A HANDFUL OF MASSIVE PACKAGES...
FOR EXAMPLE... 50 DIFFERENT FARM-RELATED BILLS GO IN... AND ONE GIANT AGRICULTURE BILL COMES OUT FOR A FINAL FLOOR VOTE.
THE OMNIBUS PROCESS IS POWERFUL... AND EFFICIENT, HELPING THE LEGISLATURE FINISH ON DEADLINE.
BUT... IT IS CRITICIZED FOR A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY…BECAUSE LAWMAKERS OFTEN DON'T GET TIME TO READ THE MASSIVE OMNIBUS BILL BEFORE THEY VOTE.
--MN FORAGING ACT--
MEANWHILE IN THE SENATE … A BILL EXPANDING FORAGERS’ RIGHTS NARROWLY PASSED IN THE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE AND LEGACY … BUT ITS NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET.
BILL AUTHOR SENATOR SUSAN PHA SAYS THE BILL WOULD DEFINE FORAGING AS A LEGITIMATE PASTIME LIKE HUNTING OR FISHING … AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IT WOULD BE LEGAL FOR FORAGERS TO PICK MOST PLANTS IN MINNESOTA STATE FOREST LANDS.
[SEN. SUSAN PHA: BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, WE'RE RESTRICTING EVERYTHING, EXCEPT FOR BERRIES, NUTS, MUSHROOMS AND A FEW OTHER ITEMS.]
THE BILL WOULD ALSO ESTABLISH A FIVE-YEAR RESEARCH PHASE TO DETERMINE WHICH… IF ANY … PLANTS SHOULD BE RESTRICTED … AND CREATE EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS TO INTRODUCE WOULD-BE FORAGERS TO BEST PRACTICES.
--TICK SEASON’S GREETINGS--
IF YOU DO GET OUT INTO THE WOODS TO FORAGE FOR MOREL MUSHROOMS OR OTHER SPRING TREATS … A REMINDER TO CHECK YOURSELF FOR TICKS.
BLACK-LEGED — OR DEER — TICKS SPREAD MOST OF MINNESOTA’S TICK-BORNE DISEASES … AND HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY ABOUT ONE IN THREE ADULT BLACKLEGGED TICKS CARRIES LYME BACTERIA.
THEY RECOMMEND DOING FULL BODY CHECK … REMOVING TICKS QUICKLY … AND SHOWERING SOON AFTER YOU COME INSIDE … TO HELP LOWER RISKS OF GETTING SICK.
[MUSIC TRANSITION]
--FOUR-DAY SCHOOL WEEK — KAXE--
SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE ARE STRUGGLING WITH BUDGET DEFICITS... AND NEED TO CUT COSTS.
ONE OPTION IS A FOUR-DAY SCHOOL WEEK... WHICH SAVES BIG ON TRANSPORTATION BUDGETS, ALONE
TWO OF THE LATEST NORTHERN MINNESOTA SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO DEBATE A SCHEDULE CHANGE ... MADE DIFFERENT DECISIONS.
REPORTER MEGAN BUFFINGTON OF AMPERS’ AFFILIATE KAXE HAS THE STORY.
[MEGAN BUFFINGTON: THE ELY SCHOOL BOARD UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED A FOUR DAY SCHOOL WEEK STARTING THIS FALL.]
--SUPERINTENDENT ANN ELKE WROTE IN AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THE DECISION FOLLOWS MONTHS OF FEEDBACK AND FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS. --
--THE TIMBER J REPORTS, THE DISTRICT ESTIMATES $200,000 IN SAVINGS WITH THE MOVE — A SIGNIFICANT CHUNK OF THE HALF-A-MILLION DOLLARS IT AIMS TO CUT.--
--THE ROCK RIDGE SCHOOL BOARD, MEANWHILE, VOTED SIX TO ONE TO KEEP A FIVE-DAY SCHOOL WEEK. --
--THE DISTRICT HAS BEEN CONSIDERING THE ALTERNATIVE SCHEDULE FOR ABOUT A MONTH AS IT WORKS TO ADDRESS A $2.5 MILLION BUDGET SHORTFALL — THE FOUR DAY WEEK WOULD HAVE SAVED AN ESTIMATED $250,000.--
--THE BOARD DIDN'T RULE OUT A FOUR DAY WEEK IN THE FUTURE — BUDGET ISSUES AREN'T EXPECTED TO GO AWAY ANYTIME SOON, AS SCHOOL DISTRICTS GRAPPLE WITH A LACK OF STATE AID AND DECLINING ENROLLMENT.--
--MEGAN BUFFINGTON, KAXE NEWS.]--
--ST PAULI FC PEACE PRIZE--
AND FINALLY …
SAINT PAUL’S BLACK HART BAR IS GETTING INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION … AS GERMAN SOCCER CLUB FC SAINT PAULI AWARDED OWNER WES BURDINE ITS NEWLY CREATED PEACE PRIZE.
THE LEFT-LEANING CLUB CANCELLED ITS U-S SUMMER TOUR DUE TO CONCERNS AROUND ICE … BUT WANTED TO SHOW ITS SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS HERE.
THE CLUB SAYS ITS HONORING BURDINE FOR MAKING BLACK HART A QUEER COMMUNITY SPORTS BAR … AND HELPING IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORS TARGETED BY OPERATION METRO SURGE.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.