New fights: over the Google data center in Hermantown & the state legislature’s 2024 omnibus bill, plus Minnesota could get a new saint.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
[HERMANTOWN OVERFLOW-ROOM CONFRONTATION, YELLING]
SHOUTS OF PROTEST ... AND AN ORDER TO CLEAR THE ROOM.
COMING UP... HEAR DETAILS ON THE LATEST FIGHT IN HERMANTOWN.
AND...
[BISHOP DANIEL FELTON: HE WILL BE CALLED A SERVANT OF GOD.]
AND... THE DULUTH DIOCESE COMPLETES THE FIRST STEP TO DECLARE A MINNESOTAN .. A SAINT.
BUT FIRST...
--RED LAKE NATION SEKI RESIGNATION REFUSAL--
THE FEDERAL TAKEOVER OF CHILD WELFARE SERVICES HAS DIVIDED NORTHERN MINNESOTA’S RED LAKE NATION.
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS AND THE F-B-I TOOK OVER IN SEPTEMBER ... CITING ALLEGED FAILURES TO PROTECT CHILDREN AND AT LEAST EIGHT DEATHS.
NOW.. RED LAKE NATION NEWS REPORTS SOME MEMBERS BLAME TRIBAL LEADERS ... WHILE OTHERS QUESTION FEDERAL AUTHORITIES... THE DIVISION COMES AFTER A CLOSED-MEETING FOR ALL NATION MEMBERS TUESDAY .
CHAIRMAN DARRELL SEKI SENIOR REJECTED THE COUNCIL’S CALL TO RESIGN MONDAY.
COMMUNITY MEMBERS HELD A VIGIL THAT EVENING ...
[MUSIC TRANSITION]
--HERMANTOWN COUNCIL MEETING SHOUTING OVER DATA CENTER--
[SHOUTING AT HERMANTOWN CITY COUNCIL]
THESE SHOUTS ARE FROM HERMANTOWN RESIDENTS... THE MAYOR AND A COUNCIL MEMBER.. AFTER A UNANIMOUS COUNCIL VOTE APPROVED NEW POWER LINES FOR GOOGLE’S DATA CENTER ... NEAR DULUTH.
POLICE ESCORTED PEOPLE OUT OF THE BUILDING ... AND THE MAYOR ORDERED THE COUNCIL MEETING'S OVERFLOW ROOM CLEARED.
DULUTH MONITOR PUBLISHER JOHN RAMOS SAYS COUNCIL MEMBERS LISTENED TO HOURS OF TESTIMONY FROM RESIDENTS OPPOSING THE PROJECT... AND THEN VOTED WITHOUT DISCUSSION.
[JOHN RAMOS, DULUTH MONITOR PUBLISHER: AND YOU CAN JUST SENSE THE FRUSTRATION FROM ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST AT LEAST LOOKING FOR AN EXPLANATION.]
GOOGLE HAS DROPPED ITS REQUEST FOR UP TO EIGHTY MILLION DOLLARS IN TAX BREAKS ...
RAMOS CREDITS THE RESIDENTS WHO KEEP COMING BACK AND MAKING THEIR VOICES HEARD...
[JOHN RAMOS, DULUTH MONITOR PUBLISHER: IF NOTHING ELSE IT HAS LED TO GOOGLE MAKING A LOT OF CONCESSIONS THAT THEY MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE HAVE MADE.]
THE RESIDENTS ALSO GAINED SOME FINANCIAL PROTECTIONS AGAINST FUTURE BLIGHT IF GOOGLE EVER VACATES THE DATA CENTER.
--MINNESOTA RURAL HOSPITAL CRISIS--
MINNESOTA'S HOSPITAL LEADERS HOPE VOTERS WILL MAKE A LOUD STATEMENT IN THE UPCOMING ELECTION ... AS MANY RURAL COMMUNITIES ARE FACING A CRISIS IN HOSPITAL CARE.
HOSPITAL LEADERS WARN CURRENT FINANCIAL PRESSURES FACING HOSPITALS ARE FORCING PATIENTS ACROSS THE STATE TO DRIVE FARTHER TO HAVE A BABY... OR GO TO AN EMERGENCY ROOM.
THEY URGE THE NEXT GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATURE TO ENACT LAWS TO KEEP **LOCAL SERVICES OPEN ... AS NEW FEDERAL MEDICAID RULES COULD LEAVE MORE PATIENTS UNINSURED.
THE C-E-O OF COMMUNITY MEMORIAL IN CLOQUET SAYS HIS HOSPITAL HAS ACTUALLY STOPPED DELIVERING BABIES BECAUSE OF STAFFING SHORTAGES.
[RICK BREUER, COMMUNITY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL: HERE’S WHAT NOBODY TELLS YOU ABOUT CLOSING A SERVICE — THE PATIENTS DON’T GO AWAY. THE NEED DOESN’T GO AWAY. IT JUST MOVES FARTHER FROM HOME.]
THE GROUP RELEASED A NEW REPORT ON THE STATE OF MINNESOTA'S RURAL HOSPITALS.. THAT FINDS FEWER THAN HALF OF THEM STILL HAVE A MATERNITY WARD.
--MN BUILDERS LAWSUIT--
TWO BUILDERS’ GROUPS BRINGING THE NEWEST CHALLENGE TO MINNESOTA’S MASSIVE 2024 MEGA-BILL .. CALLED AN OMNIBUS BILL...… ASKING THE COURT TO OVERTURN PARTS OF IT … OR THE ENTIRE THING.
THE STATE CONSTITUTION REQUIRES EACH LAW TO COVER JUST *ONE SUBJECT …
BUT ... TWO YEARS AGO... D-F-L LAWMAKERS COMBINED ALL KINDS OF SUBJECTS... EVERYTHING FROM TAXES TO GUN REGULATIONS.... INTO A 14-HUNDRED-PAGE MEGA-BILL … AND PASSED IT IN THE FINAL MINUTES OF THE SESSION.
[NICHOLAS NESLON, UMLC: SO YOU CAN WIND UP WITH REGULATIONS THAT THAT THAT NONE OF THEM WOULD HAVE GOTTEN ENACTED HAD THE LEGISLATURE VOTED THEM UP OR DOWN ONE AT A TIME.]
NOW... THE UPPER MIDWEST LAW CENTER IS SUING THE STATE... ON BEHALF OF THE BUILDERS GROUPS … WHO SAY NEW RULES FOR THEIR INDUSTRY WERE UNCONSTITUTIONALLY BUNDLED WITH UNRELATED POLICIES.
THIS IS THE SIXTH TIME SOMEONE HAS CHALLENGED THE 20-24 MEGA-BILL...
LAST YEAR A RAMSEY COUNTY JUDGE STRUCK DOWN ONE SECTION OF THE BILL REGARDING GUNS... BUT LET THE OVERALL BILL STAND.
THE BUILDERS GROUPS NOW ARE ASKING COURTS TO OVERTURN THE WHOLE THING…
[NICHOLAS NELSON, UMLC: IF A CONSTITUTIONAL VIOLATION IS VERY BIG, IT'S MORE IMPORTANT THAT IT GET UNDONE, AND IT MAY TAKE SOME WORK.]
THE STATE ARGUES ANY INVALID LAWS SHOULD BE DEALT WITH INDIVIDUALLY … INSTEAD OF STRIKING DOWN THE WHOLE BILL.
--SAINTHOOD FOR DULUTH DIOCESE--
--BUH NOMINATED FOR POSSIBLE SAINTHOOD --
MORE THAN A CENTURY AFTER HIS DEATH... A PRIEST WHO TRAVELED NORTHERN MINNESOTA BY CANOE... HORSEBACK AND SNOWSHOES... HAS TAKEN THE FIRST FORMAL STEP TOWARD POSSIBLE SAINTHOOD.
DURING A HISTORIC CEREMONY IN DULUTH... BISHOP DANIEL FELTON REFLECTED ON THE LIFELONG DEVOTION OF MONSIGNOR JOSEPH BUH.
[BISHOP DANIEL FELTON: I CAN THINK OF NO BETTER DESCRIPTION OF JOSEPH BUH THAN SERVANT OF GOD.]
BUH HELPED ESTABLISH DOZENS OF CHURCHES ACROSS THE NORTH COUNTRY... SERVING OJIBWE COMMUNITIES AND IMMIGRANT MINERS.
BISHOP FELTON SAYS THE MISSIONARY'S WORK BEGAN WITH BUILDING TRUST AND UNDERSTANDING.
[SOT: BISHOP DANIEL FELTON: HE JUST LIVED WITH THE PEOPLE AND HE LEARNED THEIR LANGUAGE.]
THE DULUTH DIOCESE WILL NOW INVESTIGATE HIS LIFE AND WRITINGS... ON A PATH THAT COULD EVENTUALLY LEAD TO SAINTHOOD.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I'M XAN HOLSTON.