State legislators fight over transgender rights in girls’ sports, the Festival of Nations returns under a new name, and trout season is upon us.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
COMING UP... IT’S ALMOST TIME TO GRAB THOSE LURES AND HOOKS FOR TROUT SEASON...
AND... FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN SEE BRAD PAISLEY LIVE IN MINNESOTA ...
BUT FIRST...
HOUSE REPUBLICANS FORCED A VOTE ON A BILL TIED TO TRANSGENDER ATHLETE PARTICIPATION IN GIRLS’ SPORTS … ARGUING MINNESOTA IS OUT OF STEP WITH FEDERAL TITLE NINE RULES AFTER A NEW U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT LAWSUIT.
TITLE NINE IS A FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS RULE THAT GUARANTEES GIRLS AND WOMEN THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES IN HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE ... ESPECIALLY IN ATHLETICS.
BILL AUTHOR, REPRESENTATIVE KRISTA KNUDSEN, ARGUED THE BILL WOULD PUT MINNESOTA IN LINE WITH THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATIONS INTERPRETATION OF TITLE NINE …
[REP. KRISTA KNUDSEN: WHEN BIOLOGICAL MALES ENTER GIRLS’ SPORTS, GIRLS LOSE. THEY LOSE MEDALS, THEY LOSE ROSTER SPOTS, THEY LOSE COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS AND THEY LOSE THEIR SAFETY.]
OPPONENTS PUSHED BACK JUST AS HARD … SAYING THE BILL MAKING CHILDREN POLITICAL PAWNS … AND DISCRIMINATES AGAINST TRANS KIDS.
REPRESENTATIVE LEAH FINKE … MINNESOTA’S FIRST TRANS LAWMAKER … SAID
[LEAH FINKE: WE HAD A SUPREME COURT RULING AFFIRM TRANSGENDER INCLUSION IS THE LAW.]
THREE HOURS OF DEBATE LATER … THE EFFORT FAILED ON A 67-TO-66 PARTY-LINE VOTE.
--HOUSE ETHICS CHARGES--
IN OTHER HOUSE NEWS … BOTH PARTIES SAY THEY ARE FILING ETHICS CHARGES AGAINST EACH OTHER.
D-F-L LEADERS FILED CHARGES AGAINST REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVES ELLIOT ENGEN AND WALTER HUDSON … ACCUSING THE TWO LAWMAKERS OF SKIPPING OUT OF A COMMITTEE HEARING ON STUDENT ABSENTEEISM TO GO DRINK AT A BAR
EARLY THE NEXT DAY... ENGEN WAS LATER ARRESTED FOR D-W-I … AND POLICE SAY HUDSON WAS IN THE TRUCK WITH A CONCEALED HANDGUN.
IN SOCIAL MEDIA POST, REPRESENTATIVE HUDSON CALLED THE ETHICS CHARGES A “DUMB MOVE.”
HOUSE SPEAKER LISA DEMOUTH STRIPPED ENGEN AND HUDSON OF ALL THEIR COMMITTEE SEATS.
MEANWHILE... REPUBLICANS FILED AN ETHICS COMPLAINT AGAINST DEMOCRAT REPRESENTATIVE ALEX FALCONER … ACCUSING HIM OF BEING A “LOBBYIST LEGISLATOR” … SAYING HE’S SPONSORED BILLS THAT BENEFIT ENVIRONMENTAL NONPROFITS HE WORKS WITH.
FALCONER SAYS HIS WORK IS TRANSPARENT AND ABOVE BOARD … AND CALLS THE COMPLAINT A DISTRACTION FROM THE ENGEN-HUDSON CONTROVERSY.
--CHIEF JUSTICE RETIRES--
THE STATE’S TOP JUDGE WILL STEP DOWN FROM THE MINNESOTA SUPREME COURT...
CHIEF JUSTICE NATALIE HUDSON WILL RETIRE IN SEPTEMBER... SHORTLY BEFORE HER 70TH BIRTHDAY... THE MANDATORY RETIREMENT AGE FOR JUDGES.
GOVERNOR TIM WALZ APPOINTED HER AS CHIEF JUSTICE IN 2023.
--WOMAN FROM BURNSVILLE W MEDICAL CONDITION DETAINED--
A FEDERAL JUDGE IN TEXAS SAYS A WOMAN ARRESTED IN MINNESOTA MUST REMAIN IN IMMIGRATION DETENTION.
ICE ARRESTED ANDREA PEDRO-FRANCISCO IN FEBRUARY IN BURNSVILLE, AS SHE WAS HEADING TO WORK, AND LATER TRANSFERRED HER TO TEXAS.
PEDRO-FRANCISCO IS GUATEMALAN AND HAD BEEN SCHEDULED FOR SURGERY FOR A SERIOUS OVARIAN CYST.
THE JUDGE RULED FEDERAL LAW REQUIRES HER TO REMAIN IN DETENTION WHILE HER CASE MOVES FORWARD.
--FINANCIAL AID MODEL LUMINA GRANT--
MINNESOTA LANDED A ONE-HUNDRED-THOUSAND-DOLLAR NATIONAL GRANT TO REDESIGN HOW THE STATE GIVES OUT COLLEGE FINANCIAL AID.
THE LUMINA FOUNDATION MONEY WILL HELP MINNESOTA TEST A SIMPLER FORMULA WITH MORE STABLE, PREDICTABLE AWARDS.
THE AWARD COMES AS THE STATE DEALS WITH FEDERAL PRESSURE OVER FOR ITS CURRENT STATE FINANCIAL AID MODEL THAT GRANTS COLLEGE AID FOR SOME UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS.
A JUDGE DISMISSED A FEDERAL COURT CHALLENGE LAST MONTH.
--HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES--
MINNESOTA’S HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 20-25 SET A GRADUATION RECORD...
THE STATE SAYS 84-POINT-9 PERCENT OF SENIORS EARNED THEIR DIPLOMA IN FOUR YEARS.
THAT’S UP FROM 84-POINT-2 PERCENT THE YEAR BEFORE.
FOUR-YEAR GRADUATION RATES WERE LOWER IN SOME DISTRICTS... INCLUDING SAINT CLOUD, MINNEAPOLIS, AND ST. PAUL.
--INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL--
A STAPLE OF HIGH SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS … AND A LONGTIME CELEBRATION OF GLOBAL CULTURE IN MINNESOTA… IS BACK AFTER A SEVEN-YEAR BREAK … WITH A NEW NAME.
THE FESTIVAL OF NATIONS IS NOW CALLED THE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL … IT STILL SHOWCASES CULTURES FROM AROUND THE WORLD THROUGH FOOD, MUSIC, AND DANCE.
FESTIVAL DIRECTOR STEVE HECKLER THE EVENT WILL BE MORE CONTEMPORARY:
[STEVE HECKLER: WE WANT TO BRING IT BACK TO LIFE OF WHAT THE FESTIVAL OF NATIONS WAS … BUT WE ALSO WANT IT TO BE REFLECTIVE OF WHERE COMMUNITIES ARE NOW.]
THE FESTIVAL IS NOW JUST TWO DAYS … BUT STILL FEATURES A WIDE VARIETY OF FOOD VENDORS … AND MORE THAN ONE-THOUSAND MUSIC AND DANCE PERFORMERS … REPRESENTING NEARLY 70 NATIONALITIES.
THE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL RUNS THIS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AT SAINT PAUL’S RIVERCENTRE …
--FISHIN ‘N HUNTIN SEASON--
MINNESOTA ANGLERS AND HUNTERS ARE ABOUT TO HAVE FUN.
STREAM TROUT SEASON OPENS STATEWIDE THIS SATURDAY, APRIL ELEVENTH, WITH NEARLY THIRTY-EIGHT-HUNDRED MILES OF DESIGNATED TROUT STREAMS.
AND ... SPRING TURKEY SEASON STARTS APRIL FIFTEENTH
WHETHER YOU’RE CHASING TROUT OR LISTENING FOR GOBBLES, THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES REMINDS YOU TO GET YOUR LICENSE, STAMP, AND GEAR READY NOW... GO TO THE D-N-R STATE WEBSITE FOR ALL THE PERMITS AND INFORMATION.
--STATE FAIR CONCERTS – BRAD PAISLEY, BONNIE RAITT, ROD STEWART, RICHARD MARX--
THE MINNESOTA STATE FAIR JUST ANNOUNCE THE LABOR DAY HEADLINER CONCERT...
COUNTRY MUSIC HITMAKERS BRAD PAISLEY AND AVERY ANNA WILL TAKE THE MAIN STAGE ON SEPTEMBER THIRD... BUT.. YOU WANT TO MAKE PLANS TO GET TICKETS NOW.. THEY GO ON SALE ON ETIX THIS FRIDAY AT TEN A-M.
OTHER STATE FAIR CONCERTS A INCLUDE COUNTRY MUSIC LEGEND BONNIE RAITT.. AND ROCK MUSIC STARS ROD STEWART AND RICHARD MARX...