Minnesota
Minnesota-backed bill to make bald eagles the national bird heads to Biden’s desk
The bald eagle could soon become the national bird of the United States after a bill backed by Minnesota legislators passed the U.S. House on Monday. The bill earlier passed the Senate, and now awaits the signature of President Joe Biden.
You’d be forgiven for thinking the bald eagle already held the title of national bird. The bald eagle is on the national seal and has been a symbol of the U.S. since the country’s founding. But the U.S. has not had an official national bird.
Minnesota lawmakers introduced a bill to change that. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith helped lead the bill in the Senate, where it passed with bipartisan support in July.
“The bald eagle is a symbol of our country’s freedom and strength,” Klobuchar said in a statement. “With the passage of our legislation, the bald eagle will now officially be recognized as our nation’s national bird.”
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Minnesota U.S. Rep. Brad Finstad introduced the House version of the bill; the rest of the Minnesota delegation signed on as cosponsors.
A bald eagle flies high above Theodore Wirth Regional Park during the morning of the Minneapolis West Winter Bird Count on December 15, 2024.
Courtesy of Chris Boser
“More than 240 years ago, the Founding Fathers identified the bald eagle as a symbol of the strength and independence promised in our new nation,” Finstad said in a statement following the bill’s passage on Monday. “Today, we rightfully recognize the bald eagle as our official national bird — bestowing an honor that is long overdue.”
The bill drew support from the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, where eagle aficionado Preston Cook displays part of his 40,000-piece eagle collection. He’s been an advocate for designating the eagle as the national bird.
“This is an exciting day,” Cook said in a statement following the House vote. “With this legislation, we honor its historic role and solidify its place as our national bird and an emblem of our national identity.”
Legislators said Minnesota was a logical backer for the bill — the state has the second-highest number of bald eagles, behind only Alaska.
Police in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, are searching for a suspect after an individual was injured in a shooting following an altercation on Friday morning.
Officers responded to the 3300 block of 76th Street around 2:45 a.m. for a report of shots fired and a person who had been hit by gunfire, according to the Inver Grove Heights Police Department. They found the 911 caller, who was struck by a bullet. They were taken to a hospital and is expected to survive, officials said.
Investigators said the suspect was trying to get into the vehicle of the caller. Both individuals shot at each other after a short verbal altercation, according to police.
The suspect, whose description has yet to be disclosed by law enforcement, left the scene on foot.
Police are asking area residents who have video of the shooting or the suspect to email the footage to them.
Anyone who sees the suspect is urged not to approach them and to call 911. According to police, they are considered armed and dangerous.
Can you park in your own driveway with a pickup truck? HOA answers
Can you park in your own driveway with a pickup truck? HOA answers
A bipartisan bill limiting homeowners’ association fees, implementing new transparency and conflict-of-interest rules and establishing a path to dissolve some HOAs passed the Minnesota Senate Wednesday. The bill (SF1750) now heads to Gov. Tim Walz’s desk for final approval.
Homeowners in Minnesota have faced massive charges from their HOAs for questionable construction projects, like new roofs and siding. A 2025 Reformer investigation found that some HOA management companies hired their own subsidiaries to complete expensive construction projects. In at least one case, a homeowner wound up in foreclosure due to hefty assessments.
The bill passed by the Senate — and previously, by the House — would cap HOA fines at $100, with exceptions for repeat violations, health and safety risks, property damage or illegal rentals. It would require board members and property managers to disclose their financial relationships and recuse themselves from decisions from which they could financially benefit.
If signed into law by Walz, it would also require HOAs to make budgets available prior to meetings and to provide copies of contracts to residents upon request.
Multiple homeowners interviewed by the Reformer said that their questions for their HOA were referred to the board’s attorney — and then the resident was charged legal fees for the lawyers’ time.
The bill would bar HOAs from charging residents legal fees for questioning fines or charges unless a formal hearing is held and the fine or assessment is upheld.
The legislation is the product of years of collaboration and negotiations among homeowners, HOA board members, lawmakers and property management companies. In 2024, the Legislature created a working group tasked with proposing reforms to the state’s laws governing HOAs and similar organizations. Lawmakers on the task force held several listening sessions to hear homeowners’ horror stories (and support for HOAs via some dedicated board members).
The recommendations from that group became the foundation of the bill passed Wednesday.
“The reforms in this bill will rein in abusive HOAs by empowering residents with more information, more rights and more protections,” said Sen. Eric Lucero, R-St. Michael, the top Republican on the Senate housing committee and a member of the HOA working group. “This bill is a true bipartisan compromise — in addition to adding consumer protections, nearly every concern raised in good faith was addressed.”
Minnesota Reformer is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
The Minnesota Humanities Center has awarded more than $2.8 million in legacy grants for 43 festivals around the state.
This is the second year the Minnesota Legislature has provided funds from the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment. The Humanities Center received 141 applications and $14,149,967 in requests for proposed projects. The average grant request was $101,475 and 35 percent of applicants were outside of the seven-county metro area.
“I am thankful for the hard work of our review panels in reviewing the applications submitted,” said CEO Kevin Lindsey in a news release. “Funding will support the many unique, diverse and wonderful festivals in Minnesota that build our community and make our state an amazing place to live.”
St. Paul organizations that received funding include: 825 Arts ($122,700), Arts Us Center for the African Diaspora ($49,380), Full Circle Theatre Company ($51,250), India Association of Minnesota ($20,000), Indigenous Roots Cultural Arts Center ($40,000), International Festival of Minnesota ($194,250), Mizna ($55,000), Monarch Joint Venture ($37,840), Music Mission ($14,545), New Native Theatre ($114,500), Rondo Avenue Inc. ($80,000), Selby Avenue Jazz Festival ($100,000), the United Hmong ($220,000), Twin Cities Jazz Festival ($150,000), Walker West Music Academy ($100,000) and Westside Boosters Youth Athletic Club ($220,000).
Minneapolis organizations include: BIPOC Foodways Alliance ($62,160), Friends of Global Market, Inc. ($25,000), Minnesota People of Color LGBT Pride ($20,000), MSP Film Society ($100,000), Northeast Mpls Art Association ($38,067), Oromo Diaspora Media ($37,972), PCYC ($50,035), Rebound, Inc. ($24,825), SEAD Project ($82,800), Somali Museum ($56,366) and West Broadway Business and Area Coalition ($24,000).
Other groups in the metro that received funding include: Bloomington Pride ($10,000) and Tehor Tibetan Organization of MN ($24,000) in Bloomington; South St. Paul’s Dance Projects by ME ($50,000); Hiddo Soor International Organization ($55,000) and Pan Asian Arts Alliance ($49,800) in Plymouth; Minnesota Vietnamese Language School in Roseville ($16,500); and Brooklyn Park’s Umunne Cultural Association ($60,000).
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