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Minneapolis rent control ballot measure advances under threat of veto

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Minneapolis rent control ballot measure advances under threat of veto


The Minneapolis City Council. (FOX 9 file photo)

The Minneapolis City Council passed a resolution to begin the process for putting a 3% cap on rent hikes on the November ballot after a heated debate Thursday — but the measure lacked the votes needed to survive a promised mayoral veto. 

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Mayor Jacob Frey, who previously said he intends to veto any rent control proposal with a three percent cap, now has five days to veto the resolution, which passed by a vote of 7-5 in the Thursday morning council meeting.

Starting a process 

Council members Aisha Chughtai and Jamal Osman put forward the resolution, which directed the city attorney’s office to draft the referendum question to include a 3% cap on annual rent increases, with no exceptions for new construction or adjustment allowed for inflation. 

The ballot language would need to be approved by a council subcommittee and passed via an ordinance by the full council following a public hearing, a process that could take up to seven weeks. 

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As Chughtai explained, state law requires the ballot language to be approved by Aug. 25 for the ballots to be printed in time. She argued the council needed to act quickly to get the process started via the motion up for vote, but there would be several opportunities for members to make amendments or other adjustments to the policy.

“If you dislike components of this policy, that’s OK, let’s work together,” she told the council. 

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Those in favor 

Council member Jason Chavez pointed out the results of the 2021 referendum on rent control in Minneapolis in which voters approved a measure with 53% support to amend the city charter, giving the city council the power to enact rent control. He said support was just over 70% in his ward, which is one of the most diverse in the city. 

“Our communities of color and immigrants and families are being squeezed from all their money while the people in power continue to profit off our back,” he said. 

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Osman pleaded with those opposed to vote in favor and make changes further along in the process, saying, “Housing is a human right. The one thing we cannot do is stay quiet and not move forward… our residents expect us to do something and at least move something forward.”

Those opposed 

Council member Andrew Johnson opposed the resolution, arguing it would have unintended consequences harmful to renters. He said it would lead to an increase in rents because landlords would be incentivized to increase the rent by 3% every year since the proposal prohibited landlords from “banking” unused rent increases. 

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“It will frankly, increase the rent for renters by incentivizing all landlords to maximize the rent increases, particularly because of the ‘no banking,’ to the full amount, 3%, which on $1,000 a month unit is an additional $360 a year. The huge amount of money that’s comparable to several weeks of value on groceries for an individual,” he said. 

Tense exchange 

In pointed remarks, Council member LaTrisha Vetaw suggested the council focus on other ways to help renters of color, including universal basic income.  

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“There is nowhere in this country where you have rent control or rent stabilization policies that benefit people who look like me… It’s just become this fear tactic to make people think that somehow this will help them,” she said. 

This drew a rebuke from Council member Jeremiah Ellison. 

“I’ve had a lot of discussions with a lot of council members and a lot of advocates around the country around policies like rent stabilization. I will say that through the hundred hours of discussion, today might be the first time I’ve heard someone claim that these policies do not help black and brown people, that’s absurd,” he said. 

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Their exchange grew tense. Council President Andrea Jenkins intervened by banging the gavel on two occasions and reminded the members of the rules of decorum. 

Frey now has to decide whether to veto the motion or to let the process continue until the next council vote. His office did not respond to a request for comment by the time this story was published. 



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Minneapolis, MN

Readers Write: Gaetz, letters, political division, Election Day, Minneapolis City Council

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Readers Write: Gaetz, letters, political division, Election Day, Minneapolis City Council


What about retail workers, you may ask? Well, Black Friday has rightly been criticized for its imposition on Thanksgiving given its early start for shoppers and especially for employees. With the Friday recast as Election Day, stores would be disinclined to maintain their emphasis on this one shopping day, given the competition for media and public attention. They could instead put the third day of the four-day holiday weekend to good use, perhaps designating it as “Super Sale Saturday.” It’s likely that those fond of the new election results will be in a good spending mood, and those in distress about them will love a distracting day at the mall.

Perhaps most importantly, having the election right after Thanksgiving may also help inspire some American cohesion on the eve of what has become an intensely polarizing event. Our sense of belonging provided by family and friends, and celebrated with a group feast that is unique to American culture in all of its diversity, may emphasize the good will that we should hold toward each other, no matter our perceived differences.

Michael Friedman, Minneapolis

Andy Brehm’s lengthy Nov. 25 reconciliation piece, “Here’s one way we can help heal our divided country,” lacks the substance of the problem that is nine years old: no mention of the felon and alleged sexual predator who has laid out plans to bully the nation. Without this, Brehm, the aspiring peacemaker, remains a part of the national problem. No justice, no peace.

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Steve Watson, Minneapolis



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5 artists to keep an eye on from 2024’s Minneapolis College of Art and Design art sale

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5 artists to keep an eye on from 2024’s Minneapolis College of Art and Design art sale


The 27th annual Minneapolis College of Art and Design’s art sale was like a mix between a thrift store hunt and a stroll through a gallery.

This year, organizers of the art sale made it easier to navigate by grouping artists together rather than sprinkling their work through the four-day show that ended Nov. 24. The event wasn’t just a chance for artists to sell work but also a place to discover new talent. It included works from current MCAD students and alumni, which precluded current professors or employees unless they attend the school. Here’s a list of artists whose works caught my eye and should catch yours as well.

J.M. Culver’s “That, There” is an oil and charcoal painting on canvas. (J.M. Culver)

J.M. Culver

In her paintings, Minneapolis-based artist J.M. Culver explores memory and the human condition. Her painting “That, There,” a 5-by-5-foot oil and charcoal painting on canvas, portrays a room devoid of people, with a bright blue chair placed in the center of hazy-looking furniture. The painting evokes a sense of memory, but fragmented and maybe even false. Culver got her bachelor’s degree in fine arts from MCAD, and did her graduate studies at Syracuse University in New York. Check out her work on the art sale’s website or jmculver.com.

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The price tag for “Kit” by photographer Shun Yong was $2,000 at the 27th annual MCAD Art Sale. (Shun Yong)

Shun Yong’s photograph of a woman dressed in white sitting on a red couch jumped out at me. This large-scale portrait, titled “Kit,” captures a subtle moment in time: she’s knitting something in a domestic setting. The photo left me wanting to know more, but also feeling cautious to ask. Yong graduated with a master’s degree in photography from MCAD in 2018. For more info, visit shunjyong.com or the art sale’s website.

Artist Troy McCall’s painting “Snow Angels” was listed for $1,000 at the 27th annual MCAD Art Sale. (Troy McCall)

In each of artist Troy McCall’s paintings, there is something haunting, eerie or just plain unnerving. “Snow Angels” depicts an idyllic snow-covered sledding hill and a kid carving a snow angel with his body as a girl with a sled walks toward him. But look closer and you’ll see the fear on his face. Why is he scared, though? McCall’s painting lets viewers’ minds wander to various conclusions. The same sinister feeling lurks in paintings of classic American holidays such as Christmas, Halloween and the Fourth of July. McCall graduated with his bachelor’s degree in filmmaking from MCAD in 2008. See more of his work on the art sale’s website or at themccallcompany.com

Niky Motekallem’s illustration titled “A New Bed With Soil Softer than Cotton” was on display at Minneapolis College of Art and Design’s art sale. (Niky Motekallem)

Illustrator and artist Niky Motekallem’s lush, hyper detail-oriented paintings mostly depict flowers, plants and animals in various moments of beautiful decay. In one illustration, a lavender-colored bunny is wrapped in pink and purple flowers; in another, a gathering of butterflies nestles on aqua-and-green-tinted flowers. At the art sale, Motekallem’s paintings were encased in frames as ornate as the works themselves. The Iranian-American received her master’s degree in illustration from MCAD in 2016. More at nikymotekallem.com or Instagram.com/royalghostmarch.

“Rebirth Cycle: Oak (green)”, a hand-carved relief print by Jamie Kubat, was priced at $40 at the MCAD Art Sale. (Jamie Kubat)

I uncovered two prints by Minneapolis-based artist Jamie Kubat hidden away on a shelf on the second-floor of the art sale. The hand-carved relief prints depict a crow holding a mushroom next to a sheep skull, and surrounded by plants. In the haunting print “Ghost,” a horse trots through a world of swirling smoke. Kubat graduated from MCAD in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in drawing and painting. A multidisciplinary artist, Kubat draws on their experiences as an autistic person with a rural upbringing, and displayed works recently at “The Art of Disability Justice Now” at the Mill City Museum. To see more on Kubat, visit the art sale’s website or jamiekubat.com.





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Minneapolis police gear up ahead of the holiday weekend

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Minneapolis police gear up ahead of the holiday weekend


Minneapolis police gear up ahead of the holiday weekend – CBS Minnesota

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Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara talks about safety plans for the unofficial bar holiday, the night before Thanksgiving. WCCO’s Ubah Ali has the story.

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