Minneapolis, MN
Stark difference in MN politics: Dysfunctional House vs. efficient Senate
MN Senate, House off to different starts
The Minnesota Senate and House of Republicans have so far produced a stark difference in levels of efficiency to begin this year’s legislative session. FOX 9’s Corin Hoggard breaks down the details.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – The dysfunctional Minnesota House of Representatives seems unlikely to function as normal until at least Thursday, and possibly for weeks afterward.
On Capitol Hill
The backstory:
House Republicans filed written arguments with the state Supreme Court Tuesday, arguing the court should stay out of the fight over what constitutes a quorum – the number of representatives needed to do any business.
They say it’s 67, so they’ve gone about business as usual with 67 Republicans.
Democrats say it’s 68, but they’re trying to negotiate a power-sharing agreement before going to court.
“Both of us have huge downsides, and those are uncertainties that you can control through a settlement agreement,” said Rep. Melissa Hortman, (DFL-Brooklyn Park), who’s leading DFLers in their boycott to deny quorum.
The state’s highest court will hear arguments Thursday.
An election to fill the empty House seat is still more than a month away, but Democrats expect to win that seat and have a 67-67 tie in the House.
Republicans have a one-member advantage until then.
Senate efficiency advantage
Dig deeper:
Republicans haven’t used that advantage to do a lot yet, while the Minnesota Senate has been a model of efficiency.
Senators are sharing power across parties, and they’ve already authored more than 400 bills.
House Republicans have only produced 10 bills to date, and they say those are their priorities.
Three are related to fraud prevention, but most of them are very partisan bills with little chance of passing a mixed legislature.
Half-empty rooms are hearing the 2025 priorities for House Republicans, with fraud prevention getting first billing.
Finding fraud
Why you should care:
Rep. Jim Nash, (R-Waconia) wants all legislators to get a five-year scorecard on audits at state agencies.
“These have value,” Rep. Nash said. “We should be looking at them for a longer period of time. We should take advantage of them as we process a request for funding.”
Meanwhile, bipartisan Senate bills would add extra time in prison for people who lead police on chases, or who attack youth sports referees.
And GOP bills are already getting attention in committees.
“We did lay this bill over last year, and it seems to be gaining some momentum,” said Sen. Steve Drazkowski, (R-Mazeppa), as he moved a tax bill through committee.
Senators are also working on their own fraud prevention bills, but their approach is different.
Senate Democrats are trying to follow an outline from Gov. Walz.
Where the GOP would create an entire Office of the Inspector General, the governor proposed a Fraud and Financial Crimes unit at the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
He also suggested a pilot program using artificial intelligence to detect fraud.
It’s not in any bill yet, but House Republicans say they’re on board.
“It is a tool that can be used to look for irregularities,” said Rep. Nash. “And I think that it would have found some of those things that would have been popping up with Feeding our Future.”
We’re still a long way from seeing any bills passed at the Capitol and when they do, it’ll require bipartisanship.
Neither party can pass a bill without at least one vote from the other side.
The scene of the crash at 26th Avenue North and Emerson Avenue North in Minneapolis. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Minneapolis woman was sentenced for her role in a deadly crash that killed two women and injured two other people in December 2024.
READ MORE: Minneapolis woman charged in fatal high-speed crash faces additional charges
Woman sentenced in fatal Minneapolis crash
Big picture view:
Prosecutors say Teniki Steward drove a Buick Enclave into a bus shelter and a Ford Explorer after speeding through a red light.
Both of the women in the Ford Explorer died in the crash. They were identified as 53-year-old Ester Jean Fulks and 57-year-old Rose Elaine Reece.
During the crash, the Ford Explorer went off the road, injuring a 17-year-old boy who was waiting for a school bus.
The passenger in Steward’s vehicle also suffered injuries.
Minneapolis police said that Steward was also injured in the crash.
Steward pleaded guilty to multiple murder charges.
What they’re saying:
During the sentencing, the daughter of one of the victims had a statement read on her behalf:
“There’s nothing that can truly prepare you for the moment your entire world is taken from you. Losing my mom has left a pain in my heart that words will never be able to explain.”
What’s next:
Minnesota law requires that Steward serves at least two-thirds of her sentence, a bit under eight-and-a-half years, in prison.
Fatal Emerson and 26th crash
The backstory:
According to the criminal complaint, through surveillance videos from the scene of the crash and witnesses, investigators learned that Steward, driving the Buick Enclave, had been driving at a high rate of speed northbound on Emerson Avenue North.
Before the fatal crash, Steward sped through the intersection of Emerson Avenue North and Broadway Avenue North, running a red light and nearly causing a crash, the charges said.
Steward then continued to speed northbound down Emerson Avenue North, and ran another red light at 26th Avenue North, hitting the Ford Explorer, which was traveling eastbound, according to the complaint.
The Ford Explorer had been at the intersection of Emerson and 26th on a green light.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty shared the following statement:
“This was an egregious act that took Rose and Esther’s lives and injured a child waiting to go to school at a bus stop. Ms. Steward was driving at extremely dangerous speeds on city streets and narrowly avoided multiple collisions before the incident occurred. Third-degree murder charges are appropriate to hold her accountable and protect our community.”
The Source: This story uses information gathered from an Olmsted County court appearance and previous FOX 9 reporting.
A motorcyclist is dead after an early morning crash in Minneapolis Friday morning.
The Minnesota State Patrol said that at 1:20 a.m., a Suzuki Motorcycle going north on I-35W at Johnson Street hit the left side of the median guard rail.
The motorcycle continued north for about another quarter mile before coming to a rest on the right-hand side.
State Patrol said the rider came to rest on the left shoulder. He was later identified as 21-year-old Andrew James Neuberger.
ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – The Rochester Spartans boys volleyball team played its second game on consecutive nights. The Spartans beat Minneapolis Camden 3-0.
Rochester’s next game will be Tuesday, April 21, at St. Anthony Village at 7:00 p.m.
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