COMMENTARY

Commentary: Mutual aid when the unimaginable occurs

Emily Thabes, Beltrami County Historical Society — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

When the impossible happened around 1 a.m. on Saturday, when up to 120 mph winds equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane ripped through Bemidji, something else happened too.

People showed up for each other.

This town gets relentlessly beaten up in regional media for poverty, crime, high crime rates plaguing the community, and all the ways late-stage capitalism tears apart working communities. This town that supposedly has nothing left to give had everything to offer when the unthinkable occurred.

Despite 90-degree heat, residents emerged with chainsaws, generators, water, and supplies because that's what a community does.

When the sky fell down

The derecho that struck Bemidji wasn't just another storm. Emergency Management and the National Weather Service, conducting damage assessment, confirmed that winds over 105 mph put the storm at the equivalent of a strong Category 3 hurricane.

Mayor Jorge Prince called it the most damaging storm ever to hit the city. That assessment isn't hyperbole when you see houses split open by centuries-old oaks, roofs torn off buildings everywhere, vehicles flipped, and thousands of trees down.

The storm carved a path of destruction that spared no Bemidji neighborhood, demolishing the myth that disasters discriminate by zip code or income level. Over 80% of Beltrami County lost power, leaving thousands without electricity, water, or air conditioning during an intense heat wave.

But here's what the headlines miss: Before the National Weather Service could even confirm the storm's classification, before what's left of federal disaster response could even consider mobilizing, before the state's Emergency Operations Center could fully coordinate, Bemidji was already taking care of Bemidji.

Mutual aid in motion

The annual Loop the Lake biking festival around Lake Bemidji was canceled Saturday. Still, food for the event was donated to the Sanford Center, where volunteers cooked burgers and distributed cases of water.

Jason Rylander and Mychal Stittsworth fired up grills to feed patients at Sanford Hospital. Volunteers unloaded donated water while others wielded chainsaws to clear roads and rescue neighbors.

This wasn't charity — this was mutual aid in its purest form, the kind that Indigenous communities and Black and other marginalized communities have practiced for centuries as a response to and rejection of the injustices they've faced.

With a recorded history in Black and Creole communities dating back to the mid-1700s, when official systems fail or move too slowly, communities that understand survival create their own networks of care.

Monaya MaGaurn, 40, visited Greenwood Cemetery with an electric chainsaw to clear the graves of her grandparents and father, saying, "I cleaned up my business this morning, so I decided to come down here to try and clean up a little bit."

That sentence contains multitudes — the understanding that care extends beyond the living, that recovery is both practical and sacred, and that showing up means doing what needs doing without being asked.

What happened in Bemidji reflects a broader pattern emerging across climate-impacted communities. In the face of increasingly severe climate emergencies, mutual aid collectives have emerged as critical actors in providing immediate relief and fostering long-term community resilience.

From established local groups distributing food, water, toiletries, and medical supplies immediately after Hurricane Fiona struck Puerto Rico to Imagine Water Works' Mutual Aid Response Network in New Orleans, which facilitated thousands of mutual aid exchanges in response to the pandemic and multiple hurricanes, communities are creating the safety nets that institutions fail to provide.

This isn't new — it's the recovery of something essential. Historically denied equal access to recovery resources such as loans and government aid, members of these communities often depended on one another to get by — pooling money, sharing food, and providing transportation or other needed resources.

What Bemidji demonstrated isn't extraordinary — it's what communities do when they remember they have each other. The United National Weather Team providing free water, hot dogs, and charging stations. The United Way of Bemidji Area coordinating volunteer efforts. Individual residents checking on neighbors, sharing generators, opening homes to those displaced.

As one resident, Charice English, observed: "The only good thing about the storm is that it needs to bring people together."

Building power for what's coming

Gov. Tim Walz acknowledged the community response, stating, "Our emergency managers are on the ground in Beltrami County and ready to assist local authorities in the wake of severe storms last night. Grateful to hear no reports of anyone losing their life. We'll work together to rebuild."

County Board Chair Craig Gaasvig declared, "Tough times like this can shine a light on how much good we have in our community, and how fortunate we are to have people come from other communities and agencies to help us get through this challenging time."

These leaders understand what Bemidji demonstrated: that community strength emerges in crisis. But mutual aid isn't just about responding to disasters — it's about building the relationships and systems that make communities resilient before disaster strikes.

By thinking about both the process and product of resilience design, we can help shift resilience design efforts to be more effective for marginalized communities on the front lines of climate change.

The people power that emerged in Bemidji's crisis didn't materialize from nothing. It grew from the soil of existing relationships, from people who already understood that their liberation was bound up with their neighbors'.

The question isn't whether Bemidji will face more climate emergencies —increases in precipitation and other extreme weather will continue contributing to flooding, erosion, declining water quality, and negative impacts on transportation, agriculture, human health, and infrastructure.

The question is whether communities will be ready with networks of care that don't wait for official permission to start helping.

The path forward requires both immediate action and long-term relationship building:

Strengthen local mutual aid networks before the next crisis. Connect with existing organizations like the United Way of Bemidji Area and volunteer networks. Create neighborhood contact lists, organize supply shares and skill exchanges, and build the relationships that make rapid response possible. Press for climate adaptation that centers community needs. Building resilient communities requires expanding green infrastructure and stormwater management, assessing vulnerabilities at critical facilities using climate projections, and combating urban heat islands. Demand that resilience planning include community voices, not just engineering solutions. Learn from Indigenous knowledge and historical mutual aid practices. For many Indigenous people, collective care is a way of life. We must center traditional ecological knowledge and community-centered approaches to resilience that have sustained communities through generations of challenges. Challenge disaster capitalism wherever it emerges. Watch for attempts to use crisis as an excuse for privatization, displacement, or policies that benefit the powerful at the community's expense. Learn how to organize community-controlled alternatives to disaster capitalism. Build political power for systemic change. Individual and community preparedness matter, but local governments must also step up through policy changes that reduce risk and vulnerability in the first place, through more funding for social services or investments in infrastructure projects. Because emergency management policy exists primarily at the local and state levels, communities don't have to wait for federal action. In the aftermath of Bemidji's impossible storm, residents discovered something always true: They have each other. The trees will regrow, the power lines will be rebuilt, but the networks of care that emerged in this crisis can become the foundation for a different kind of resilience. Emily Thabes is the executive director of the Beltrami County Historical Society. ]]>

Viewpoint: Congress must act to help the new postmaster general pull USPS back from the brink

Martha Diaz Aszkenazy — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 12:26:00 GMT

The United States Postal Service is on the brink of a self-induced collapse. The failed policies of the Delivering for America Plan have driven away customers through a combination of sky-high rate increases and degraded service. David Steiner, who will take over as postmaster general on July 14, has a tough job to do and little time to do it with some estimates indicating the USPS could be insolvent as soon as 2028.

Congress has a key role to play in helping him right the ship but must get off the sidelines and act. A useful step occurred earlier this week with a hearing before the House Oversight Subcommittee on Government Operations. The National Newspaper Association (NNA) provided a statement for the hearing that lays out key actions Congress can take to help restore the USPS.

We emphasized that NNA members serve their communities, providing news on local events and civic matters that are not covered anywhere else, and that they depend on the USPS to get their papers to subscribers. The USPS — and by extension the small businesses in the communities they serve — faces an immediate and existential crisis. We urge Congress to act swiftly and compel meaningful reform at the USPS.

Here are three actions Congress can take right now to get the USPS back on track and keep commerce in America moving:

Demand the USPS Board halt the Delivering for America Plan including the large rate increase planned for July 13, 2025. This increase, far above the rate of inflation will only deepen the hole and ties the hands of incoming Postmaster General David Steiner, who should have the opportunity to assess the situation. The same holds true for the network consolidations and service cuts. Every customer that is lost through these increases and service reductions is one less Steiner can rely on in the future. Modernize and empower the USPS regulator. Effective checks and balances are needed to keep the USPS on track. Congress needs to update and modernize the postal regulatory process to better safeguard against excessive rates and poor service by passing H.R. 3004, The USPS SERVES US Act. Measure newspaper costs accurately. Congress should compel accurate measurement of newspaper service and hold the USPS accountable for maintaining and improving service quality by enacting H.R. 2098/S.1002, the Deliver for Democracy Act.

These are all commonsense steps Congress can take to address what has been clearly a failed approach by USPS management. Steiner has a huge job ahead of him and will need all the help he can get. Congress must act now to make sure the nation’s next postmaster general is not the last one.

Martha Diaz Aszkenazy, publisher of the San Fernando Valley (California) Sun, is chairwoman of the National Newspaper Association.]]>

Knowing what’s healthy, but still reaching for the unhealthy

Michael Johnson — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 10:30:00 GMT

Living healthy doesn’t just come naturally for most people, and it certainly doesn’t seem to come easily.

While it may be uncomfortable to do so, sometimes we all could use a little nudge to change our ways. Turning 40 was a nudge for me to improve my health. Maybe a significant medical event brought you to change your diet or exercise routine. Maybe it was a financial decision.

A political nudge recently came from the USDA and Health and Human Services arms of our federal government. They worked with several states to remove soda from SNAP-eligible purchases.

If I have the money to do so, I am perfectly capable of choosing to buy my own sugar fixes. If I don’t have that money, I would be happy that the benefits I am eligible for are looking out for my health, over my less-than-perfect desires. Everyone deserves a treat from time to time, but soda, nutritionally, doesn’t need a regular place in anyone’s diet.

So far, the only states that have requested this waiver to remove soda from the list of eligible purchases are Arkansas, Idaho, Utah, Indiana, Iowa and Nebraska. It seems a logical decision has once again become political and will perhaps stay that way.

Arkansas’ waiver excludes soda, low and no-calorie soda, fruit and vegetable drinks with less than 50% natural juice, other unhealthy drinks, and candy, and it will take effect July 1, 2026. The waiver for Idaho excludes soda and candy, and it will take effect Jan. 1, 2026. The waiver for Utah excludes soft drinks, and it will take effect Jan. 1, 2026.

As someone who once benefited from the financial support of our state’s WIC program, I can attest that getting support to buy healthy food like milk, fruit and vegetables kept my family from experiencing food insecurity. Junk food was not an option under that program and I believe it should have no place there.

Why is soda in the crosshairs? Simply, it offers 0 nutrients and loads of sugar. It’s been known to cause weight gain, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other health problems, according to WebMD.

Many of our states, including my home state of Minnesota, continue to allow the use of taxpayer funds to purchase sugary beverages, candy and a multitude of snack foods that are a long way from healthy choices. The reason for allowing those purchases is to be less restrictive, allowing people to make their own decisions. My opinion as a consumer, not a nutritionist, is that we could all do better in making better personal food choices, and our nutrition assistance program should absolutely be doing better.

Even if consumers know the difference between what is healthy and not, they will inherently choose the unhealthy one if it hits certain categories. A recent Purdue University study highlighted that. The study showed that while the average American consumer knows what is healthy, they acknowledge that their diet is unhealthy.

“Our research shows that consumers care about nutrition, but that they prioritize taste first and foremost, and then price and availability,” said Joseph Balagtas, professor of agricultural economics at Purdue.

For example, I realize that an apple would be a great snack and I have a whole bag in the fridge, but there’s a doughnut on the counter that is going to start to dry out if I don’t inhale it soon. The doughnut is going to win almost every time. Why? Because I was able to buy it, it's right there and I want it, not because I should eat it.

The study showed that 76% of consumers agree that their health depends on the foods they eat every day. It’s just hard to make the right choice if the poor choice is cheaper, easier and tastier.

Food insecurity also plays a role among respondents to the survey. About 32% of the surveyed said they were food insecure but had excellent or very good diets. Meanwhile, about 37% were food insecure while having a fair or poor diet.

In the consumer behaviors category, those who rate the health of their diets as being “excellent” or “very good” tend to check food labels more frequently. These consumers also tend to purchase foods more frequently with specialty production attributes, including organic, local and grass fed.

The Food and Drug Administration is working to define a “healthy” label that would be placed on food products to indicate they comply with what is considered healthy by the agency.

“Perhaps this label will help consumers to make more informed choices when purchasing foods at the store,” Balagtas said.

I have my doubts that another label in the sea of labels attached to our foods is going to move consumers to change their eating habits, even if it flat out reads "not healthy," but it might prove more helpful than current nutrition labels, which I think are now largely overlooked by anyone not strictly tracking their calorie intake. I can’t possibly look at a soda nutrition label and convince myself that it’s the healthy choice. I can very easily ignore the label if my comfort is more important than my health.

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Rep. Dave Baker: A dark day in Minnesota: A time to grieve, reflect, and heal

Rep. Dave Baker — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 16:00:00 GMT

This past week has marked one of the darkest chapters in our state’s history. The horrifying violence of June 14, 2025, that took the lives of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, has left a deep wound in our hearts and in our Capitol community. Senator John Hoffman and his wife were also wounded in the attack but, thankfully, are recovering from their injuries. As we mourn this tragedy, we must pause, reflect, and begin the long and challenging process of healing.

I’ve served eleven sessions in the Minnesota House, every one of them alongside Speaker Hortman. She served eleven terms, a remarkable 21-year career. I recall sitting with her on the Energy Committee early on, impressed by how sharp and well-versed she was in even the most complex policy discussions. Melissa was not just a colleague; she was a respected leader and a friend.

She led with strength, patience, humility, and grace. Whether it was calming a tense debate with a bit of humor or navigating difficult negotiations behind the scenes, Speaker Hortman was a steady hand and a brilliant strategist. She knew when to listen, when to act, and how to bring people together, even across party lines. Her leadership strengthened our institution, and her absence will be deeply felt for years to come.

Even as a member of the minority party and someone who often fought hard just to make my voice heard, I looked at her leadership with deep respect and awe. I was proud of this year’s election results when we broke the DFL trifecta, but that never changed my admiration for the kind of leader she was.

Senator Hoffman and I have worked closely together for years, especially on issues surrounding opioid abuse — a deeply personal issue for me — and public safety. He and his wife have been in my prayers every day since this tragedy unfolded. They, like Melissa and Mark, represent the very best of public service: people who show up, work hard, and care deeply about Minnesotans.

In the wake of this horrific event, I’ve been disappointed by some of the reckless and divisive rhetoric that’s surfaced online and in political circles. Let me be clear: Governor Tim Walz did not know the shooter. Vance Boelter was not part of any political inner circle. Governor Walz lost a friend and is grieving just as we all are.

This is bigger than politics. We lost two extraordinary people last weekend. Misinformation and finger-pointing only add more pain for those of us mourning and for the families trying to process this unimaginable loss.

We are public servants, yes, but we are also human beings. And in this moment, we must let ourselves grieve. We must put down the political weapons, silence the speculation, and come together, not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Minnesotans, united in sorrow and committed to healing.

Let’s take a breath. Let’s honor their lives. And let’s begin to heal.

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Only you can prevent the spread of pests

Michael Johnson — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 10:30:00 GMT

The seasoned farmer likely doesn’t come across too many things that surprise them, yet it does happen on occasion.

I can recall that one summer when reports of an armadillo sighting were stirring through our little part of the country in central Minnesota. It was as if Bigfoot himself had passed through on his way to the deep north woods. The excitement ended abruptly one morning when the little armadillo showed up as roadkill not far from the farm. Considering their range is about as far as Kansas, rumors ran wild around the kitchen table about how it got here or who brought it here.

More recently, we’ve had traveling moose or elk pass through that have caused a social media sensation. While that’s quite exciting, it’s more likely that you’ll find surprises growing in your fields that cause frustration. The spread of weeds such as Palmer amaranth are enough to keep Extension agents and farmers on edge throughout the growing season.

I’ve been around farming and gardening long enough that you’d think I’d pay more attention to the types of weeds that infiltrate the growing areas. Instead, I typically just pull whatever is not the intended plant and hope it doesn’t come back.

A website I recently looked into called “Report a Pest” invites people like you and me to take a step of action. Sure, it’s important to remove the pest in most circumstances, but if you don’t know what pest is growing, munching or infecting your plants, maybe it’s time to do some homework and find out once and for all. This effort is a community science-based approach by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to track the movement of some of these pests.

Report a Pest involves some important steps:

Take pictures of the pest or disease. Take notes of the exact location of the pest. Address GPS coordinates as well as land descriptions. If it’s an insect, take pictures and notes about the plant where the insect was found. Note the size and colors. Capture the insect if possible or take a sample of the plant. You’ll want to take precautions here because these are insects or plants that you are unfamiliar with. You could get stung or have allergic reactions or if the plant is called Audrey, far worse things could be in store. Report findings to Report a Pest using an online reporting form, send photos and notes by email (reportapest@state.mn.us), use the mobile app or call 1-888-545-6684 with a detailed message.

All this can be done within minutes of finding the pest.

Some of these efforts have helped detect plant species on the noxious weed list, including Palmer amaranth, tree of heaven, and giant hogweed.

Early detection is essential to keeping noxious weeds out of the region. You know your fields better than anyone and state agencies can only cover so much ground. You can make a difference today toward less troubles in the future for you and your neighbors.

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Commentary: Fighting for the fallen, caring for the living

Jody Boulay, Addicted.org — Sat, 24 May 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Memorial Day is a solemn occasion to honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. We attend parades, place flags at grave sites, and take quiet moments of reflection.

But beyond the ceremonies and speeches lies another, often invisible war, one that too many of our veterans and active-duty service members are still fighting. Countless veterans struggle with substance use disorders, suicidal ideation, and an increasing risk of drug overdose.

It’s a battle that doesn’t make headlines and is waged silently behind closed doors, far from the front lines. Yet, for countless military personnel, the struggle with addiction is as real and as relentless as any combat mission. Service members often endure intense physical and psychological stress.

Exposure to combat, traumatic injuries, and the pressure to reintegrate into civilian life all contribute to an increased risk of developing a substance use disorder. The connection between military service and addiction is not often discussed, but it should be.

According to census data, in 2022, 265,234 veterans lived in Minnesota. While it is challenging to know how many veterans in local communities struggle with addiction and mental health issues, there are some national and state trends among veterans and the general population that offer some insight into the problems.

Veteran suicide deaths in Minnesota, for example, have claimed more than 100 Minnesota veteran lives per year during the past five years at a rate that continues to increase, especially among younger veterans.

Nationally, the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reports that 6.3% of veterans had a substance use disorder in the past year. Alcohol use, for example, was common among 56% of veterans, while 22% engaged in binge drinking, and 5.2% experienced an alcohol use disorder.

Alcohol abuse, in general, unfortunately, is a common precursor for addiction and suicidal ideation and increases the risk of drug overdose. In 2023, most adult Minnesotans (58.4%) said they drink alcohol. In 2023, most adult Minnesotans (58.4%) said they drink alcohol, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.

Minnesota had one of the highest binge drinking rates in the nation in 2023, with 17% of adults reporting binge drinking. Women and men aged 18 to 44 years were more likely to say they binge drink than those older than 44 years. However, the proportion of women reporting binge drinking increased over time.

We need to normalize conversations around mental health and addiction within military culture. We should also support community-based organizations and nonprofits doing critical work in this space.

Many of these groups offer holistic, veteran-centered services that go beyond what traditional institutions can provide, from non-traditional therapy and outdoor rehabilitation programs to job training and sober housing.

We must also expand access to comprehensive, trauma-informed care, particularly in rural areas where resources are scarce.

Fortunately, there are some resources to help, such as the Veterans Crisis Line; dial 988, then press 1, or text 838255 anywhere in the state. Mental Health Minnesota is available by calling 1-800-862-1799, providing information about mental health programs and services.

Substance use treatment resources can be found through Fast Track Minnesota, which is a behavioral health search tool.

This Memorial Day, while we remember the fallen, let’s also remember those still fighting against the weight of their memories, their pain, and the stigma that keeps them from seeking help.

Let’s make it clear that their service matters. Their struggles matter. And they are not alone.

Jody Boulay is a mother of two with a passion for helping others. She currently works as a Community Outreach Coordinator for DRS, Addicted.org, to help spread awareness of the dangers of drugs and alcohol.]]>

Starting to smoke (meat) is one way to get your wife’s attention

Michael Johnson — Fri, 23 May 2025 10:30:00 GMT

I’m increasingly spending less time watching TV dramas and more time gaining inspiration from YouTubers, who are just living life.

One of the regular channels my wife and I watch is about an Alaskan couple that tries to live a simple life, off-grid. They heat with wood, cook with gas, and electrify using solar energy and the occasional generator assistance. Most of their food is grown or harvested around their homestead or gathered from the abundant public land around them.

Because they live so far from civilization, they can’t just run to town to fulfill their needs. If they need it, they usually have to build it themselves. Recently, they milled a pile of lumber from spruce trees on their property. They used some pieces to build a cold smoker that they would later use to smoke jerky.

The work that went into the build made for good TV, in my opinion. It was also a good reminder of just how good I have it to live near other people who have an abundance of things to sell, so I don’t have to build everything. I had been kicking around the idea of building a smoker for some time, but a plan had not yet been formulated, and time had not yet been found to do it.

As I sought to come up with a plan, I happened upon a smoker for sale online from someone just a town over. The price was less than it would take to build one myself, and it was built better than I could ever dream of doing myself.

Pictures did not do it justice. This thing is big, heavy and well built. The seller actually crafted it himself from stainless steel to meet the needs of a friend who was into competitive barbecue.

Now, getting a smoker is the easy part. Knowing how to use that smoker takes an education. I’ve smoked in my kettle grill long enough that I thought it would be a breeze to switch to this unit. So like a bozo, I did some things I’ve never done before in a piece of equipment I’ve never used before and hoped for the best. That’s one way to learn.

Once the (way too much) oak was roaring, the temperature was nearly impossible to control. I closed up dampers as best I could, but it only sent more smoke into the sky with the heat remaining. It’s a wonder the wildland firefighter crews didn’t come barreling down the driveway at some point.

After an hour adjusting air intake and exhaust, I finally got the heat I wanted, but the smoke was billowing as strong as ever. I peeked in and saw the sausage had turned a lovely color and the smell made it tempting to grab a bite. The temperature of the sausage, however, was not high enough based on recommendations I read about.

I should have pulled the sausage and finished it in the oven at that point. Instead, I followed the directions of an “online expert” and kept going another hour until the sausage reached a safe internal temperature. The temperature was perfect, but the sausage had developed a smokiness so strong it would make a chain smoker cough and wheeze. It seems it was a case of too much fuel, not enough combustion, leading to dirty smoke.

Just touching the things left an odor on my hands that I could not seem to get off even after multiple hand washings. It was a perfume called “Cresote.” As I brought the beauties in for my family to admire, my wife praised the smell, saying, “It’s not as bad as skunk spray.”

I iced the sausage before plucking one out to reheat in the toaster oven. Nervously, I took a bite. The flavor was strong, but not awful. I actually finished it before any heartburn or coughing fits began.

Oh, and that Alaskan couple, they cold-smoked their jerky for 36 hours. I smoked my sausage for two hours. They chewed up and swallowed what appeared and sounded like pine bark. The least I can do is learn.

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Matt Ehling: Minnesota's Open Meeting Law damaged in rush to legislative finish line

Matt Ehling / Minnesotans for Open Government — Wed, 21 May 2025 11:53:00 GMT

In the waning hours of this year’s legislative session, a major change to Minnesota’s Open Meeting Law was passed. The original bill that carried the change had only one Senate hearing, was discussed for six minutes, and had no House companion. There were no House hearings. The conference committee that adopted the change did not discuss the issue in public.

Because of this, Minnesotans are now faced with a major Open Meeting Law change that almost no one in the public realized was coming.

Going forward, local governing bodies such as school boards will be able to meet almost entirely remotely, from non-public locations, with only one member appearing in public. The change essentially takes the emergency meeting exception that applied during COVID and allows it to become a new normal, if local governments so choose. This will degrade local government responsiveness, and imperil local news coverage.

Minnesota’s Open Meeting Law (OML) was passed in the 1950s to ensure that members of the public would have physical access to the locations where elected officials meet to conduct business, and would have notice of where such meetings were being held. This had a dual purpose of allowing the public to observe meetings in progress, as well as to allow citizens to address officials in person before and after those meetings, so that they could ask questions or conduct discussions. This also held a large benefit for members of the press, who could ask after-meeting follow-up questions, without officials being able to dodge those questions by not returning phone calls or correspondence.

During the 1990s, as telecommunications technology became more widely available, the OML was modified to permit circumstances in which officials could attend meetings on a remote basis, so long as certain requirements were met. Those requirements included ensuring that meetings were broadcast; that remote attendees provided notice of where they would appear from; and that such attendees were required to appear from a “public place” like a library, rather than from a private location like their home (unless certain exceptions, such as a medical situation, applied).

This had several positive results. First, the notice provision gave citizens (and the press) information about where remote attendees would be, so that they could meet with them in person, just as they could otherwise do at the regular meeting location. Second, the mere existence of the “public place” requirement continued to encourage a culture of in-person government meetings, where public officials had to directly encounter constituents and reporters.

The only time when Minnesota law allowed unlimited remote meeting attendance from non-public locations was in the event of a pandemic or an emergency declared under Chapter 12. When COVID hit in 2020, those exact circumstances kicked in statewide for the first time, and most local government meetings were then conducted remotely, with officials participating from home (non-public locations).

The move to remote meetings during COVID was an understandable necessity, but it also caused collateral problems. Our organization heard repeated citizen complaints about degraded public engagement with elected officials. When meetings went “all virtual,” citizens lost the ability to encounter their elected representatives in person, and could only contact them via phone call or e-mail. Many of these calls and messages went unanswered, we were told. With no in-person option available, citizens reported that concerns were ignored, and questions went unaddressed. This was particularly frustrating for residents of localities that continued to meet in an all-remote format (due to the long tail of the COVID executive orders) while their surrounding jurisdictions went back to regular meeting procedures.

With the OML change that was just passed by the legislature, these kinds of problems are bound to recur. Now, local officials will be able to conduct remote meetings on a virtually unlimited basis, from non-public locations if they so choose. Citizens (and reporters) who were frustrated by their inability to connect with such officials in the immediate aftermath of COVID will find that the same problems will recur now, since the legislature has removed the guardrails in the Open Meeting Law that formerly held such problems at bay.

In the upcoming special session, the legislature should move to repair the damage that has been done to the Open Meeting Law. It can repeal or sunset the change that was just made, and institute a working group to study what statutory updates might be necessary. Our organization has, in fact, proposed modifications to that law’s remote meeting provisions that would add additional flexibility, without entirely removing the law’s existing guardrails. The legislature should build on those proposals as a way to reinstate Minnesota’s previous open meeting tradition.

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Commentary: A smarter, targeted approach to school meals

Bidal Duran, Minnesota House 2A — Wed, 14 May 2025 11:30:00 GMT

Feeding students in need should always be a priority, but giving free lunch to families earning over 500% of the federal poverty level doesn’t make sense when schools across Minnesota are laying off teachers, cutting programs and struggling to make ends meet.

In real terms, that income threshold is well over $150,000 for a family of four. These are households that can afford to pack a sandwich or pay a small fee for a school lunch. In contrast, schools in rural Minnesota, including many in my district, are scraping to cover the basics.

HF 2201 takes a balanced and reasonable approach. It keeps breakfast free for all students, ensuring every child starts the day with a nutritious meal, and preserves lunch assistance for families who genuinely need it. Rather than continuing a blanket subsidy for high-income households, the bill focuses our resources on students from lower- and middle-income families, where the need is real.

Minnesota Management and Budget shows that E-12 education already makes up nearly 38% of the entire state budget. Yet even with record-high spending, many districts are still being forced to make painful decisions. Why? Because too many of the dollars coming from St. Paul come with strings attached.

Unfunded mandates limit how schools can use their funding and ignore the unique needs of local communities. Teachers and school staff, not bureaucrats, know what their students need. That is why this bill is so important.

By refining eligibility for free school lunches and focusing benefits where they are needed most, HF  2201 will save Minnesota $111.8M in 2026, $117.2M in 2027, $119.6M in 2028, and $121.3M in 2029 — for a total savings of $470,111,585 over four years. Those savings do not vanish into the general fund.

Instead, they are reinvested into Local Optional Revenue, giving districts more flexibility to address their specific challenges.

Whether it is hiring more teachers, reducing class sizes, investing in technology or fixing aging buildings, local leaders will finally have the tools and discretion to do what is best for their students.

This bill is a prime example of how we can solve problems without burdening taxpayers or placing more pressure on local governments. This bill is not about taking away meals from kids. This bill is about making smart choices with the money we have.

Every student still gets breakfast at no charge. Families making more than $156,000 per year will pay for their children’s lunch, allowing the money saved to be directed into the school.

We talk a lot at the Capitol about local control and fiscal responsibility. HF 2201 is both. It puts resources where they make the biggest difference and gives districts the flexibility they have been asking for.

I am proud to support this bill and encourage my colleagues to do the same. Let’s prioritize our classrooms over costly, one-size-fits-all mandates.

Bidal Duran is a Republican from Bemidji representing Minnesota House 2A.]]>

Take a walk on the wild side

Michael Johnson — Fri, 09 May 2025 10:30:00 GMT

Spring always takes me back to the more leisurely days on the farm when the chores were finished (that’s a joke) and the school day was done.

I’d undoubtedly make my way into the pasture and walk the Wing River for signs of life. I never had to look far. The river was often running with red horse and white suckers on their way upstream. The first frogs would be making appearances at the water’s edge. The swamps would be greening and filling with the first flowers — marsh marigolds.

It was tradition that Dad would remind us to gather up huge bouquets of the bright yellow flowers to present to Mom for Mother’s Day. It was the only flower that would almost always be peaking for the special day, aside from the flowers coming up from the flower beds surrounding our home. Considering Mom was the one who labored to put them there, it made sense to let them continue to beautify the home’s exterior.

Fishing on the banks of the river often revealed the nests of Canada geese or wood ducks, who did their best to go unnoticed until you were just too close for comfort. The peace and quiet of the river valley would be abruptly awakened when the old goose launched from her nest with a frightening “honk!”

I don’t have quite as much time for these moments to get lost in the natural wonder around me, but I still try. I encourage anyone to do that, especially the private landowner who has a little piece of that heaven on earth in their backyard. You are truly blessed.

Farm owners are a small percentage of the U.S, only about 2% of the population. Yet about 40% of our country is farmland, according to the USDA. That’s a big chunk of property owned by a small number of people. Being a farmer is no easy task in itself, but it’s important to remember that farmers also have an integral responsibility of caring for a great deal of land, not just for continued profitability, but for the life-giving resources they provide to people and wildlife in and around it.

I know, I’m preaching to the choir when I say that, because many farmers are phenomenal conservationists. They truly care for their land and the water that flows through it. Those who care little about protecting resources make up a very small percentage of the total.

I don’t have to remind farmers of how busy this time of year is, but I do want to remind them that this is a great time to also take notice of the ground around them. If it works, take a walk. Put boots on the ground and listen. I can hear that chorus of frogs in the slough. The red-winged black birds are readying their nests. Gophers are popping up fresh dirt where you wish they weren’t.

This is what many would consider the “paradise period” in the Midwest. It’s that golden week when the snow is gone. There’s barely a mosquito to be seen. It’s not too hot and not too cool. You can sit outside beneath that tree that’s starting to leaf out and really appreciate it. We’ve been waiting for it, and yet, the ones who have an abundance of land to enjoy are often too busy to do so.

The busy life of being an adult helps even the best of us forget what wonders can be found in a place with a little bit of wild left in it. If you’ve forgotten about the beauty that you are entrusted with, I ask you to take a moment to appreciate it and think about how you can continue to protect it.

Sometimes it takes a curious child to remember that farmland is so much more than just profitability. Yes, that’s necessary in order to make a living and pay the often exorbitant property taxes on that land, but let’s not forget that the land is life-giving to more than just the one farming it.

So, when you are out doing what must be done this spring — checking fences, picking rock, or trimming trees encroaching on your dirt, breathe it in and know how lucky you are to be managing something most of the world will never get to enjoy.

With that being said, I want to wish all the moms out there a wonderful Mother’s Day! May your sons or daughters bring you big bouquets and share an abundance of appreciation for all you’ve done to make them who they are today.

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