Daily Digest: Protest penalties and private prison
Good morning, and happy Tuesday. Here's the Digest.
1. The Minnesota House voted Monday to increase legal penalties for protesters who block freeways and to lease a privately owned prison in western Minnesota. Those two controversial, Republican-backed provisions were both part of a $2.3 billion package of public safety spending and policy changes. The House passed the bill Monday evening after hours of contentious debate that largely centered on the freeway protest crackdown, which had Republicans and DFLers sparring over issues of free speech and race. (Star Tribune)
2. Minnesota's major health insurance companies said Monday their combined 2016 operating losses totaled $687 million. Expenses that exceeded revenue for state public health programs including Medical Assistance were responsible for more than half of last year's losses, followed by continued losses on the individual market, the Minnesota Council of Health Plans reported. The health plans say they drew down almost $560 million in reserves to help cover losses and that most of that reserve money — $374 million — was used to cover revenue shortfalls for state-sponsored programs, primarily those that provide care for children and families. (MPR News)
3. Farms get much of the blame for the phosphorus, nitrogen and other nutrients that end up in lakes and rivers, creating conditions ripe for toxic algae blooms. But here in the Twin Cities, it turns out, the primary source hits much closer to home, according to a new University of Minnesota study. The leading source of nitrogen in the watersheds is household lawn fertilizer. Its use amounts to 10 times more than commerical fertilizers used on golf courses and college campuses. For phosphorus, the biggest culprit is pet waste. (MPR News)
4. People who live near Fort Ridgely State Park close to New Ulm are trying to save a golf course the DNR has targeted for closure. They’re worried tourists and visitors could go away if golf does. But it’s not a sure bet the course will succeed. Last spring, the DNR announced the course was closing, because it no longer fit with the department’s strategic mission and with direction from the Legislature to stretch its dollars, not to mention it wasn't breaking even. Undeterred, the local contingent enlisted Rep. Tim Miller, R-Prinsburg, and other area legislators to help pressure the DNR into a local deal to keep the course alive. “These small communities need every asset they can,” Miller said. “And something as simple as a golf course -- it’s nine-hole golf course near Fairfax -- but this is really important for their economic development for the communities to rally around.” (MPR News)
5. President Trump Monday donated his salary for the first three months of his term to the National Park Service. But newly released records show that the president can draw money whenever he wants to without public disclosure from the trust into which he placed his business holdings. The previously unreported changes to a trust document, signed on Feb. 10, stipulate that it “shall distribute net income or principal to Donald J. Trump at his request” or whenever his son and longtime attorney “deem appropriate.” That can include everything from profits to the underlying assets, such as the businesses themselves. (ProPublica)
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