Daily Digest: Stras delay could change Senate
Good morning and welcome to Wednesday, which I will not refer to as hump day. Instead, let's go directly to the Digest.
1. When he was a University of Minnesota law professor David Stras wrote about judicial nominations getting wrapped up in politics. Now that the Minnesota Supreme Court justice has been nominated to the federal appeals bench by President Trump he’s at the center of a tussle that could have broader implications for the way prospective federal judges are picked and what the judiciary as a whole looks like in the future. His nomination has languished in the Senate for almost five months. Conservatives and other Stras allies are fed up. (MPR News)
2. U.S. Bank Stadium operator SMG abruptly terminated the contract with security provider Monterrey Security one year into a three-year contract for sloppy recordkeeping and inadequate training and background checks, stadium officials said Tuesday. Chicago-based Monterrey was fired Monday night after an investigation by a Minneapolis law firm found the firm failed to comply with state licensing requirements for its employees. Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority Chairman Mike Vekich said he and executive director Rick Davis agreed to the action Monday. By Tuesday morning, new security was in place at the 14-month-old, $1.1 billion stadium. (Star Tribune)
3. Gov. Mark Dayton issued a strongly-worded statement Tuesday demanding changes to the state teaching board that failed to report teachers accused of sexual misconduct to law enforcement. "It is disgraceful that these incidents were not immediately reported to law enforcement," Dayton said. "This Board has a moral responsibility to ensure that all Minnesota teachers are properly qualified, and to protect the safety of our schoolchildren." Rep. Jennifer Loon, R-Eden Prairie, issued a statement earlier Tuesday calling out Dayton, who appointed all the members on the teaching board. (KSTP TV)
4. The son of U.S. senator and former vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine made his first court appearance Tuesday on allegations he was among a group of protesters who disrupted a rally in support of President Trump at the Minnesota State Capitol in March. The parties quickly agreed on a date for Kaine’s next court appearance before the judge excused them. Kaine has yet to enter a plea in his case. (Pioneer Press)
5. The state of Minnesota will appeal the landmark ruling on the excessive pumping of groundwater around White Bear Lake, saying it is “not supported by scientific evidence” and would “immediately halt important development” within five miles of the lake. The case stems from a long drought that turned much of White Bear Lake into a weedy mudhole, forcing lake owners to extend docks hundreds of feet in order to keep boating, and closed a major beach. Both sides in the lawsuit claim science is on their side. (Star Tribune)
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