MINNESOTA STATE SENATE Archives

Minnesota Legislators, Activists Push For School Phone Ban

Minnesota Considers School Cell Phone Ban

The ban is not quite as encompassing as that of North Dakota; a concession lawmakers said was necessary in order to get an official piece of legislation on the books.

February 26, 2026

Gabriel Ostler,

MOORHEAD, MN (KVRR) – Katrina Ball, a co-lead for the Distraction Free Schools Policy Project in Minnesota, initially focused on a cell phone ban for her local school district in Battle Lake. Quickly, though, she came to find that a tedious and ineffective method for policy change. “If we wait for all 330+ school districts to come to the same…

Special election called to fill Mitchell and Anderson seats in MN state senate

July 29, 2025

TJ Nelson,

Nicole Mitchell & Sen. Bruce AndersonST. PAUL (KVRR) — Gov. Walz has called for a special election to fill two vacancies in the state senate. Seats formerly held by Sen. Bruce Anderson of Buffalo and Sen. Nicole Mitchell of Woodbury will be on the ballot on November 4. Anderson, a Republican, died this month at 75. Mitchell, a Democrat, resigned…

Minnesota ethics panel to consider how to deal with senator charged with burglary

A Minnesota Senate ethics panel on Tuesday is expected to begin considering what to do with a lawmaker who's charged with burglary for allegedly breaking into her estranged stepmother's house

May 7, 2024

Site Staff,

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota Senate ethics panel on Tuesday is expected to begin considering what to do with a lawmaker who’s charged with burglary for allegedly breaking into her estranged stepmother’s house. Democratic Sen. Nicole Mitchell, of Woodbury, told police she broke in last month because her stepmother refused to give her items of sentimental value from her late father, including…

Kupec: Neighbors, others witnessed GOP opponent abusing ex-wife

November 2, 2022

Jim Monk, Site Staff,

MOORHEAD, Minn. (KVRR) – There’s more fallout from an attack ad that targets Republican Minnesota State Senate candidate Dan Bohmer. The ad, paid for by the DFL Senate Caucus, uses court documents from Bohmer’s 2021 divorce that allege Bohmer harassed and mistreated his ex-wife. Bohmer denies the accusations. DFL candidate Rob Kupec said in a statement Tuesday that he was…

Deb White Announces Run For Re-Election in Moorhead’s Ward 3

July 26, 2022

TJ Nelson,

Deb WhiteMOORHEAD, Minn. (KVRR) — Moorhead City Council member Deb White launches her re-election campaign. The MSUM professor has represented Ward 3 since 2018. White says she wants to tackle issues including workforce shortages, lack of affordable housing and childcare, and increased strain on city infrastructure and public safety. Her husband, former KVRR Chief Meteorologist Rob Kupec, is a DFL…