ST. PAUL

Minnesota House Passes Real ID Bill, Senate to Consider it Next

The bill will allow anyone with a Minnesota ID or driver's license to pass through airport security

  ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota lawmakers have reached a deal on bringing the state’s driver’s licenses and ID cards up to federal security standards. The House overwhelmingly passed the bill and now it heads to the Senate. The bill will allow anyone with a Minnesota ID or driver’s license to pass through airport security. Congress put a deadline for…

Minnesota Lawmakers Work To Finalize Budget As Deadline Approaches

The deal must be finalized in less than a week, or the threats of a government shut–down become more likely

  ST.PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota’s political leaders are back at the negotiating table as the deadline to make a budget deal is coming up fast. Governor Dayton and Republican lawmakers have a number of issues to resolve before a two–year budget deal can be confirmed. The two sides resumed negotiations after the GOP backed away last week and began making…

Delta Airlines Introduces New Face-Scan Bag-Check Kiosk at MSP-International

You go to the kiosk, tag your own bags, pay the fee and drop your luggage on a conveyor belt

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Delta Airlines is testing out some new technology in Minnesota in the hopes of making the bag check more efficient and twice as fast. Face-scanning kiosks are being set up in the Minneapolis-St. Paul International airport and will use facial recognition technology to match your identity to your passport photo. You go to the kiosk, tag your…

Goatnapping: SUV Chase Leads to Discovery of Stolen Animal

Gordy is one of 35 goats used to stop the spread of invasive plants

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Two men have been arrested after leading St. Paul police on a short chase, crashing into a parked vehicle and trying to run from the scene. But it was what police found in their SUV that brought a bigger surprise. Thaying Cha and Eni Xiong are charged with gross misdemeanor theft after police say they found…

Minnesota Lawmakers Looking for Harsher Penalties for Genital Cutting of Children

Prosecutors say the girls were brought to Michigan by their mothers

Minnesota State Capitol  ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota lawmakers are moving to levy harsh penalties on parents who subject their children to genital cutting after a Detroit-area doctor was charged. Dr. Jumana Nagarwala was charged last week with female genital mutilation and other crimes for allegedly performing the procedure on two seven-year-old Minnesota girls. The manager of the clinic and…

Minnesota Lawmakers Focus on Possible Budget Compromises

But Republicans and Democratic Gov. Dayton have lots of divides to bridge

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota lawmakers returned from a week-long break with their eyes on the budget. Their return marks the beginning of the rush to agree to a new, two-year budget that will likely exceed $45 billion. But Republicans and Democratic Gov. Dayton have lots of divides to bridge. The GOP is pursuing nearly $1 billion or more in…

St. Paul Father, Two Daughters Dead After Shooting; Mother Remains in Critical Condition

Police say 20-year-old Jeffrey Jemaile Taylor, the suspect who was found dead near the scene of the shooting, shared a child with Maria McIntosh

  ST. PAUL, Minn. — Police have released the names of the people involved in a shooting in St. Paul. Wade McIntosh, 47, and his two daughters, 17-year-old Olivia and 19-year-old Maria were found dead at the scene of the shooting. Police say 20-year-old Jeffrey Jemaile Taylor, the suspect who was found dead near the scene of the shooting, shared…

Minnesota House Votes to Keep Increased Protest Penalties in Bill

Lawmakers voted to keep it as part of the public safety finance bill

  ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota House has shot down an amendment to remove increased penalties for protests that block transportation. Lawmakers voted to keep it as part of the public safety finance bill. They battled over the issue for several hours and testimonies grew heated multiple times. Republicans say the bill is simply a matter of public safety….

Minnesota Senate Proposing Deep Tax Cuts for Students and Families

The lowest tax bracket would shrink by over a quarter of a percent

  ST. PAUL, Minn. — Republicans in the Minnesota state Senate are pursuing deep tax cuts over the next two years for students, families and those on Social Security. The almost $900 million sought in their just released bill directs over half of those breaks to individual taxes. The lowest tax bracket would shrink by over a quarter of a…

Gov. Dayton Issues His First Veto of 2017

The Republican-controlled Legislature passed the bill earlier this month altering the Public Utilities Commission's responsibilities for electric co-ops

  ST. PAUL, Minn. — Gov. Dayton has vetoed legislation that would have decreased the oversight of a state electric utility regulator. The Republican-controlled Legislature passed the bill earlier this month altering the Public Utilities Commission’s responsibilities for electric co-ops. It would have given authority to handle disputes about fees for installing solar panels or wind generators to a third-party…