By Madison McVan | Reporter
Good morning, Reformers.
The FBI served 22 search warrants this morning in relation to ongoing investigations into fraud in Minnesota’s public programs, the New York Times reports. Per KARE11’s AJ Lagoe, the raids are largely targeting childcare and daycare centers.
Meanwhile, Gov. Tim Walz is preparing to deliver his final State of the State address tonight at 7 p.m.
The final regular legislative session of Walz’s tenure ends in a few weeks, and lawmakers have yet to meaningfully address many of the state’s major issues: the aforementioned fraud, rising costs, fallout from Operation Metro Surge and school safety, among others.
In excerpts of his remarks released this morning, Walz signaled he will make proposals that "represent the beginning of our last chapter working together.”
One of those proposals is to regulate artificial intelligence and impose a tax on social media companies:
“I don’t want Silicon Valley deciding how artificial intelligence and other new technologies will impact our small towns and working families. I don’t want technocrats like Peter Thiel and Sam Altman and — yeah — J.D. Vance determining who wins and who loses. Nobody doubts that the rise of AI is good news for tech companies, who are making record profits. But as industries, business practices, and jobs are transformed by innovation, we need to take bold steps to protect and prepare workers for what’s coming,” the prepared remarks read.
My colleagues Michelle Griffith and Nicole Neri are covering the speech, so I’ll be watching the Wild, who play a crucial game 5 tonight after winning in OT to tie the series 2-2.
To the rest of the news:
Gov. Tim Walz speaks after the end of the special session on June 10, 2025, at the Minnesota State Capitol. Walz will deliver his final State of the State tonight as legislation stalls at the Capitol. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)
By Michelle Griffith
Michelle rounds up the (non)progress on a handful of important bills.
There are several forces behind the legislative inaction this year — chief among them the tied House — but upcoming elections and the fact that lawmakers don’t have to pass a budget this session are also contributing to the inertia.
By Max Nesterak
Two construction subcontractors agreed to pay $1.28 million in back wages and damages to 26 workers to settle the largest wage theft case ever brought by the Minnesota Department of Labor of Industry.
The settlements come years after state labor investigators began looking into the allegations of wage theft — first reported by the Reformer in 2022 — at the sprawling mixed-use development called Viking Lakes. The billionaire Wilf family, owners of the Minnesota Vikings, built the development around the team’s Eagan headquarters.
By Claire Carlson
West central Minnesota could soon be home to the state’s largest dairy farm as powerhouse Riverview Dairy seeks to expand their Morris-based West River Dairy operation from 7,855 cows to almost 19,000 cows.
In terms of waste output, that’s roughly the same as a city of 750,000, though the dairy plans to make use of it by spreading it on nearby fields.
The project has rung major alarm bells for locals worried that the operation could put other dairy farms out of business and potentially pollute the Pomme De Terre Watershed.
IN OTHER NEWS
US Supreme Court hears arguments on cancer warning labels for Roundup weedkiller | Reformer via States Newsroom’s D.C. Bureau
US Supreme Court weighs how far police investigations can go in using cellphone location data | Reformer via States Newsroom’s D.C. Bureau
How Minnesotans are preserving six rare languages | Sahan Journal
OH BY THE WAY
The NYT anointed the 30 greatest living American songwriters today. It includes some gimmes — Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Willie Nelson — and some that will make you go, “huh.”
My favorite out-of-left-field pick? Young Thug, the 34-year-old Atlanta rapper. When I was a prep cook at an Italian restaurant in Missouri, I was allowed to have one headphone in while I worked — and I spent at least six weeks listening to Young Thug’s mixtape “Jeffery” on repeat while chopping veggies and making salad dressings.
I would link you to the (hilarious, iconic) music video for “Wyclef Jean” but this is a family-friendly newsletter.
Instead, here’s some Stevie for your Tuesday.
That’s all from me. Have a great week!
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