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Cheers to the Minnesota Supreme Court, especially Justices Sarah Hennesy and Karl Procaccini for the overdue recognition that women’s breasts aren’t inherently lewd, so merely exposing them isn’t indecent behavior. Hennesy and Procaccini wanted to go further by spelling out that under the law, breasts aren’t private parts. They said the clarification would provide clear guidance and “promote consistent, nondiscriminatory application of the law.” Cheers to banishing the archaic and misogynistic aspects of state laws.
Jeers to the leadership void in the city of St. Paul as evidenced by the mid-legislative session request for nearly $400 million from the state to cover part of the $769 million renovation of Xcel Energy Center, RiverCentre and the Roy Wilkins Auditorium. Mayor Melvin Carter spoke of creating a “vibrant, thriving center of activity for the next generation.” Oops, nevermind. A week ago, the city downsized the request to $50 million. The fumble doesn’t inspire confidence as downtown St. Paul desperately needs reliable, steady leadership to revive the city’s hollowed-out downtown.
Cheers to Sen. Michael Kreun, R-Blaine, for reasoned arguments in his ethics complaint against Senate President Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis. The four-member ethics panel, which is evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, deadlocked and took no action as Champion, a lawyer, and the DFLers dug in, refusing to acknowledge that it would be wise to reveal a current or former attorney-client relationship when pursuing millions in state funding on behalf of the client. Kreun tried hard, saying that “speaking truthfully requires an affirmative disclosure of the facts necessary to provide a full picture.” Kudos as well to the two Republicans on the panel, Sens. Jeremy Miller of Winona and Andrew Mathews of Princeton, who posited similar arguments. The DFL’s retrenchment fuels the public’s distrust in government.
Jeers to those who donated to a Rochester woman through a Christian crowdsourced fundraising website after she spewed the nastiest of racial epithets at a Black man and a child in a park. Thanks to the open wallets of small-minded bigots, Shiloh Hendrix is closing in on $800,000 for what she claims is a needed relocation. I doubt the longtime Rochester resident is moving anytime soon, so I would suggest she use the money for anger management counseling and, perhaps, a college fund so her child doesn’t end up as dangerously small-minded as mom.
Cheers to Sen. Scott Dibble for trying to compel U.S. Bank Stadium operators to do something to protect birds from deadly collisions with the building’s giant glass facade. Dating to the building’s construction, the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA) has dismissed significant efforts that would deter birds navigating the nearby Mississippi River flyway. Would it steer all birds away from the glass? No. But all mitigation helps. A decade ago, the MSFA cited aesthetics in declining to install bird-safe fritted glass on the building. As Dibble’s rejected proposal notes, the MSFA can still do a better job helping birds.
Jeers to legislative leaders who have punted on the need to develop a funding plan for U.S. Bank Stadium upkeep. This isn’t a matter of the Minnesota Vikings trying to wheedle money out of the state. The Vikings, the building’s primary tenant, and the state signed a negotiated use agreement requiring the building be kept in a first-class condition. U.S. Bank Stadium has been open since 2016 and there’s no funding plan. Dedicating a sliver of electronic pulltab revenue makes the most sense rather than subjecting every prospective stadium renovation to legislative review and a plea for cash.
