Government

Minnesota House Majority in Flux: Court Ruling Challenges DFL Lawmaker's Eligibility

The Summary: A Ramsey County District Court judge has ruled that DFL Rep.-elect Curtis Johnson is ineligible to serve in the Minnesota House of Representatives for District 40B. This decision follows a successful election challenge by Republican Paul Wikstrom, who argued that Johnson did not meet the residency requirements necessary for the district.

Key Points: According to the Minnesota Constitution, candidates must reside in the state for one year prior to the election and must live in the district they wish to represent for at least six months before the election. The evidence presented during the trial included surveillance video and photographs that suggested Johnson did not actually reside in the apartment he claimed during his campaign.

Impact on House Balance: The ruling temporarily breaks the 67-67 tie in the Minnesota House, giving Republicans a narrow 67-66 majority.

Next Steps: Curtis Johnson has the option to appeal the ruling to the Minnesota Supreme Court. If he is unsuccessful in his appeal, a special election will likely be called to fill the vacancy in District 40B. The legislative session is scheduled to begin on January 14, which could see Republicans holding a temporary majority during this critical period.

2024 Year In Review

The Stories That Defined 2024 In The Twin Cities and Minnesota 📰

With just eight days until 2025, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on 2024 and the stories that made headlines. Here are just a handful of the most impactful stories from our community.

❯ Feeding Our Future Trial: The first trial related to the Feeding Our Future scandal took place, shedding light on fraudulent activities involving federal child nutrition funds in Minnesota.

❯ Burnsville Tragedy: In February, two police officers and a paramedic were fatally shot while responding to a domestic dispute in Burnsville. The perpetrator was also killed.

❯ Rapidan Dam Breach: In June, officials in Blue Earth County issued evacuation warnings due to flooding on the Blue Earth River breaching the Rapidan Dam, pushing it into an "imminent failure condition" upstream of several cities.

❯ Vice Presidential Nomination: In August, Governor Tim Walz was selected as the running mate for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, bringing national attention to Minnesota politics.

❯ Metro Gold Line Extension: Metro Transit announced plans to extend the Gold Line Bus Rapid Transit from St. Paul to downtown Minneapolis by 2027, aiming to improve regional connectivity.

❯ Twins For Sale: The Pohlad family, owners of the Minnesota Twins for 40 years, has announced plans to sell the MLB franchise.

❯ Minneapolis Named Happiest City in the U.S.: The Institute for Quality of Life's annual Happy City Index named Minneapolis the happiest city in the United States, citing its extensive park system and quality of life.

❯ UHC CEO Murdered: The CEO of UnitedHealthcare was mudered in New York City on his way to their annual investor conference. Since then, a suspect has been arrested and is awaiting trial.

❯ Lynx and Wolves Make Playoff Runs: The Timberwolves made a historic run to the NBA Western Conference Championship before losing to the Dallas Mavericks. In the WNBA, the Lynx became a force in 2024 and advanced to the finals before losing to the New York Liberty.

What Else We’re Reading…

Rumors Swirl On Twins Ownership. Could Justin Ishbia Be The Next Owner? ⚾

Justin Ishbia, a minority owner of the Phoenix Suns and brother of the team's majority owner, is reportedly interested in purchasing the Minnesota Twins, according to Bloomberg. The Pohlad family, which has owned the Twins since 1984, announced in October their intention to explore selling the team, which is valued between $1.5 billion and $2 billion. Ishbia, who has a net worth of nearly $5 billion and leads a private equity firm, has been engaging with local leaders in Minnesota to gauge interest in maintaining the Twins' legacy if he proceeds with the purchase.

Read the full story on Bloomberg.

GAME: Wordle

Sports 🏈

🏈 The Minnesota Vikings won another nailbiter to improve their record to 13-2. Sam Darnold threw for 246 yards, 3 TDs, and no interceptions. The Vikings currently own the #5 seed in the NFC playoff picture. If the Vikings win their final two games, they will become the #1 seed in the NFC, leapforgging the Detroit Lions.

🏀 The Minnesota Timberwolves continued to struggle after a 1113-103 loss to Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors. Ant Man had some choice words about the refs after the game.

⚽ The Minnesota Loons announced their 2025 schedule and will be hosting one of the biggest superstars in soccer history.

🏒 The Minnesota Wild losing streak extended to four games after back-to-back losses to the Utah Hockey Club and the Winnpeg Jets.

🏒 The Minnesota Frost extended their win streak with an overtime victory over New York. They still sit in first place in the PWHL.

Quick hits

Headlines From Around The Twin Cities ✔

❯ St. Paul has chosen a new superintendant and she is coming from close to home (KSTP)

❯ Twin Cities pizza restaurant Boludo has come under heat from federal regulators (Bring Me The News)

❯ A woman sped through a red light in Saint Paul and killed two pedestrians (WCCO)

❯ Twin Cities restaurant and bar workers are serving as ‘first responders’ amid the opioid crisis (Eater)

The Final Word: Red Panda

Alright everyone, I attended the Timberwolves vs Warriors game this past Friday and witnessed one of the most incredible halftime shows I have ever seen: Red Panda. This woman rode around on a 10 foot unicycle and flipped bowls onto her head. Please, just take a look at this video.

At a game where the Wolves blew another game, Red Panda shined as the lone bright spot.

-Patrick