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PODCAST

Politics Friday

Minnesota Public Radio

Weekly updates from Brian Bakst and the Minnesota Public Radio newsroom staff covering politics in Minnesota.

government

All Episodes

00:57:38

Politics Friday: Washington is top of mind for a pair...

Politics Friday ·

2025/04/24

Gov. Tim Walz had his chance this week to assess the condition of Minnesota in a speech where he spent a lot of time focused on what the president is up to.Had November’s election ended differently, Peggy Flanagan would have been the one delivering the State of the State address at the Minnesota Capitol. Instead, the DFL lieutenant governor was seated beside Walz at this week’s speech. She’s running for the U.S. Senate in 2026. Flanagan has competition for the DFL nomination. So how is she

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00:16:48

Land speculators and lawmakers: How St. Peter nearly...

Politics Friday ·

2025/04/21

Minnesota history is filled with stories of political chicanery, backroom deals and other unpleasantness. For sheer chutzpah, however, it’s hard to beat the tale of how land speculators in 1857 nearly got lawmakers to move the capital to St. Peter. "People are familiar with bits and pieces of the story, they don't always get the details correct, and that's not surprising because it's been discussed and written about so frequently," said Bob Sandeen, a St. Peter native

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00:52:02

Politics Friday: Digging into Minnesota‘s political...

Politics Friday ·

2025/04/17

The Minnesota House and Senate chambers and all the committee rooms have been quiet this week while the Legislature is on recess.The Capitol will be a busy place though as the dash-to-the-finish begins next week. That phase can be filled with strategy, hijinks and downright trickery. In one respect, it’s how the Capitol wound up in St. Paul in the first place. MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst and associate digital producer Anika Besst will revisit that caper — and how one spurned city

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00:50:21

Affordable housing is a bipartisan focus, but what...

Politics Friday ·

2025/04/11

The Legislature’s spring recess is approaching and with about six weeks left in the session, many issues still unresolved.Housing is top of mind for many Minnesotans and lawmakers at the Capitol — whether to rewrite zoning standards statewide to encourage construction of more low-to-moderate cost housing. The issue has created some cross-party alliances, but the bills in front of lawmakers haven’t satisfied all who have a stake in the decisions. MPR politics editor Brian Bakst talks with

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00:50:00

Politics Friday: Budget begins to take shape as...

Politics Friday ·

2025/04/04

MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst gets the lowdown on the negotiations that have begun over the new state budget.Erin Campbell, commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget, discusses why Gov. Tim Walz shaped his proposal as he did. And we’ll talk about the high-level negotiations that have commenced to reach a deal prior to the May 19 adjournment.Later, the DFL Party has its first new chair in more than a decade. The new leader, Richard Carlbom, is in studio to introduce himself and

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00:50:28

The Legislature gears up for the big budget push. How...

Politics Friday ·

2025/03/28

After an unusual start, the 2025 legislative session has passed the halfway mark and the budget grind is quickly closing in. The Senate is narrowly in DFL control by one seat and the House is at a 67-67 tie. How will leaders navigate the tightest party divide in recent history? MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst talks with Speaker of the Minnesota House Lisa Demuth and House DFL Leader Melissa Hortman in front of a studio audience at the UBS Forum in St. Paul. Later in the program, two

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00:50:16

Politics Friday: What will Minnesota lawmakers do to...

Politics Friday ·

2025/03/21

Two of the biggest political stories of this week played out beyond Minnesota’s Capitol. The arrest of then-Sen. Justin Eichorn, R-Grand Rapids, in a teen prostitution sting led his resignation and the federal jury’s conviction of major players in the Feeding Our Future fraud scandal. MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst speaks with two lawmakers about fraud and what the laws the Legislature might strengthen to stop or crack down on those behind schemes to swindle money from government

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00:49:34

Politics Friday: Minnesota’s paid leave law remains a...

Politics Friday ·

2025/03/13

MPR News senior politics editor Brian Bakst talks with two Minnesota lawmakers about the state’s new paid leave program — scheduled to start in January of next year — and the legislation that could possibly delay or change eligibility.

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00:49:33

Politics Friday: Moves in Washington hover over state...

Politics Friday ·

2025/03/06

Amid upheaval at the federal level, Minnesota officials released the state’s latest economic forecast.It’ll set the parameters for the new budget that lawmakers will craft before they gavel out of this year’s session. The state’s fiscal cushion continues to shrink, and actions from federal government will have a bearing on Minnesota government operations. Now, state finance officials warn there could be disruptions to the state’s economy. MPR News senior politics editor Brian Bakst

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00:49:35

Politics Friday: Newly elected lawmakers reflect on...

Politics Friday ·

2025/02/28

State lawmakers have less than three months to adopt a state budget for this legislative session — it’s a must-do item this year.Many Capitol veterans know to expect a late-session pileup of decisions, but what do the newcomers think about the inevitable rush to the finish line?MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst talked with two freshmen representatives about their first legislative session, its delayed start and the time crunch to pass bills in the coming months. The program also

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00:50:36

Politics Friday: Crime, public safety measures drive...

Politics Friday ·

2025/02/21

It’s back to business at the Capitol, and several public safety-related bills have been introduced this session. But which bills have enough bipartisan support to pass in a divided Legislature? MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst talks with two key lawmakers about public safety and the proposals seeking to reshape laws from traffic offenses to felony crime sentencing. Later in the hour, two political analysts break down the last month in state and national politics. President Donald

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00:52:34

Politics Friday: As a Minnesota senator bows out, a...

Politics Friday ·

2025/02/14

President Donald Trump’s makeover of the federal government is going full steam. But he’s doing it in a way that has gone around Congress — with one executive action after another. But soon, Trump will need congressional votes to pay for his immigration crackdown and to extend a series of tax breaks. MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst will speak with Republican U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber, from a northern Minnesota district, about the part he’ll play in Washington. Later, a check-in with the

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00:49:51

Politics Friday: Blur of action in Washington, back...

Politics Friday ·

2025/02/06

MPR News host Brian Bakst talks about the blistering change in Washington with U.S. Sen. Tina Smith. And the scuffle in the Minnesota House is over. We discuss how lawmakers struck a deal to gavel in the session.

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00:50:39

Politics Friday: Democrats seek a new leader with...

Politics Friday ·

2025/01/31

The Democratic National Committee will elect a new party chair this weekend. Minnesota’s Ken Martin, the current state DFL Party leader, is vying for the job.MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst and his guests talk about Martin’s run for the national party’s top post at a time where Democrats are regrouping.And Republicans in the state have a new leader, too. Minnesota Republican Party Chair Alex Plechash was elected to lead Minnesota’s conservative party in December. He joins the

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00:51:18

Politics Friday: As state high court pulled into...

Politics Friday ·

2025/01/23

The Legislature opened its session on Jan. 14. But the House hasn’t been able to operate at full capacity. Democrats are boycotting and Republicans have declined to cut a deal to share power or commit to leaving a DFL win in a contested House election intact.Now the Minnesota Supreme Court is involved. Will a ruling by justices settle things or could the standoff linger deeper into the session? MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst talked to the two Minnesota lawmakers with a role in the

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01:11:26

Politics Friday: The 2025 Legislature is off to a...

Politics Friday ·

2025/01/17

The tied Minnesota Senate got under way in amicable fashion with senators notching a power-sharing deal to avoid problems.The House is another story. Democrats boycotted and republicans went full steam ahead — despite legal questions about their ability to do so. It’s a bit messy.MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst and his guests talk about the first week of the 2025 legislative session from a panel discussion he recorded with a pair of lawmakers at the Minnesota’s Chamber of Commerce

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00:49:35

As Legislature prepares for new session, rifts...

Politics Friday ·

2025/01/10

The Minnesota Legislature will gavel-in a new session on Jan. 14 at noon, and MPR’s politics team is at the Capitol to cover it all. MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst and his guests talk about the 2025 legislative session.

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00:27:30

Gov. Tim Walz reflects on Democrats’ shortcomings,...

Politics Friday ·

2024/12/13

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00:49:28

Politics Friday: Trump’s path to the White House...

Politics Friday ·

2024/11/15

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00:49:48

Politics Friday: The voters have spoken, but sent a...

Politics Friday ·

2024/11/08

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97 results

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