Politics and Election News

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Final South Dakota tribe bans governor
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is now banned from entering the lands of all nine tribes in South Dakota. Following a meeting on Tuesday, May 21, the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe moved to ban the governor from the reservation in solidarity with the other eight Oceti Sakowin tribes in South Dakota.
Minnesota’s top elected officials hear calls for divestment at state board meeting
Protesters seeking to have the state of Minnesota end any investments in Israeli companies and weapons manufacturers had a chance to directly address the state’s top elected officials on Tuesday.
Job Interview: Barber who works at the Capitol has learned it’s best not to split hairs
State lawmakers may be heading home once the legislative session wraps up, but Ken Kirkpatrick still has his work cut out for him. He’s the former owner of Capitol Barbers, located on the Capitol campus.
Rochester City Council member expelled from meeting
Molly Dennis was asked to leave after repeatedly veering from topics on the agenda, marking another tense episode in an ongoing conflict between Dennis, the Rochester City Council and city staff. 
Donald Trump’s defense rests in the former president’s New York hush money trial
Donald Trump’s lawyers have rested their defense in the former president’s New York hush money trial, bringing the case one step closer to final arguments. The prosecution will get a chance to call rebuttal witnesses now that the defense witnesses have had their turn on the stand.
Researcher who studies rural Americans calls out damaging stereotypes about rural voters
Colby College government professor Nicholas Jacobs argues that rural voters are far more complex than some academics, liberal politicians and journalists give them credit for — and it’s a reason why rural voters increasingly gravitate toward conservative candidates. 
Minnesota lawmakers pass reforms to property forfeiture law
The fix was needed because a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year declared Minnesota’s current forfeiture system unconstitutional. The new process offers owners a chance to claim the surplus value of their tax-forfeited property.
Minneapolis launches system to intervene if MPD officers appear to be struggling
Mayor Jacob Frey said the goal of the new early intervention system would be to use data on things like officer attendance, off-duty work hours or arrest records to identify officers who show signs of stress, trauma or burnout.Â