Daily Digest: Mills bows out
Good morning and welcome to the first Thursday of November. Let's check the Digest.
1. After two unsuccessful runs against DFL U.S. Rep Rick Nolan in Minnesota's 8th congressional District, Stewart Mills on Wednesday said he would not try again in 2018 to defeat Nolan. "I have decided not to have my name on the ballot this election cycle, this is not a cycle I feel comfortable with," said Mills in a post on Facebook. "In my study of this coming cycle, the Democrats have an impressive offensive strategy." Mills, a member of the family that built the Mills Fleet Farm business, lost to Nolan by about 2,000 votes in 2016, even as Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in the district. He also faulted national Republicans for their strategy going into 2018. "The Republicans, in my direct and personal experience, are recruiting folks without a strategy, polling, or an explainable path to victory," he said. St. Louis County Commissioner and Duluth Police Lt. Pete Stauber has already announced a run for the GOP nomination. (MPR News)
2. This year's open enrollment launch at MNsure is a sharp contrast with Day One last year, when a key portion of the health exchange website was down for about 30 minutes and the MNsure call center was overwhelmed amid allegations that "robocallers" had jammed the phones. On Wednesday, there were no signs of a repeat for either of those woes. Plus, things were relatively quiet at the MNsure Facebook page, which has served in past years as ground zero for those venting about customer service problems. The anecdotal evidence from social media fit with MNsure's conclusion in an afternoon statement that "overall things are going smoothly." (Star Tribune)
3. A longtime critic of the MNsure health insurance exchange has a new plan to scrap it while shifting more responsibilities to Minnesota counties. House Health and Human Services Finance Chair Matt Dean, R-Dellwood, is trying again to dismantle the state-run health insurance purchase portal. It’s used by people buying private plans and by those seeking to enroll in public health care programs. Dean, a Republican candidate for governor, has made the health care issue the central piece of his campaign, although one of his rivals has also criticized Dean’s resolve. Dean’s new plan would seek federal permission to let insurance buyers go through private agents while still qualifying for premium subsidies. For public program enrollees, county administrators would have more power around eligibility decisions and signups. (MPR News)
4. Gov. Mark Dayton and Republican legislative leaders exchanged new criticism Wednesday amid court filings in their months-old feud over vetoes that halted new funding for the House and Senate. Dayton’s legal team lodged its objection to a recent legislative request to a judge to free up money while the Supreme Court decides the broader case. The DFL governor followed it up with a sharply worded statement accusing Republican lawmakers of running up the legal tab while refusing to seek an out-of-court resolution. “If they are unwilling, they should at least stop wasting taxpayer dollars on expensive and unnecessary legal proceedings, and await a final judgment from the Minnesota Supreme Court,” Dayton said. (MPR News)
5. Deborah Swackhamer, a prominent water chemist, was dumped as chair of a key science panel at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday as part of a dramatic restructuring of how the agency gets scientific advice. Swackhamer, a retired University of Minnesota professor, has drawn the public spotlight this year for sharply criticizing EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. She said Tuesday that Pruitt is turning the agency's' scientific advisory boards into committees that will "rubber stamp his agenda: deregulation." Late Tuesday, Pruitt announced he would appoint new leadership to three panels: The Scientific Advisory Board, which guides the agency on the science underlying regulations; the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee; and the Board of Scientific Counselors. Swackhamer recently chaired the latter board, and she will remain a member at least until March. At the same time, Pruitt announced a new policy that would disallow anyone who receives EPA research funding from serving as an adviser. (Star Tribune)
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