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Legislature failing

Local Editorials

With its inability to pass even the most basic and common sense legislation in a timely fashion, the Minnesota Legislature has hit Minnesota’s employers with a huge tax increase. This increase could have been avoided if the state had just agreed to repay the debt in the Minnesota Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, a $2.7 billion deficit that arose due to the unexpected unemployment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal government stepped in with enhanced federal unemployment payments, but the bill has come due and Minnesota has to refill its trust fund. The state is sitting on ...

Readers' Views

Letters to the Editor

Remember the abandoned pool? To the Editor: In 1969, citizens of Fairmont voted for a new indoor swimming pool. It was the 3rd largest pool in the state. Racing lanes ran width-wise rather than length-wise. It was located at the Middle School (now Fairmont Elementary School). Where is it now? Filled with concrete and used as a gymnasium. Why? Lack of use by the school district as a phy-ed station and by the general public. And because of enormous up-keep cost/repairs and ongoing energy cost, the City of Fairmont and the Fairmont School District decided to abandon the indoor pool. Why ...

Is this what Texas lawmakers wanted?

Local Editorials

The State of Texas, like a lot of Republican dominated states, passed voting restriction legislation that they claimed would “make it easier to vote and harder to cheat.” So how is it working? In the March 1 Texas primary this year, the state threw out 23,000 mail-in ballots, roughly 13% of the mail ballots cast in the counties surveyed by the Associated Press. The rejected ballots indicate that voters were having a hard time complying with the new rules Texas installed, including providing a personal ID number, such as a driver’s license number or Social Security number as well ...

Legislative hangups

Local Editorials

Legislative members attending the New Ulm Farm-City Hub Club Farm Show Saturday gave generously of their time to answer questions in a legislative forum devoted to farm issues. No doubt it took them that long to try to explain why the Minnesota Legislature still hasn’t passed legislation providing drought relief for farmers affected by last year’s dry season. Practically everyone in the Legislature, Republicans and Democrats alike, are agreed that livestock and specialty crop farmers who didn’t qualify for crop insurance last year need help, and there is a plan for $10 million ...

Readers' Views

Letters to the Editor

Martin County Youth Foundation To the Editor: On behalf of the Red Rock Center for the Arts, I would like to thank you for all you do to support area youth. With so many changes over the last couple of years, youth activities at the Red Rock have remained strong. We were able to host outdoor summer camps, children’s theatre, art and music classes, open studio days, family fun days, and so much more. Without the support of the foundation and its donors these things would not have been possible. Thank you. Keep up the great work. Sonja Fortune executive director, Red Rock Center ...

Gambling: Time to approve sports betting

Local Editorials

A sports gambling bill is a good bet to pass the Minnesota Legislature this year after years of opposition from the Native American casinos, who have now embraced the idea as they will be the primary operators. But sports betting is also good for Minnesota business and consumers, who are already wagering on sports online and in neighboring states. House and Senate bills would give the tribes control of sports betting in the state with in-person betting at casinos. The tribes would also work with vendors for online games. The Senate bill also would allow sports in-person betting at the ...