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Allison Kite

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Allison Kite is a reporter for the Minnesota Star Tribune.

Recent content from Allison Kite
Minnesota legislators and staff meet privately Wednesday, May 21, 2025 in a working group to hash out the details of the state's health and human serv

Minnesota legislators negotiating biggest pieces of $66 billion budget in private

Legislators kicked a Minnesota Star Tribune reporter out of Human Services working group meeting after initially allowing her in.
DFL House Leader Melissa Hortman speaks to media during the last day of the legislative session at the Minnesota Capitol in St. Paul on Monday.

What did — and didn't — get done at the Minnesota Capitol this session

Lawmakers plan to come back for a short special session to take up some items they didn't get to before their deadline.
Melisa LĂłpez Franzen would have faced Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and U.S. Rep. Angie Craig in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.

Former Minnesota Senate minority leader drops out of race for U.S. Senate

She would have faced Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and U.S. Rep. Angie Craig in battle for the DFL nomination for the U.S. Senate.
The Minnesota state flag flies amid strong winds as the Minnesota Legislature heads into the final weekend of its 2025 session Friday, May 16, 2025 at

Four things to watch as Legislature races to pass budget

A short special session may be necessary, lawmakers acknowledge.
The Minnesota State Capitol, where the Legislature convenes, from February 2024 in St. Paul. ] GLEN STUBBE • glen.stubbe@startribune.com

Minnesota pensions embraced investing in private equity, a big risk that's paid off

Like funds across the country, Minnesota increased its investments after the Great Recession. The $96 billion combined funds are invested on behalf of about 800,000 retirees, survivors and current state employees.
Leonel Mejia shows his views on immigrant healthcare during a vigil outside of House chambers at the Minnesota State Capitol on Friday.

Minnesota's budget deal threatened over plans to undo health care for undocumented adults

Some DFL lawmakers in both the House and Senate are saying they won't vote for a bill that strips away immigrants' access to health care.
Flanked by top lawmakers, Gov. Tim Walz talks about the budget compromise at a news conference Thursday at the State Capitol.



Minnesota lawmakers s

Revoking immigrant health care brings chaos to Walz's office: Takeaways from Minnesota budget deal

Gov. Tim Walz and legislative leaders struck a budget deal to fund state government and address a projected deficit.
Sen. Nick Frentz, DFL-North Mankato, said voters sent a message last fall that they were more concerned with “pocketbook” issues.

At Minnesota Capitol, Democrats debate whether to moderate or hold firm on progressive policies

After bruising losses last year, some Democrats are seeking to unwind parts of the liberal policy blitz that won the party national attention. It's creating a rift with progressives as the clock runs out on the legislative session.
Gov. Tim Walz's family members cry, including his son, Gus Walz, as the governor speaks at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last year.

'I was just being emotional': Gus Walz addresses viral DNC moment

Gov. Tim Walz's son, Gus, sat down for an interview with "CBS Mornings."
House DFL Leader Melissa Hortman and Rep. Zack Stephenson head to budget negotiations at the State Capitol on Thursday.

Minnesota legislators enter final week of session without a budget deal. Here's where things stand.

Each day that passes without a deal brings the Legislature closer to needing a special session for the first time in four years.
The legislature's Working Group on Expungements held a hearing to hear testimony regarding Minnesota's expungement laws and what remedies can be taken

Ethics panel deadlocks on Minnesota Senate president's alleged conflict of interest

The Senate Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct, which has two DFL and two GOP members, didn't move to investigate or dismiss the complaint.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison sifts through piles of Trump administration executive orders and directives in his office at the State Capito

As Minnesota AG fights Trump in court, he says executive branch 'belligerence' is growing

Minnesota has joined 16 lawsuits against the federal government in the first 100 days of President Donald Trump's second term.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison discusses the executive orders and directives by the Trump administration while in his office at the Minnesot

Tracking AG Keith Ellison's suits against the Trump administration

We're watching every lawsuit Minnesota has joined, on everything from probationary worker firings to cuts for public health funding.
Gov. Tim Walz acknowledges applause before delivering his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at the State Capitol in St.

Gov. Walz excoriates Trump, offers olive branch to Minnesota Republicans in State of the State speech

Walz, mulling another term as governor, has left the door open to possible national bid.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison speaks during a news conference at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul last month.

Minnesota sues Trump administration over anti-trans executive orders

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, takes aim at executive orders banning trans kids from sports and defining two sexes.
The Minnesota Legislature returns to St. Paul Monday April 21, 2025, after break for a final month of work.  ] GLEN STUBBE • glen.stubbe@startribune

Minnesota lawmakers hit sticking points in budget talks with weeks left in session

One House Democrat says the tie between the DFL and GOP "makes everything harder, slower, more time consuming."
Sen. Bobby Joe Champion presides over the Senate on Jan. 3, 2023 in St. Paul.

Minnesota Senate president has blurred the line between his legislative and legal business for years

Sen. Bobby Joe Champion, who's an attorney, has pushed funding for organizations run by his past legal clients. He also represented a nonprofit that he had secured state funding for.
MN GOP Chair Jennifer Carnahan waited for Second Lady Karen Pence and Lara Trump to take the stage on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019 at Union Depot in St. Pa

Former GOP Chair Jennifer Carnahan among those vying in special primary to replace Justin Eichorn

The winner of the GOP primary will move on to the April 29 special election against DFLer Denise Slipy for state Senate seat.
DFL Sen. Bobby Joe Champion presided over the Senate after being sworn in as the first Black Senate President Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023 St. Paul, Minn. ]

GOP files ethics complaint against Minnesota Senate president over conflict of interest concerns

Sen. Bobby Joe Champion has been under scrutiny for seeking state funding for a nonprofit after representing its founder in court.
Sen. Bobby Joe Champion presides over the Senate on Jan. 3, 2023, in St. Paul.

Minnesota Senate president sought funding for nonprofit run by legal client, and for former employer

Senate President Bobby Joe Champion temporarily stepped down as chair of an ethics subcommittee on Monday and asked the panel to determine whether there was a conflict.
Sen. Nicole Mitchell, DFL-Woodbury, on the Senate floor May 15 in St. Paul.

Court of Appeals sends request to release police video of Sen. Nicole Mitchell's arrest back to district court

Mitchell has pleaded not guilty to two felony charges tied to an alleged break-in at her late father's house
A 240-ton capacity production truck drives out of an open pit mine with a load of taconite heading to the taconite processing plant at the Hibbing Tac

Minnesota may extend unemployment funds for Iron Range steelworkers in time of tariffs

Cleveland-Cliffs announced layoffs affecting more than 600 last month.
From left, Cassidy Durkin, Ethan Glynn, Corey Glynn and Parker Durkin spend time together on Mother's Day. Ethan Glynn was paralyzed in 2022 when he w

Parents of two paralyzed athletes join call for MSHSL to increase insurance coverage

Proposed legislation would require the Minnesota State High School League to carry a $10 million insurance policy for athletes.
The Minnesota State Capitol, Feb. 12, 2024 in St. Paul, Minn.

Minnesota communities hope bonding bill will help clean water, repair buildings and address other infrastructure needs

Requested projects for cities and state agencies totaling $7.6 billion could help to build labs, cut lead in pipes and more.
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Former Minn. GOP Chair Jennifer Carnahan, others enter race to replace former Sen. Justin Eichorn

A crowded field of Republicans quickly emerged in the race to replace Eichorn, who resigned from the state Senate last week following his arrest in an underage prostitution sting.
Attorney General Keith Ellison speaks during a Community Impact Hearing he hosted with several fellow Democratic Attorneys General from across the nat

Keith Ellison hosts Democratic attorneys general to hear Minnesotans' concerns over Trump changes

Hundreds gather in North St. Paul high school to share stories with AGs that have repeatedly sued to stop president's executive orders.
Staff place the Senate agenda on the desk of GOP Sen. Justin Eichorn before his name was removed shortly before the morning’s Senate session at the

GOP state Sen. Justin Eichorn resigns, makes first court appearance on underage prostitution charge

Upon his resignation from the Senate, Eichorn was also removed from his role as chair of the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison speaks during a press conference at the Minnesota State Capitol on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Ellison joined a l

Ellison sues Trump administration for holding up green project funds

Keith Ellison says he's "opposing yet one more illegal power grab by the Trump administration."
Sen. Justin Eichorn's desk in the Senate Environment Climate and Legacy Committee sat empty on Tuesday. Eichorn is the ranking member of the committee

Minnesota Senate GOP will move to expel Sen. Justin Eichorn after underage prostitution arrest

A growing group of lawmakers called for Eichorn's resignation on Wednesday and said they'll try to vote to expel him if he doesn't step aside voluntarily.
Rep. David Gottfried, who won a special election, is sworn in the House of Representatives at the State Capitol in St. Paul on Monday.

Minnesota lawmakers take first votes with GOP-DFL tie in the House

Democratic Rep. David Gottfried was sworn in at the start of Monday's House session.
A customer makes a sports bet at the Borgata casino in Atlantic City N.J. on March 17, 2022 just before the March Madness NCAA college basketball tour

The NCAA basketball tournaments begin this week. Why can't Minnesotans bet on March Madness?

The U.S. Supreme Court opened the door to sports betting in 2018.
Prince and Bob Dylan aren't the only Minnesota musicians to create tunes worthy of the official state song.

Besides Prince and Bob Dylan, what other state songs should Minnesota consider?

Lawmakers are proposing "Purple Rain" and "Girl from the North Country" to join "Hail! Minnesota." We auditioned some additional choices.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, pictured in 2020, joined Democratic attorneys general in 19 other states and Washington, D.C., in a lawsuit

Minnesota AG joins lawsuit to block 'dismantling' of federal Department of Education

The U.S. Department of Education plans to lay off about 1,300 workers.
Left: Prince performs during the halftime show at the Super Bowl XLI football game in Miami, Feb. 4, 2007. Right:  Bob Dylan performs in Los Angeles o

Prince's sister backs bill naming 'Purple Rain' as a Minnesota state song

Legislation before the Minnesota Senate also designates Bob Dylan's "Girl from the North Country" as an official state song
Minnesota state Sen. Erin Maye Quade, DFL-Apple Valley, center, discusses her bill to crack down on "nudification" apps during a news conference at th

Minnesota Senate bill targets websites where users create 'deepfake' porn videos

Sen. Erin Maye Quade wants websites to stop allowing users to upload photos and 'nudify' them.