Protecting Rural Representation, Changing the Energy Landscape, Improving Lives of All Minnesotans

The Census Bureau has released its 2020 data, which shows some areas in rural Minnesota losing residents while the state’s metro areas are growing. The new data will be used to establish congressional and legislative districts that reflect the population changes, and lawmakers are beginning to hear from the public about their ideas and concerns. At a recent Senate meeting in Bemidji, rural residents urged lawmakers to protect rural representation.

Advancing affordable and clean energy and developing a qualified workforce to handle the energy demands of the future are desired outcomes of the major energy appropriations bill. Senator Dave Senjem, R-Rochester, talks with Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke about Minnesota's energy future and new legislative efforts to further the state's goals.

For more than 20 years, Roy Wilkins was the executive secretary of the NAACP, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The ‘Spiral for Justice’ memorial on the Minnesota Capitol grounds commemorates his work for racial equality. Retired Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board secretary Paul Mandell talks about the memorial and its recent renovation.

The recently passed $18.8 billion health and human services budget bill that spans the next two years includes measures to improve the lives of Minnesotans with disabilities. Human Services Reform Committee Chair Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, joins Shannon Loehrke to review the various initiatives, which some legislators have described as the best in a generation.