Opinion
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 1823
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Empowering Tribal Colleges: The Urgent Need for Minnesota House Bill 750
Minnesota House Bill 750 is crucial to providing much-needed financial resources to tribal colleges in our state, opening doors for countless students who might otherwise be unable to pursue their academic dreams. As president of Leech Lake Tribal College, I am proud to support the mission of our institution and the intent of...
How a president's arrest can strengthen democracy
In 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant was arrested by a police officer for speeding in his horse-drawn coach in Washington. The officer stuck out his hand to signal a stop, and Grant obeyed and then accompanied the officer to the police station. Did that demean the presidency? No, I'd say it was a beautiful tribute to democracy....
Reproductive Freedom Defense Act Passes Minnesota House
St. Paul, MN — Today, the Reproductive Freedom Defense Act (RFDA) passed the Minnesota House, taking the bill one step closer to becoming law. The bill would protect patients in Minnesota, coming to Minnesota from a state that bans abortions, and doctors who practice in Minnesota or outside of Minnesota. In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 landmark case...
A promising life derailed by marijuana
Catherine Mayberry was an honor student at Minnetonka High School. An award-winning artist. A varsity tennis player who also loved skiing and softball. A loving sister and daughter. On Oct. 8, at age 24, she died from an accidental overdose of meth mixed with fentanyl. Sadly, her parents, Trent and Jane Mayberry, consider this...
Activists out of control in Minneapolis disputes
The out-of-control, threatening behavior of some activists to try to intimidate Minneapolis officials has to stop. And there must be legal consequences for those who harass officeholders. Last Thursday, protesters disrupted a City Council meeting over a plan to demolish a warehouse in south Minneapolis and build a city facility...
Native people will not be silenced
Last week, members of the Little Earth Defenders and the American Indian Movement began a ceremonial occupation of the Roof Depot site in East Phillips, where Minneapolis wants to build a new Public Works building ("Move ahead with Roof Depot project," editorial, Feb. 25). I was there at dawn, with my daughter and granddaughter. And I was there that night, when police...
Minnesota budget surplus: Spend every penny (and then some)
This week, Minnesota budget authorities will release their semiannual update on the state's finances. Barring major surprises, it will show that Minnesota has a considerable surplus. The announcement will renew an 18-month-old debate about what to do with the funds. Most conservatives will continue calls to "give it back"...
States shouldn't deny equal treatment for Indian kids
"For too long, a lot of our kids have been lost in one system or another, whether it be this system or through residential schools," Montana State Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy told his colleagues last week. "It's time to wake up and kind of move forward." Rep. Windy Boy is leading the charge for Montana to pass a state version of...
New assisted suicide bill would pose dangers to Minnesotans
ST. PAUL — Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL) strongly opposes legislation just introduced that would legalize assisted suicide in Minnesota. The bill would authorize doctors to prescribe lethal drugs for certain patients to intentionally end their own lives. “This legislation has gone nowhere in past years, and for good reasons. Assisted suicide is a danger to...
State awash in surplus, schools drowning in deficits
School districts across Minnesota are drowning in deficits driven by "cross subsidies" - the cost of unfunded state and federal mandates. Within the next 10 to 12 weeks, many will begin announcing staff and program cuts for the 2023-24 school year. Sometimes a local example helps people understand the scope of the problem. My...
Rez Dogs Are A Real - and Sometimes Deadly - Problem on Indian Reservations
It is common to pull into a parking lot of a restaurant or a hotel located on an Indian reservation and have a stray dog hanging around for some attention and maybe some food. These dogs are commonly referred to as reservation dogs. Reservation dogs are real, dangerous, and sometimes deadly. The problem goes beyond begging dogs...
Collecting taxes, Minnesota steals assets of the vulnerable
Opinion editor's note: Star Tribune Opinion publishes a mix of national and local commentaries online and in print each day. To contribute, click here. In 2015, officials in Hennepin County seized an elderly woman's condo and sold it, over about $2,300 of unpaid property taxes, plus $12,700 in penalties, interest and fees. They...
Living Generously – How Values Guide Us
Inflation and the economy have recently been in the news and discussed on social media. As someone who is part of a big family, I am only too aware, like so many of you, of the tensions between financial security and meeting the great needs of others. These were especially acute during the holiday season, and with the severe storms and the high costs of heating and food in the...
This Day in History: December 29, 1890 - Wounded Knee Massacre
Opinion. Editor's Note: This commentary was originally published by Native News Online in December 2013. It has been updated to reflect 132 years that have passed since the tragic day. One hundred and thirty-two winters ago, on December 29, 1890, some 150 Lakota men, women and children were massacred by the US 7th Cavalry...
Trump must not be above the law
The Jan. 6 House committee has concluded its 18-month investigation, appropriately, by unanimously recommending that the Justice Department charge former President Donald Trump for inciting insurrection; conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government; obstructing an official act of Congress, and conspiracy to make a false statement....
Trump is a threat to the Constitution
Former President Donald Trump's bids for attention are becoming increasingly outrageous, desperate and even dangerous. His latest ploy is the most alarming yet: an explicit call for "termination of all rules, regulations and articles, even those found in the Constitution," as part of his ceaseless attempt to invalidate the...
Minnesota's legalization of marijuana will be the nation's best
When I started working on a bill in 2019 to legalize cannabis for adult use, Minnesota was not ready for that idea to become law. Proposals were confused and contradictory. Neither the House nor the Senate DFL had the votes necessary to pass it, and Republicans in the Senate were actively blocking cannabis legalization for...
Red Lake Nation completes population study results demand action
Many tribes including Red Lake Nation are experiencing population declines and an overall aging of their populations. We all have relatives who cannot get enrolled because their blood quantum isn’t high enough. Tribal members and leaders may worry about what this means about the future of the tribe. A recent population projection study conducted by Wilder Research on behalf...
Could Trump campaign from jail? Absolutely.
Former President Donald Trump's "BIG" announcement coincides with the increasing likelihood that he will be charged, perhaps convicted, and possibly even incarcerated for one or more federal or state offenses. This leads one to wondering whether he could still run for president again under any of those conditions. The answer is...
Trump's appeal may finally be ebbing
It's tempting to jump on sweeping narratives that explain election results. That's convenient but can lead to disastrous results similar to the widespread "red wave" predictions that took on the aura of conventional wisdom just before voters flipped the script. That said, and without overinterpreting the results, there are a...
Schools fail because we sabotage kids
"Why schools fail: a view from a college professor" (Opinion Exchange, Oct. 23) was an enlightening piece. I'd like to pass on my experience with the narrower topic of mathematics in the public schools. I am an engineer and have used math as a tool for decades. Algebra, geometry and trigonometry (A/G/T) were my mainstays. Though my involvement may be a bit dated, I saw the...
A letter from NAAF's CEO on Monumental USDA Announcement of $800 Million in Assistance for Distressed Farm Loan Borrowers
Yesterday the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that distressed borrowers with qualifying USDA farm loans recently received nearly $800 million in assistance. This funding was mainly derived from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), with some additional resources coming from the COVID-19 Pandemic Relief. Through the IRA, USDA was directed to expedite services to...
Voting in the North Country
Once again, it's election season across the country. The general election will be held on November 8, 2022. Here in northwest Minnesota, we have a lot to consider before we go vote. You have questions like: How do I register to vote? When do I vote? and What am I going to see on the ballot? Wherever you are in the state of...
MCCL statement on Ellison's 'consumer alert' on pregnancy care centers
MINNEAPOLIS — MCCL Executive Director Scott Fischbach issued the following statement in response to Attorney General Ellison's decision today to issue a "consumer alert" warning about pregnancy care centers in Minnesota: "Keith Ellison is acting like an advocate for the abortion industry, not for Minnesota women. Pregnancy care centers provide practical help and alternatives...
Illegal Drug Usage is a Crisis in Indian Country. Now is the Time to Act.
The end of this month marks International Overdose Awareness Day. Each year on August 31, the day is recognized globally to bring focus to prescription opioid overdose risk and preventing drug-related harm. Unfortunately, we don't have to leave Indian Country to see the severe damage drugs are wreaking on our tribal...
