CHICAGO, Illinois, April 16 -- Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued the following news release: Attorney General Kwame Raoul, alongside 16 attorneys general, filed a motion to intervene in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to defend the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) final particulate matter (PM) standards rule against legal challenges. Last month, EPA finalized the rule to strengthen National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for fine pa  more

BISMARCK, North Dakota, April 16 -- The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued the following news release on April 15, 2024: * * * Federal Agency Charged Hospital Terminated Black Nursing Aide in Retaliation for Racial Harassment Complaint * * * Jacobson Memorial Hospital Care Center, a critical access hospital in Elgin, North Dakota, will pay $45,000 and provide other relief to settle a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) retaliation lawsuit, the federal agency annou  more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, April 16 -- Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release: Governor Tim Walz today signed three bills into law. Chapter 83, House File 3377 appropriates $79 million from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) for conservation and natural resource projects across Minnesota. Chapter 84, House File 3437 designates the bridge over U.S. Highway 169 in Plymouth as the Michael Gau Memorial Bridge. Gau, a 23-year veteran of the Belle Plaine Fire   more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, April 16 -- The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued the following news release: The MPCA has announced five grant recipients who will receive a combined total of more than $1 million in grants for projects to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and composting efforts in Greater Minnesota communities. These projects will ultimately reduce the amount of waste entering landfills, benefitting the environment and local economies.  more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, April 16 -- The Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus issued the following news on April 15, 2024: Last week Senate Democrats brought forward a controversial Environment bill that fails to address numerous concerns, such as an exploding wolf population, the minnow shortage, and holding the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) accountable for wildlife management issues. "Though there was a lot of bipartisan work done on this bill, it failed to address one of the most pressing  more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, April 16 -- The Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus issued the following news on April 15, 2024: On Monday the Minnesota Senate passed a Higher Education Policy bill that creates additional mandates for higher education institutions and fails to address the true concerns of students and families - those being the rising cost of tuition, lack of affordability, long term student debt, and campus safety concerns. Bipartisan measures in the bill assist students with disabilities  more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, April 15 -- The Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus issued the following news on April 14, 2024: The Minnesota Senate on Thursday approved a wide-ranging transportation policy bill (https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=senate&f=SF3944&ssn=0&y=2024) that Senator John Jasinski (R-Faribault), the lead Republican on the Transportation Committee, called a "true bipartisan effort." The bill includes provisions from 18 different bills authored by members of both parties. "  more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, April 16 -- The Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus issued the following news on April 15, 2024: Last week Senate Democrats brought forward a controversial Environment bill that fails to address numerous concerns, such as an exploding wolf population, the minnow shortage, issues surrounding walleye stock, and holding the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) accountable for wildlife management issues. Senator Nathan Wesenberg (R-Little Falls) offered amendments to address al  more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, April 15 -- The Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus issued the following newsletter on April 14, 2024, by State Sen. Mark Koran, R-North Branch: * * * Friends and neighbors, March 22 marked the end of the first and second deadlines for bills to be heard in committees which means we began hearing and voting on bills to pass into law last week. As you'll see, more policy related bills have made their way to the Senate floor and continue to impact - for better and for worse   more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, April 15 -- The Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus issued the following newsletter on April 14, 2024, by State Sen. Bill Lieske, R-Lonsdale: * * * Friends and Neighbors, A lot of the most important work we do in the legislature doesn't make big headlines. The transportation policy bill we approved this week (https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=senate&f=SF3944&ssn=0&y=2024) is a perfect example. There's nothing flashy in it. Instead, it's a bunch of smaller things  more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, April 15 -- The Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus issued the following newsletter on April 14, 2024, by State Sen. Bill Lieske, R-Lonsdale: * * * Friends and Neighbors, I'm proud to share that the legislature recently approved a bipartisan agriculture bill that will make a real difference for small local growers and the countless Minnesotans who enjoy fresh produce from community farmers markets. In addition, it strengthens laws protecting our beloved pets and protects   more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, April 16 -- The Minnesota Utilities Commission issued the following decision involving Minnesota Power, Otter Tail Power Co. and Northern States Power Co. dba Xcel Energy: * * * INTRODUCTION DECISION ITEMS 1. Details 2023-197 ** E002/C-23-424 Northern States Power Co. d/b/a Xcel Energy In the Matter of the Formal Complaint and Request for Relief by the Minnesota Solar Advocates. Should the Commission grant Minnesota Solar Advocates' (MSA) petition for reconsideration  more