Lest We Forget

​This Wednesday, May 25, marks the second anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. There are several events planned in the Twin Cities this week with most occurring in Minneapolis. There is one event currently planned for St. Paul which will be on the afternoon of the 25th, at the Governor's residence on Summit Avenue.
 
Reflecting on these last two years, highlighted by Floyd’s murder and also so many others before and since, requires that we consider lessons learned within the context of their lives, the conditions around them, and whether or not there was fairness in the systems in their lives as there was for people who have more privileged lives. If anything, my learning has deepened my grief. The Center for Public Integrity last week published a piece on George Floyd’s life, shaped by racism, that “tells an American story.” A worthy read.
 
The question: what has changed? Minnesota, a state known for its progressive politics and economic opportunity, has become the ugly epicenter of an American reckoning on race and justice. An article by The Washington Post tells us that two years after Floyd’s death, “Black Minnesotans say little has changed.”  I can’t deny that reality; that said, I am seeing commitment to change: funding, policy, and – most important to my mind – heart changes. Most recently, 25+ corporate, civic, and philanthropic leaders launched the GroundBreak Coalition to deploy $2 billion of capital around MSP towards BIPOC entrepreneurship and other key areas.  Time will tell; “hopeful skepticism” still abounds.
 
Lest we forget: our continued response must be grounded in authentic, proactive change.

​See you in the trenches.
B

• More Minnesota counties have high COVID-19 levels but milder cases. The state is reporting more than 2,100 cases/day, up from 374/day in mid-March. Modest increases so far in hospitalizations and deaths. Long-term care facility infections are up while reported outbreaks in K-12 schools and colleges remain lower. ​​

• Minnesota retains 32nd place in Tax Foundation’s business property tax ranking. “Minnesota continues to levy a burdensome and economically distortive estate tax, hurting the state’s tax competitiveness,” Tax Foundation Senior Policy Analyst Katherine Loughead told The Center Square in an emailed statement Tuesday.
• Grant Opportunity: US DOT Announces $1B Available in Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law established the new Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) discretionary program with $5 billion in appropriated funds over the next 5 years. In fiscal year 2022 (FY22), up to $1 billion is available. The SS4A program funds regional, local, and Tribal initiatives through grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries. 
  • NOFO: The FY22 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for Safe Streets and Roads for All grants is live on Grants.gov  
  • The deadline for applications is September 15, 2022 
  • Webinar Series: Attend a “How to Apply” webinar 
  • More coverage here.  
• DEED: The Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced grantee partners for the second round of the Main Street Economic Revitalization Program. This $80 million statewide economic redevelopment program, distributed through two rounds of funding, awards grants to partner organizations to establish programs within specific communities that will, in turn, fund economic development and redevelopment projects.  
• The median price of a home reached a record high of $391,200 in April, a nearly 15% increase compared to the same time last year, as mortgage rates edged upward and total home sales volumes decreased for the third straight month.
• Minnesota unemployment hits record low in April: 2.2%, down from 2.5% in March. The labor force participation rose two-tenths of a point to 68.3%, solidly outperforming the national rate.​

Federal

• Police reform: This Wednesday marks two years since George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer. While lawmakers on Capitol Hill appear to have thrown in the towel on police reform, Biden is said to be ready to take his own action in the coming weeks via executive order.  Why it's worth watching: Two years later, the mass popular interest has swung from reforming policing practices to tackling crime, leaving Biden on tricky territory ahead of the midterm elections as he balances the desire from his base to rein in law enforcement officers and key voters' interest in keeping communities safe. 
• The Senate failed to advance a $48 billion aid package for restaurants and other small businesses in a 52-43 procedural vote, likely marking the end of the effort to assist industries hit by the COVID-19 pandemic as the Biden administration's coronavirus supplemental spending package remains stalled.
• IIJA aka BIL: 
  • It’s been six months since the landmark Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) passed Congress on a strong bipartisan vote. This law finally broke the congressional logjam on infrastructure, which had been the subject of much debate and hand-wringing for years. Now, six months later, implementation of the IIJA is proceeding at a breakneck pace. 
  • The White House released a map that shows how much Infrastructure Bill funding has been announced for work within states. 
• The White House: President Biden announced that $10 billion in American Rescue Plan funds have been committed to public safety – including at least $6.5 billion in State and Local funds committed by more than half of states and more than 300 communities across the country.  
• Broadband: The Biden administration on Friday made $45 billion in broadband funding from the bipartisan infrastructure act available to the states, emphasizing that they make sure any internet service that’s built is affordable not only to those with low incomes but to the middle class as well.  
• Housing: President Biden, as part of his effort to persuade Americans he’s trying to lower consumer costs, laid out a plan Monday to reduce home prices. The most significant initiative would give extra points for transportation dollars to states and localities that allow more multifamily housing in areas reserved for single-family homes. 

 
State:

• Sunday at 11:59PM was the constitutional adjournment of the Legislature. They failed to reach agreements on numerous omnibus bills. Special Session possible. Stay tuned for more info.
• Sunday Take at 9AM on WCCO Radio had an extended interview with Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan as they were endorsed at the DFL Convention in Rochester.  LISTEN: http://bit.ly/2022WCCOStream.  Along with Gov Walz, also endorsed unopposed were Attorney General Keith Ellison, Secretary of State Steve Simon, and State Auditor Julie Blaha.
• Bipartisan Deal: Gov. Tim Walz and Minnesota’s top lawmakers struck a bipartisan deal to spend $8 billion of the state’s budget surplus over the next three years on tax cuts, infrastructure projects and new spending to address ongoing challenges from the coronavirus pandemic.  
• Lawmakers still at odds over public safety solutions (update as of Thursday, May 19, 4:30pm). That said, on Thursday evening the House repassed a conference agreement to add law enforcement supervisors unit.

 
Regional

• Ramsey County: The Board of Commissioners and the Housing and Redevelopment Authority approved an investment of $21.6 million into affordable housing developments. Here is a complete list of projects. More coverage is here. 

 
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• Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s 2022 Women In Business Honorees: include Shari Ballard, Minnesota United FC; Tish Bolger, Girl Scouts River Valleys; Tammy Buchert, RBC Wealth Management-U.S.; Colette Campbell, Bremer Financial Corp.; Julie Cosgrove, Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union; Sara Durhman, Mall of America; Kristi Fox, Securian Financial Group Inc.; Dayna Frank, First Avenue Productions; Laura Graf, Ryan Cos. US Inc.; Jenny Haag, Rise; Shelley Kendrick, Ecumen; Velma Korbel, APi Group Corp.; Stephanie McDaniel, BWBR Architects Inc.; Naomi Pesky, Metropolitan Airports Commission; Claire Roberts, Colliers | Minneapolis-St. Paul; Lisa Shannon, Allina Health System; Masha Yevzelman, Fredrikson & Byron;
• St. Paul taps two longtime staffers to direct Parks and Rec and DSI: Andy Rodriguez has been with Parks since 2005, replacing Mike Hahm; Angie Wiese has been interim, and is now permanent head of DSI.
• Memorial Day in the Twin Cities: what to do, and where to go?  And check out Visit Saint Paul’s website!

• St. Paul's Bush Foundation awards fellowships to 20 Minnesota leaders.

• MN DEED awarded a $1M grant to the Center of Economic Inclusion to support Black and Latino-owned small businesses with financing to spur commercial development and redevelopment along specified metro corridors.
• Full Stack hosted a panel with leaders from Brown Venture Group, the MSP Equity Fund, UEL, and Bridgemakers to discuss community wealth building and BIPOC entrepreneur and investor resources.
• Resources: Many local governments share a commitment to advancing racial equity, but struggle to produce measurable results for communities of color. Taking the initiative to embed racial equity into procurement processes is one tactic that local leaders can leverage to realize change. This resource was developed by the Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab to highlight innovative ways local governments can deliver services more equitably by identifying and breaking down historical barriers.  

• What’s the latest at Rice-Larpenteur? Here’s an update on progress on the Rice-Larpenteur vision. Kim O’Brien, the backbone of the alliance and Vice President of Strategic Initiatives with the St. Paul Area Chamber, presented an annual update to the city of Roseville last week, showing that the group’s vision is coming to life. 
• Papa Legba opens, hoping to create its own cozy vibe on St. Paul’s West Side! Owners Greg and Dolly Agnew have created a club meant to honor Black music and will feature two nights a week of live jazz and blues.
• Update on Port Authority’s Hillcrest project! EPA announces grants, $500K to the Hillcrest project.  And $4M to other projects across the state.
• HUD gives six Midwest states (including Minnesota) $1.6B for housing grants.