2. Minnesota House Democrats pushing for more police reforms
Snow fell on the Minnesota State Capitol building on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020. (Dana Ferguson / Forum News Service)
Democratic members of Minnesota’s state House are hoping to pass more police accountability and criminal justice legislation this year, though they may meet a roadblock in the Republican-controlled Senate.
In a Thursday, Jan. 21m public safety committee hearing, state Rep. Carlos Mariani, D-St. Paul, commended his colleagues for passing a police accountability bill package this summer in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police officers. He said the summer package was “important” and crafted with a lot of public input, but “much work still remains.”
Judge strikes down pore space law challenged by landowners
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Northwest Landowners Association WINS Lawsuit against State of North Dakota and Continental Resources, Inc over Unconstitutional Taking of Private Property
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North Dakota regulators want greater authority to go after corporate leaders who flagrantly disregard spills and other environmental problems in the oil patch.
The proposal was among several significant bills related to energy and the environment heard during the first week of the legislative session. Lawmakers also are considering measures tied to storing natural gas underground and cleaning up contaminated property.
Senate Bill 2064 would allow the state to penalize corporate officers deemed responsible for oil- and gas-related violations.
Two serious environmental problems recently occurred in the oil fields, prompting the legislation after the state spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to clean up the sites, State Mineral Resources Director Lynn Helms told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee during a hearing Thursday. The state tried to get the companies to act, but they shirked their responsibilities, he said.