Politics Friday

Politics Friday: Digging into Minnesota‘s political history

The Minnesota State Capitol-1
People walk past the Capitol building in St. Paul on Feb. 26.
Tim Evans for MPR News

The Minnesota House and Senate chambers and all the committee rooms have been quiet this week while the Legislature is on recess.

The Capitol will be a busy place though as the dash-to-the-finish begins next week. That phase can be filled with strategy, hijinks and downright trickery. 

In one respect, it’s how the Capitol wound up in St. Paul in the first place. 

MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst and associate digital producer Anika Besst will revisit that caper — and how one spurned city might finally get recognition. 

Then, a hunt for the origins of a law that should keep imbibing lawmakers on their best behavior. If not, “habitual drunkenness” could get them removed.

Later, MPR economics contributor Chris Farrell looks at the way tariffs of long ago hit in Minnesota. Plus, Peter Cox talks about how a powerhouse baseball team that played more than a century ago could land a plaque at the Capitol complex.

Guests:

  • Anika​ Besst is an associate digital producer for MPR News.

  • Chris Farrell is a senior economics contributor for MPR News and Marketplace.  

  • Peter Cox is a general assignment reporter for MPR News and is currently covering politics at the Minnesota Capitol.

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