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The Minnesota Legislature is back and in full swing and with it comes the return of Politics Friday, the weekly radio show and podcast from the politics team at MPR News. 

The show, which airs live from noon to 1 p.m. every Friday during the legislative session, will feature guests talking about issues and political dynamics at the Minnesota Capitol as well as others focused more on the election campaign.

Minnesota Democrats had their way in passing an expansive agenda last session, from 

restored voting rights for people with felony pasts

. DFLers also increased spending across state government, from 

biggest changes to hit Minnesota in 2023, from legal cannabis to abortion access

Minnesota’s legal cannabis journey will go next in 2024

This will be the second year with the DFL trifecta, where Democrats have control of the governor’s seat, the House and the Senate. It won’t be as easy for DFL lawmakers to power substantial legislation through this year and some proposals will depend on Republican backing. Leaders and lawmakers have stressed there’s less money to go around and more tamping down of expectations.

All 134 House seats are on the ballot in November, so that will hang over the session as well. 

On the federal level, the most competitive U.S. House race could again be in the 2nd Congressional District, where Democratic Rep. Angie Craig awaits the victor of a Republican nomination race.  

And an open seat in the 3rd Congressional District could have ripple effects if Democratic contender Kelly Morrison, currently a state senator, prevails. Her party holds a one seat majority in the Minnesota Senate. Several Republicans want to flip the congressional seat back to their party.

The show features lawmakers, candidates, political experts and the the MPR News political reporting team, made up of politics editor Brian Bakst, senior politics reporters Dana Ferguson and Clay Masters, producer Matt Alvarez and politics fellow Ellie Roth. 

Past episodes have featured U.S. senator 

Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on:

Ellie Roth

Author

The Minnesota Legislature is back and in full swing and with it comes the return of Politics Friday, the weekly radio show and podcast from the politics team at MPR News. 


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Keep up with Minnesota Legislature, politics and the 2024 election with Politics Friday

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