Access To Democracy

With the DFL holding a one seat majority in the Minnesota Senate and a 67-67 split in the House, what will happen in the upcoming 2025 Minnesota legislative session that begins in January? Will senators be changing committee assignments? How will the even split in the House affect the ability of the two houses to work together to do the peoples’ business?
 
Senator Jim Carlson joins host Steve Francisco to explore these and other questions. Senator Carlson explains why the top priority will be to pass a new biennial budget. Legislators will also be revisiting bills that didn’t make it through this year’s session.
Interestingly, Senator Carlson suggests that legislators will not be paralyzed by gridlock as they will all be up for reelection in two years and have an incentive to work together where they can.

Professor David Schultz joins host Steve Francisco to examine the results of the 2024 General Election. How did former President Donald Trump pull off his big victory and prevail in a race that many polls predicted would be much closer?

Why are Democrats losing the votes of working class voters, Latino voters, and younger voters and can they win them back in the future?

What happens now with Trump’s pending legal cases in both federal and state courts? And in the local front, how will a split Minnesota Legislature function in 2025? These are some of the questions addressed in this interview.

Professor Schultz teaches at Hamline University and the University of Minnesota Law School. His articles on politics appear regularly in the New York Times, Washington Post, and other publications. He is the author of “Presidential Swing States” (2022).

Hunter Cantrell and host Steve Francisco discuss his second year of study at the University of Minnesota Medical School and how the study and practice of medicine has fundamentally changed in recent years. After being diagnosed and successfully treated for Hodgkins lymphoma in 2017 at age 22, Hunter was inspired to enter politics.

In 2018, he won a seat in the Minnesota Legislature representing Savage. After only one term, Hunter set his sights on a career in medicine.

In this interview, Hunter shares his thoughts about how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to treat illnesses and to potentially develop new treatments. He also shares his concerns about continuing racial disparities in access to health care and why efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act would be costly and counter-productive.

In this interview, Jenna Olson, Manager of Water Resources for the City of Eagan, shares with host Bill Raker some important and fascinating information about Eagan’s water resources management program.

She describes the scope and complexities of what Eagan does to protect and ensure the sustainability of the 1200 surface waterbodies within the city’s boundaries.

Fishing piers for public use and stocking fish populations are some of the ways the community benefits from the work Jenna and her team do.

Returning guests, Heidi Haley-Franklin and Jennifer Hendrickson, are back with host Bill Raker, to share more information on the services and support programs for individuals and families impacted by dementia.

Heidi Haley-Franklin is VP of Programs at Alzheimer’s Association of MN and ND, Jennifer Hendrickson is the Director of the Walk to End Alzheimer’s In the Twin Cities.

Heidi explains how people can sign up for virtual and in-person programs and how those who are interested can volunteer. Jennifer relates highlights from the successful 2024 TC Walk to End Alzheimer’s. You’ll find this interview inspiring and helpful, whether or not you are dealing with dementia related issues in your life.