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Insight News • May 18, 2026 - May 24, 2026 • Page 1
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May 18, 2026 - May 24, 2026
Vol. 53 No. 20 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
Minneapolis draws a line:
Frey signs gun reform ordinance, calls on state legislature to finish the job With two children's names written in the memory of this fight — Harper Moyski and Fletcher Merkel — Minneapolis moves to act where the state has not
Credit: Andrew VonBank
Gov. Tim Walz and three of four legislative leaders announce a bipartisan agreement on biennial budget targets during a May 15 press conference.
Minnesota leaders strike bipartisan budget deal Editor
By Al McFarlane Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and legislative leaders from both parties announced a bipartisan end-of-session agreement Wednesday, May 13, concluding weeks of negotiations in a closely divided legislature and producing a supplemental budget deal that its architects say puts Minnesota on firm financial footing heading into a turbulent federal climate. The supplemental budget agreement — reached
Agreement pairs fiscal restraint with historic HCMC investment and property tax relief as federal cuts reshape with the regular session set to close May 18 — includes a $1.2 billion bonding bill for infrastructure, state funding to stabilize Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC), a reduction in vehicle tab fees, property tax refunds, and anti-fraud measures including $75 million for county IT modernization and creation of a new statewide Office of Inspector General. Leaders described the agreement as evidence that divided government can still function. The Minnesota House is split 67–67 between DFL and Republican members, a historically narrow margin that forced negotiation on nearly every ma-
“We are keeping a balanced budget, making targeted reductions, and focusing every dollar on core priorities: fiscal sustainability, critical infrastructure, and the health and wellbeing of our communities.” — Gov. Tim Walz
Staking a claim: housing omnibus bills move toward final negotiation As the Minnesota legislative session races toward its constitutionally mandated May 18 conclusion, the fight for stable, affordable housing has moved into the conference committee phase — the high-stakes room where the House and Senate must reconcile two different visions for the state’s roof over its head. For the Twin Cities Black community, these negotiations are not just about line items; they are about the fundamental right to remain in the neighborhoods we built.
The bridge between $100 million and $50 million
The most significant gap in the current negotiations is over Housing Infrastructure Bonds — the state’s primary tool for building and preserving affordable rental housing. On Monday, May 4, the Minnesota House passed HF 1141, the supplemental housing finance and policy bill, on a 99-34 vote. The House version would authorize the sale of up to $100 million in housing infrastructure bonds, which bill sponsor Rep. Michael Howard, DFL-Richfield,
jor decision. Governor Walz framed the deal as an expression of fiscal discipline in an era of federal uncertainty. “At a time of real uncertainty,” he said, the agreement delivers “a historic, bipartisan investment in HCMC, a cornerstone of our health care system and a critical safety net for Minnesotans across the region.” He added that the deal “strengthens Minnesota’s long-term stability, supports the broader health care ecosystem, and reflects the discipline of living within our
calls the bread-and-butter tool for building more homes and more affordable homes. Critically, none of the supplemental appropriations would come from the state’s General Fund; instead, the measure relies in part on interest earned by Minnesota Housing on legislative appropriations and on unspent funds set aside for the Tyler Settlement. On Thursday, May 7, the Senate passed HF 1141 off the Senate floor with bipartisan support in a 35-31 vote. Senate Housing and Homelessness
DEAL
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Prevention Chair Sen. Lindsey Port, DFL-Burnsville, carried a version that invests $50 million through Housing Infrastructure Bonds. The $50 million gap between the chambers is now the central financial question in conference. Conferees have agreed on the financial framework, which includes at least $50 million in housing infrastructure bonds, as well as funding for family homelessness prevention and workforce housing — but the final bond authority figure remains to be settled as part of the overall negotiated package. The House version, taken in total, would
HOUSING
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Fraud scrutiny tests trusted Black Institutions By Pulane Choane Contributing Writer When federal prosecutors accused dozens of people in Minnesota’s Feeding Our Future case of orchestrating a scheme that allegedly stole more than $250 million from a federally funded child nutrition program during the pandemic, the scandal immediately became larger than the courtroom itself. For many Minnesotans, the case raised urgent questions about government oversight, nonprofit accountability and public trust. Prosecutors alleged that
From Left to Right: Community leaders Al McFarlane, Anthony Taylor, Marquita Stevens and Justin Terrell discuss the future of legacy Black institutions, economic inequality and the impact of fraud scrutiny on trusted community organizations during a recent conversation on Radio KFAI 90.3FM’s businesses and nonprofit oper-
inflated attendance numbers and submitted fraudulent reimbursement claims for children they said were never fed. But inside many Black communities across Minneapolis and St. Paul, another concern emerged alongside the outrage: what happens when public distrust generated by one scandal begins spilling over onto long-standing organizations that entire neighborhoods rely on for stability? That tension became the foundation of a recent discussion on Radio KFAI 90.3FM’s The Conversation
FRAUD
ators created fake meal sites,
Commentary
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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey signed an ordinance to ban assault weapons On Wednesday, Mayor Jacob Frey signed a landmark gun reform ordinance passed unanimously by all 13 members of the Minneapolis City Council, marking one of the most significant local gun safety actions in the state's history. The signing comes roughly nine months after a gunman opened fire through the windows of Annunciation Catholic Church during a morning Mass on August 27, 2025, killing two children — 10-year-old Harper Moyski and 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel — and wounding 21 others, most of them children between the ages of 6 and 15. While Minnesota's state preemption law currently prevents cities from enforcing local firearms ordinances that exceed state standards, the Minneapolis measure positions the city to act immediately should
the legislature grant that authority — and places direct pressure on the Minnesota House GOP to bring a gun safety package passed by the Senate to a floor vote before the session ends. "The cost of inaction has been measured in lives lost." — Mayor Jacob Frey "Minneapolis is stepping up because residents should not have to wait for action while gun violence continues to devastate families," Mayor Frey said. "The legislature now has both the opportunity and the responsibility to establish a clear statewide standard for gun safety. We urge the House GOP to allow this bill to come to a vote before the end of session." The Minnesota Sen-
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Governor Walz signs eleven bills, enacting new measures on housing, corrections, and financial fraud Insight News Analysis Governor Tim Walz has signed eleven bills into law, implementing new provisions across housing, public safety, and consumer protection ahead of the Legislature’s May 18 constitutional adjournment. The legislative package includes significant changes for tenants and property owners, expanded behavioral health care inside Minnesota’s correctional system, and a new statewide framework to protect older Minnesotans and other vulnerable customers from financial fraud and exploitation. For Twin Cities readers, the housing measures in this round of signings carry the most immediate weight. Two of the eleven bills directly reshape the rules of the rental market and homeowners associations in Minnesota.
Housing and property: submeters, digital rent, and HOAs
SF 4171 establishes final billing rules for submetered utility services when tenants vacate a unit, and updates statutory provisions for the payment of rent by tenants, including provisions related to digital rent payment. The bill builds on the 2024 utility billing reforms now codified in Minnesota Statutes § 504B.216 and §§ 216B.022–216B.024, which capped administrative billing charges at $8 per period, capped late fees at $5 per month, and barred landlords from passing
through submeter installation, maintenance, and reading costs to tenants. For renters in North Minneapolis and along central corridors where shared-meter buildings are common, the cumulative effect is to narrow the loopholes that have historically produced surprise charges at move-out. SF 1750 restricts certain practices by property management companies, adjusts termination thresholds, and modifies rights and duties for common interest communities and unit owners. The bill also bars some governing bodies from mandating the creation of new homeowners associations. The HOA-related provisions in particular respond to long-standing concerns from first-time Black homeowners about hidden assessments, opaque governance, and post-purchase obligations that did not appear at closing.
Corrections and public safety
HF 3769 clarifies substance
WALZ
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At The Legislature
The next great migration must be about power
House lawmakers OK legislation strengthening disability rights in Minnesota Human Rights Act
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