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Two weeks to go for Legislature

The Minnesota Legislature has about two weeks left in its current session. The DFL-controlled House and Republican-controlled Senate have been looking for compromises to reconcile their budget proposals. Will they be able to bridge the gap in time? If recent history is any indication, no, they won’t and we’ll be heading for a special session. The difference is about a billion dollars between Gov. Tim Walz’s $53 billion revised budget proposal and the Senate Republicans’ counter proposal at $51.9 billion. That’s not a lot in the grand scheme of things, but there is a lot ...

Afghanistan had better be ready to stand alone

In October 2001, following the horrific 9/11 terrorist attack on the U.S., American military forces invade Afghanistan to overthrow the Taliban regime that had harbored the Al-Qaida organization responsible for the attack. Our goal was not just to punish the Taliban, but to establish a free, self-sustaining government in that country. Now, nearly 20 years later, President Joe Biden, the fourth president to serve during this war, is pulling all American troops out, ending our longest war. The question remains, is the Afghan government ready to stand alone? Is its military ready to ...

MSU grads prepare for harsh realities

Classes of law enforcement students were unanimous in their belief that the use of force by Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin on George Floyd was unjustifiable. It sounds like a no-brainer, but it speaks to the small movement, perhaps, in attitudes about use of force, police and race among young people seeking careers in law enforcement. An in-depth report by The Free Press in Sunday’s edition showed MSU professors were bringing their students the reality of the high-pressure career they are seeking. Professors put regular curriculum aside to discuss the George Floyd, Daunte Wright ...

A close shave

Every vote counts in political elections, and every person counted matters when it comes to the U.S.Census. That was shown this week when Minnesota kept its 8th seat in the House of Representatives by just 89 people counted in the Census, putting us ahead of New York State. On Tuesday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said his office is examining whether there are legal options for challenging the census count and the loss of one representative in Congress. We would imagine New York state would be able to come up with a great number of people who did not respond to the census, maybe ...

A special moment for Marshall in Cleveland

All of Marshall will be on pins and needles tonight. That’s because something special is expected to happen 900 miles from this town of 13,680 people in southwest Minnesota. The first round of the 2021 NFL draft will be held in Cleveland, Ohio. A hometown boy is expected to be drafted by an NFL team to play quarterback. The so-called experts say Trey Lance will be one of the top-five quarterbacks to be drafted in the first round, which will be held on national television. Wow! Think about this: according to NCAA Recruiting Facts, fewer than 2% of NCAA student-athletes go on to ...

Easing up on mask wearing outside

The CDC issued some welcome news for people trying to live with the COVID-19 pandemic. People who are fully vaccinated don’t have to wear face masks outside, unless they are in a big crowd of strangers. People, vaccinated or not, do not have to wear masks outdoors if you are walking, biking or running, alone or with a member of your household. Small outdoor gatherings with other people who are vaccinated can also be mask free. Unvaccinated people are still encouraged to wear masks outside at small gatherings that include other unvaccinated people. Everyone, vaccinated or not, ...