Mille Lacs County DFL Breakfast

The Mille Lacs County DFL will host a breakfast on Saturday, May 7 at the Milaca Legion. Doors open at 8:00am for pancakes, sausage, and political conversation.

Brown Votes to Keep Business Regulations in Place

During the 2008 campaign, now-Sen. Dave Brown (R-Becker) was fond of claiming that he would slash government regulation and expand the free market. His campaign website still claims, "I will give leadership to reduced government red-tape and excessive regulations that repress the growth of our businesses."

Yet, faced with an actual regulation that he liked, Sen. Brown voted Wednesday in the Commerce Committee against repealing Minnesota's prohibition of Sunday liquor sales. The bill would not force stores to be open on the 7th day, but simply give owners that option. With all four border states offering liquor sales on Sunday, Minnesota is doubtlessly losing business to the neighbor; nearby store-owners should be allowed to compete.

Not only would this have led to a freer marketplace for consumers and business owners, it would have raised revenues for the depleted state coffers: at least $500,000 (per the official analysis) but perhaps upwards of several million.

Still waiting for word on Sen. Brown's reasoning, but it clearly isn't based on the free marketplace or the health of the state budget.

Update: FWIW, Sen. Brown says he voted with what he heard from SD16 liquor stores. Presumably they don't want competition from other stores--closer to the border--to force them to stay open on Sundays. That's already the reality for border-area stores, though, and Minnesota as a whole loses out.

The question really is: would we rather add that competitive element to the liquor market or cut even deeper into local government aid, higher education and other state programs?

2010 Census Reveals Huge Growth, Redistricting Looms

Based on Census data released earlier today, SD16’s population continues its explosive growth, adding over 22,000 residents for a 30.5% growth rate. The total population now weighs in at a scale-tipping 95,820. This comes on top of 40% growth in the decade before (assuming the boundaries has been the same).

The growth has not been felt evenly, however. It has been concentrated in the south and southwest, picking up population in the northwestern Twin Cities exurbs and St. Cloud suburbs along the US-10 corridor.

As a result, 16B is now much larger than 16A.

16A: 43,741 (18.9% growth)

16B: 52,079 (42.1% growth)

Based on Minnesota’s total population, each legislative district SHOULD instead have 39,582 people. The district as a whole will be shedding population or split into two or more pieces. With Sherburne County (including non-SD16 areas) alone having over 88,000 people, it may split off to form its own district completely.

Such a scenario would leave the balance of the district woefully underpopulated. It is possible to envision adding on the MN-23 corridor through Mora to the east and expanding north around Mille Lacs Lake.

Below is a complete list of precincts in SD16, their 2010 population, and percent change since 2000.

In 16A:

Benton	Alberta township	818	6.0%
	Foley city	2,603	20.8%
	Gilman city	224	4.2%
	Gilmanton township	841	9.4%
	Glendorado township	762	-2.9%
	Granite Ledge township	743	8.5%
	Maywood township	954	8.9%
	St. George township	1,153	24.8%
Benton		8,098	12.8%
Mille Lacs	Bock city	106	0.0%
	Bogus Brook township	1,421	36.9%
	Borgholm township	1,718	50.7%
	Bradbury township	268	32.0%
	Dailey township	234	-4.9%
	East Side township	620	-15.2%
	Foreston city	533	37.0%
	Greenbush township	1,293	13.9%
	Hayland township	501	2.2%
	Isle city	751	6.2%
	Isle Harbor township	593	0.5%
	Kathio township	1,627	24.3%
	Lewis township	52	2.0%
	Milaca city	2,946	14.2%
	Milaca township	1,617	36.0%
	Milo township	1,385	28.7%
	Mudgett township	84	-1.2%
	Onamia city	878	3.7%
	Onamia township	575	-1.4%
	Page township	743	23.8%
	Pease city	242	48.5%
	Princeton city (part)	4,648	18.4%
	Princeton township	2,256	15.9%
	South Harbor township	800	-9.6%
	Wahkon city	206	-34.4%
Mille Lacs		26,097	16.9%
Morrison	Granite township	481	0.2%
	Hillman city	38	31.0%
	Hillman township	197	20.1%
	Lakin township	450	10.0%
	Lastrup city	104	5.1%
	Leigh township	212	10.4%
	Morrill township	696	7.1%
	Mount Morris township	93	3.3%
	Richardson township	536	10.5%
Morrison		2,807	8.0%
Sherburne	Baldwin township	6,739	44.2%
		43,741	18.9%

In 16B:

Sherburne	Becker city	4,538	69.8%
	Becker township	4,842	34.3%
	Big Lake city	10,060	65.9%
	Big Lake township	7,386	8.9%
	Blue Hill township	2,176	185.6%
	Clear Lake city	545	104.9%
	Clear Lake township	1,539	-5.6%
	ER W2 P2a	2,064	51.2%
	Livonia township	5,951	51.9%
	Orrock township	3,451	24.9%
	Palmer township	2,354	-2.5%
	Princeton city (part)	50	614.3%
	Santiago township	1,895	21.9%
	Zimmerman city	5,228	83.4%
		52,079	42.1%