The Minnesota Supreme Court is continuing a period of transition that began last fall with the retirement of former Chief Justice Lorie Gildea, the installment of Justice Natalie Hudson as new Chief Justice and the appointment of Justice Karl Procaccini to the bench.
In January Justice G. Barry Anderson announced he would retire in May. A week later Justice Margaret Churtich announced that she too will retire at the end of the court’s current session in July.
With three new Justices joining the court inside of a one-year period, and the ascension of Justice Hudson to Chief, the court will have undergone a dramatic transformation after a three-year period of stability.
Speaking on his monthly KYMN show, Legal Talk, Justice Gordon Moore, a Northfield resident, expressed his respect for both Justices Anderson and Churtich, his anticipation of new colleagues on the bench, and his trust in the process Governor Tim Walz is using to fill the seats being vacated.
Justice Moore said there are fundamental aspects of the court that must be considered in the selection of a new justice. The court must be able to function as a unit and work effectively, while also maintaining the respect of the state’s judiciary, its litigants, and the general public. He said the new appointees will require some fundamental characteristics, and the whole of the court will have to work hard to fill the void of experience created by the retirements.
“Former Chief Justice Gildea, and Justices G. Barry Anderson and Margaret Chutich, collectively had Supreme Court experience approaching 45 years. That’s a lot of institutional knowledge, wisdom and judgment to replace, and those characteristics are so important for a Justice, particularly good judgment and wise discretion.”
The Governor’s office has been working to find the right people for the bench for weeks now, if not longer, and, according to Moore, there currently is a closely held list of semi-finalists for the positions. He expressed some hope that the announcements would come sooner than later, but again stressed that he has trust in the process.
“If there’s an announcement made in April and a new Justice is expected to start on May 13th, which would be the Monday after Justice Anderson’s retirement, that’s a very tight time frame. It could happen, but it might potentially be a challenge to obtain. But those are discussions that are happening behind the scenes, and the court will continue functioning through the end of our case sittings in June with or without a new member.”
Most likely, he said, when the announcement comes it will offer both names, and separate starting dates.
Governor Walz is expected to make his announcement sometime next month.
Moorehead student case inspired radon bill
Representative Kristi Pursell is pursuing an avenue to help renters end a lease on a property that is found to contain an excessive amount of radon gas.
According to the World Health Organization’s website, radon is a radioactive gas that is odorless, colorless, and tasteless. It is produced by the natural decay of uranium, which is found in all rocks and soils. The gas can be extremely harmful to lung tissue, and prolonged exposure can eventually lead to the development of lung cancer.
Pursell said she was contacted by Senator Rob Kupec (D-Moorehead) to shepherd the bill through the House of Representatives. The bill was inspired by the case of a student in Moorehead who discovered the room he was renting had such high levels of radon it was uninhabitable, yet the landlord has refused to release him from his lease.
Pursell said she has been in touch with the student, and he is still indeed paying on the room, despite the fact he is unable to live there.
The bill, if passed, would ensure that landlords would be required to release tenants from a lease if the presence of radon forced them to move out. She said the bill in its initial form had included penalties on landlords who knowingly rented a property that they knew had high radon levels but did nothing about it, despite methods that can be used to mitigate the gas. Unfortunately, she said, deadlines prevented the bill from being heard in the committees that could enact those penalties. In the interest of getting the bill passed, she chose to remove the penalty language and present it to the housing committee.
Pursell said she knew nothing about Radon before being asked to help with this bill, but the dangers of the gas are very real.
“I’m using this as an opportunity to do a PSA and say and the American Lung Association weighed in and there’s thousands and thousands of people who die from lung cancer. Who are non-smokers and the best bet is that it’s from radon poisoning.”
The bill was passed out of the Housing Committee last week and sent to the General Register. She expects the bill to pass, and the Governor to sign it before the end of the session in May.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Representative Kristi Pursell can be heard here
Fundraiser for LGBTQ+ events coming to the Grand
And the Northfield Pride Board of Directors has announced the second annual Pints for Pride event will be held at the Grand Event Center on April 6th.
The event is the annual fundraiser held to support Pride in the Park, the annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, an annual scholarship program for LGBTQ+ graduating seniors, as well as other quarterly events that build relationships, foster community, and improve the lives of queer people in the Northfield area.
Begun in 2021, Northfield’s Pride in the Park has grown every year since its inception. Organizers said more than 2000 people attended the event in 2023, and they are expecting close to 3000 people at this year’s celebration, which is set for June 1st at Central Park.
The event will feature a silent auction, guest speakers Kelli Podracky of the Northfield Union of Youth, Northfield City Councilor Davin Sokup, who is the first trans person elected to public office in Greater Minnesota, and Representative Kristi Pursell. Entertainment will be provided by Northfield’s very own drag queen, Mrs. Moxie.
Pints for Pride is set for Saturday evening, April 6th at the Grand. Admission is free but there is a suggested $5 donation.
KYMN News 3/26/24
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
