City Cast Twin Cities

🏛️ The final push for gun reform in MN

May 14, 2026 · — Adam Sage

Hey, Twin Cities! It’s Adam today. Have you seen any turkeys out in your neighborhood yet? I have yet to see the turkey that spent all of last year's spring in my backyard, but maybe he's out hanging out with the group that recently interrupted a U of M final exam.

Today’s Must-Know

Minnesota State Capitol on a foggy day from a large distance away, framed by tree branches in foreground — Legislators only have a few days left to pass any kind of gun violence prevention legislation this year. *(James Napoli)*

Final Push for Gun Safety Regulations

As the Minnesota legislative session ends on May 18, there is a growing sense of urgency among families affected by the Annunciation shooting and other gun violence prevention advocates to get legislators to take action. On today's episode of the podcast, we talked about what's up for debate and what's at stake with Maggiy Emery of Protect MN and Anne Betzner, a parent at Annunciation School who has been working alongside the Catholic community to build support for this legislation. [🎧 City Cast Twin Cities]

What's on the table? On May 4, the Minnesota Senate narrowly passed SF 4067 with every senator voting along party lines. The bill is a comprehensive gun violence prevention package and includes provisions such as restrictions on high-capacity magazines, assault-style weapons, and ghost guns, as well as funding for more security and mental health resources in schools. [🎧 City Cast Twin Cities / Minnesota Legislature]
Will it pass the House? Some Republicans have expressed support for the school safety funding included in the bill, though none are likely to break the party line to vote for any gun control measures. In the evenly-split House, the bill will need the support of all DFLers plus one Republican to become law. [MinnPost / 🎧 City Cast Twin Cities]

What the Cities Are Talking About

RIP your fake plumber: Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has filed a lawsuit against a company who might have scammed my boss. The lawsuit follows a KARE 11 investigation that found Premium Home Services was operating over 400 fake home repair companies in Minnesota that would charge customers for shoddy and unlicensed services. [KARE 11]

See you on the porch: A recent Star Tribune article argues that front porches are making a comeback, and I'm so here for it. The percentage of new construction homes with front porches is on the rise, and neighbors are using them as a gathering place for activities like "front porch Fridays," or a number of neighborhood music festivals called Porchfests. You can catch some tunes on a porch near you this summer at the Uptown Porchfest, Powderhorn Porchfest, Kingfield Porchfest, and more. [Star Tribune]

Act fast: The Minnesota State Fair's summer kickoff is coming up May 21-24, and tickets are likely to sell out. If you'd like to start your summer by trying some of your favorite state fair foods before everyone else and watching runners struggle to keep them down while competing in the miserable Milk Run 5k, now's the time to get tickets. [Minnesota State Fair]

Large and dense group of bicyclists riding on urban street in the winter — The Minnesota state flag flies among thousands of cyclists at a memorial bike ride for Alex Pretti. (Adam Sage / City Cast Twin Cities)

Inside the flag debate: At least 13 cities in Minnesota have voted to fly the old 1983 state flag since the start of 2026. Critics of the new flag claim that the process of adopting it was undemocratic, and that the new design looks too similar to the flag of Somalia. The new state flag also became a symbol of protest and defiance for many during Operation Metro Surge, and some municipalities have reverted to the old flag as they want nothing to do with that. [MPR News / Star Tribune]

Selling tickets, losing money: Attendance at the Minnesota Orchestra has been rising in recent years and is finally similar to pre-pandemic levels, but the Orchestra is still facing major financial headwinds. They are in a $4.2 million deficit from the previous fiscal year, and are looking for other revenue solutions to stay afloat. One such solution is investing in and co-operating the upcoming Upper Harbour Amphitheater with First Ave. [MPR News]

How well do you know the news? As an enlightened reader of the City Cast Twin Cities newsletter, I think you have a good shot at 100%. Test your knowledge on this week's news quiz. [City Cast Twin Cities]