After a monthslong push, Minnesota authorities have gained access to evidence in a pair of fatal shootings by immigration agents during the winter enforcement operation. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and Attorney General Keith Ellison said substantial pieces of evidence are now in the possession of the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which is assisting in probes into whether the Renee Good and Alex Pretti shootings should lead to state charges. There is also evidence related to the nonfatal shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis. No timeline was provided for the analysis of the materials, which include body camera footage, statements of agents and the vehicle Good was driving when an ICE agent fatally shot her in January. What led to the change of position by the federal government, which had withheld the materials previously, is not clear. Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche is expected to be before the Senate this week for a confirmation hearing, so expect he’ll be asked about it.

The person who will lead Minnesota’s new Office of the Inspector General won’t be known for months, but the salary of that person is coming into focus. The Compensation Council meets this week to discuss the pay rate for the closely watched hire to run a new unit that is billed as a way to choke off fraud in Minnesota. The Department of Minnesota Management and Budget has recommended an annual base salary of $198,214. That would make it among the highest-paid positions in state government. The Inspector General will be chosen by the governor from a list recommended by a legislative advisory panel; the person must win Senate confirmation for a five-year term. The minimum requirements are that the person has a degree in criminal justice, public administration, law or a related field and have at least 10 years experience in auditing, investigation, law enforcement or similar assignments. The office will have a base budget of about $6.5 million per year

States with high error rates in their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits could be in for some financial pressure. Harvest Public Media looked at the federal changes that could push the hunger-relief costs onto states . Minnesota is one of those with an error rate above the national average, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics released this month. The cost shift hasn’t been translated into dollar terms just yet. USDA is framing the move as a fraud-fighting tool while some food security advocacy groups worry it will cause states to pull back on their offerings to needy families.

Enrollment has fallen off on the Minnesota health insurance exchange known as MNsure. Officials say it dipped by 17,000 as some past subscribers decided they couldn’t afford the premiums after federal tax credits went away. In all, more than 125,000 people are enrolled through a health insurance plan offered through the marketplace. But the downward slide could continue. The tax credits were offered as a way to make premiums more affordable but the federal tax and spending plan passed by Congress last year did away with those subsidies. Democrats triggered a shutdown over GOP refusals to reinstate the credits. Molly Castle Work reports that insurance costs were rising as well, creating even more pressure on plan subscribers.

A closely watched lawsuit over a Minnesota trigger-device ban has been quietly closed. A district court judge struck down the restriction passed in 2024 as part of a giant end-of-session bill. The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus had sued over a provision that banned binary triggers — devices that can fire a round on the pull of a trigger and another on the release. In May, the Court of Appeals upheld that ruling on the grounds that lawmakers passed it in an unconstitutional fashion. Notably, the court rulings left intact the rest of the 2024 law. Now, the deadline for state lawyers to appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court has passed and final judgment has been issued.