Good morning.  There’s still time to get one of those sunset cruises on a Minnesota lake.

Jury selection occupied the opening day of Sen. Nicole Mitchell’s burglary trial, but opening statements come today. Monday's task was to narrow down a jury pool that will decide two felony counts against the DFL lawmaker. A jury was empaneled by late in the day . Mitchell is accused of breaking into her stepmother’s home in April 2024, which she has said is a misreading of her presence. While Mitchell reportedly told police she was there to retrieve items belonging to her late father, she has also said she was conducting a welfare check on her stepmother of many decades. During the start of jury selection, many prospective jurors raised their hands when asked by the judge if they had heard of the case previously. But some of them said they knew very little about the details or about Mitchell’s background. The first-term senator is expected to testify in her own defense in the case likely to last through this week and possibly into the next. The case will have a big bearing on the Senate’s power dynamic because a conviction would imperil her ability to keep serving. The Senate is currently split 34-33 in Democrats’ favor. Prior efforts to remove Mitchell have fallen short.

Mitchell’s case isn’t the only Legislature-connected prosecution working its way through the courts.  The prostitution sting that ensnared former Sen. Justin Eichorn is back in the news. Federal prosecutors rebutted Eichorn’s legal filings that the case is an example of vindictive prosecution. Eichorn resigned his Grand Rapids-area seat after the Republican was arrested as part of an operation to catch people who were attempting to solicit minors through ads. Most of the other men caught during that sting are facing state charges that carry a lesser prison term upon conviction. Eichorn could be subject to a 10-year mandatory minimum if convicted on the federal charge. In a June filing, attorneys for the 41-year-old Eichorn argued that the feds are targeting him because he was a public official, but the defense is not accusing prosecutors of partisan bias. The U.S. Attorney's Office counters in its own pleading that Eichorn has presented no evidence that he's being prosecuted because of his legislative position, adding “people who take up the mantle of public trust do not acquire immunity for criminal conduct.”

One week from today is the next lottery by the Office of Cannabis Management regarding licenses. Applicants who have met all requirements and have been vetted are eligible for the lottery, split between general and social equity applicants. This one involves cannabis retailers. The previous lottery was in June for cultivators, manufacturers and mezzobusiness operators. As with the first lottery, this one will be livestreamed. Meanwhile, OCM recently posted updates to its guide for local governments, which will do some of the ground-level oversight of cannabis operations and be allowed to enact some zoning rules. The law that made marijuana legal in Minnesota spells out the minimum number of licensed businesses that can be in each area, based on population. But local governments can go beyond the minimum. And one other feature: If there are municipal or county cannabis stores, those can’t be factored into the local cap.

The Advisory Committee on Capitol Area Security is expected to meet soon to discuss changes that could improve safety at the multibuilding complex. Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan leads the committee and told Dana that the panel will meet in coming weeks to consider new security measures. The conversations come after two lawmakers and their spouses were shot in their homes last month. Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, died in the attacks. “This is on everybody's hearts and minds,” Flanagan said, “and we should make sure that members, staff and the public, their safety and access is, you know, at the heart of all of these conversations." Flanagan said various state agencies and legislative caucuses are putting forth ideas for enhanced security measures. Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher has proposed adding metal detectors at Capitol entrances. Most state capitols have the detection technology.

Related: Minnesota Now spoke with Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher and state Rep.  María Isa Pérez-Vega about the security situation in and around the Capitol.They found areas of agreement. They’re also touting an effort to lift up the environment in the vicinity of the Capitol and the Legislature’s appropriation of money toward that goal.

The U.S. Supreme Court is allowing President Donald Trump to put his plan to dismantle the Education Department back on track. The AP reports the decision allows for the Trump administration to go through with laying off nearly 1,400 employees. The three liberal justices wrote the dissent. The court on Monday paused an order from U.S. District Judge Myong Joun in Boston, who issued a preliminary injunction reversing the layoffs and calling into question the broader plan. The layoffs “will likely cripple the department,” Joun wrote. A federal appeals court refused to put the order on hold while the administration appealed. The high court action enables the administration to resume work on winding down the department, one of Trump's biggest campaign promises. The court did not explain its decision in favor of Trump, as is customary in emergency appeals.