Good morning. Hope you all used the Do Not Disturb setting on your phones this weekend.

A key architect of the immigration operation that swarmed Minnesota is now the White House chief of staff. Stephen Miller was named to the role Friday by President Donald Trump, whose prior chief of staff resigned and will move to a political operation associated with Trump. Miller’s elevation from a deputy chief of staff role signaled a defiant posture from Trump in the wake of a disastrous midterm election that saw Republicans lose majorities in Congress. Miller is known for his hardline views toward immigration and his combative style. The Washington Sun posted a story about Miller’s laser-like focus on Minnesota, specifically the Somali-American community here. He pushed for more evidence of fraud by people within that community that was used as justification for the immigration agent surge almost a year ago.

Michele Bachmann’s orbit continues to reach new heights years after she left the public-facing political scene. For those Minnesotans who followed the tea party favorite during Bachmann’s time in Congress and runs for president, the names of people associated with her are familiar. Stephen Miller was a Bachmann press secretary in her early U.S. House days. Sergio Gor, now an ambassador who Trump holds in high regard, did too in 2010-11. Gor is rumored to be up for a bigger national security role in the last half of this administration. 

Gov.-elect Amy Klobuchar and new Senate Minority Leader Jordan Rasmusson were guests on the final Politics Friday broadcast of 2026. Klobuchar reiterated her plan to shoot from the gates in January with a state government audit, a customer satisfaction approach to government and a collaborative style that brings in minority party Republicans. She also said gun legislation — opposed by Republicans — will move quickly when Democrats take charge of the Legislature. Klobuchar said she won’t immediately leave her Senate seat because there is work left in Washington for her to tend to in a lame duck session. As Torey Van Oot observed, Klobuchar again stressed the “interim” label for the appointment of her successor in the Senate, who would be guaranteed only 11 months on the job before a special election. Rasmusson said Republicans will work to hold Klobuchar to her no-new-taxes campaign promise. He already knows a familiar face in the new administration because both he and Lt. Gov-elect Ben Schierer both hail from Fergus Falls (or Fergus Rises, according to pun queen Dana Ferguson). Listen to the full broadcast here, including a lively discussion with the aforementioned Van Oot and Ferguson.

When Minnesota residents approved a state constitution back in 1857, they likely didn’t anticipate that a woman would govern the state. That's reflected in the pronouns throughout that only identify leaders as male. The state will see the first woman elected to the office take her oath next year. The Minnesota Constitution might need a revision to reflect that a governor, or other offices spelled out in the document, can be held by a woman. Under the current section about the governor’s powers and duties, it reads, “He is commander-in-chief of the military and naval forces and may call them out to execute the laws, suppress insurrection and repel invasion. He may require the opinion in writing of the principal officer in each of the executive departments upon any subject relating to his duties. With the advice and consent of the senate he may appoint notaries public and other officers provided by law. He may appoint commissioners to take the acknowledgment of deeds or other instruments in writing to be used in the state. He shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed.” It’s likely not a quick edit: Lawmakers would probably have to approve legislation calling for a pronoun reset and voters would have to approve to amend the Constitution.

House Republicans have gone with Rep. Harry Niska to lead them after this election in their new minority status. Niska, of Ramsey, was the House GOP floor leader during the most-recent session when there was a tied chamber. He was second-in-command to House Speaker Lisa Demuth, who didn’t run for reelection to pursue a run for governor instead. Niska is entering his third House term. He’s lawyer who is quick on his feet and comes from a district that borders the next House speaker: DFL Rep. Zack Stephenson of Coon Rapids. Niska said Republicans will play an accountability role next year. He said, “if Democrats go in the opposite direction, House Republicans will do everything in our power to make sure Minnesotans know about it." Rep. Jim Nash of Waconia will be the deputy minority leader. 

Newly reelected Attorney General Keith Ellison is suing the Trump administration over new Medicaid workforce requirements. As Erica Zurek reports , the new requirements are part of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, and would require some Medicaid recipients to demonstrate that they have been working, attending school or volunteering at least 80 hours each month to retain their benefits. If states don’t implement these new requirements, they risk losing all federal Medicaid funding. Ellison, and other attorneys general, have called the new requirements “unconstitutional coercion.” In Minnesota, 1.2 million people receive coverage through the state’s Medicaid program, and 243,000 of those residents would be required to meet the new federal work requirements, which are set to take effect Jan. 1. 

Anyone else jealous of other states’ cool “I Voted” stickers? We may be in luck. Some states, like Iowa and Michigan, hold competitions for children and adults to submit their own designs to be featured on voting stickers handed out at the poll. Intern Ava Grace reports that a petition to allow Minnesotans to choose their “I Voted” sticker designs launched last week.  It started on TikTok and Rep. David Gottfried, DFL-Shoreview, told the petitioner’s creator that if she can gather 10,000 Minnesota signatures, he will research and draft a bill that would establish a design contest for the stickers. There was a push last year to revise the stickers but it didn’t go very far. Could this be the revival of the laser loon?