Good morning. The Legislature is on spring break. A programming note: We’ll have newsletters through Wednesday, catch our breath and then be back to our regular publication schedule on Tuesday, April 7.

The precise crowd count might be subject to debate, but no matter what the ultimate tally is there is no denying it was a substantial turnout for the No Kings rally. Saturday’s demonstrations in St. Paul and around the country showcased the resistance energy that could shape this fall’s midterm elections. There are people upset with the Trump administration over immigration, over the state of the economy, over the war in Iran, over the way decisions are being made, over his huge sway over congressional Republicans and more. In other words, the brew that could make for yet another wave election has a lot of ingredients. Republicans insist voters don’t want a return to Democrats and the competing priorities they offer. Midterms typically — but not always — deliver a blow to the president’s party. Speakers at the Capitol rally said harnessing the energy from the March rally (there will be more no doubt) and keeping it high into November will be the goal and the challenge. Dana Ferguson has our recap.

The Minnesota Legislature has begun the recess that will carry through Passover and Easter and will return with some weighty decisions to be made. Thursday’s concluding floor session in the House turned out to be a battle of wills over issues that could bog down in the end: State immigration enforcement standards and gun restrictions. Efforts to advance them fell on mostly tie votes along with some Republican initiatives in a tit-for-tat procedural showdown. Meanwhile, Gov. Tim Walz has signed four bills into law, the first of the 2026 session. Most notable and timely is one that repeals César Chavez Day, after the late farm labor rights leader was accused of sexual abuse. Walz declared March 31 as Farmworkers Day to continue recognizing the impact of agricultural workers. Another law will require vehicles to stop whenever a school bus turns on its red flashing lights. A third law extends the window allowing lower-potency hemp edible products to be tested at out of state facilities, and a fourth frees up $9 million to provide housing support. The nature of the tied House means every bill that heads to the governor's desk has bipartisan support.

See those “Free the Nukes” billboards on your commute? They relate to new talk at the state Capitol to revisit a moratorium on new nuclear power facilities. Kirsti Marohn reports that advocates for nuclear energy hope to lift the 32-year-old moratorium, but this year might just produce a study. A bipartisan push would authorize a review of projects in other states and the potential to build new nuclear plants, including small, modular reactors that are currently in development elsewhere. A coalition of utilities, counties, clean energy groups and labor unions known as the Minnesota Nuclear Energy Alliance is pushing the Legislature to reconsider the ban as a way to provide more carbon-free power by 2040 and to meet the growing demand for electricity. Minnesota enacted the moratorium 1994 as part of a compromise to allow Xcel Energy to store nuclear waste at its Prairie Island plant near Red Wing.

A federal judge has dismissed a Trump administration lawsuit challenging a Minnesota law that allows undocumented college students to pay in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities. The state's 2013 Dream Act permits undocumented students to pay lower, in-state tuition and gives them access to state financial aid. The Justice Department alleges that this discriminates against American citizens from outside Minnesota. In its case, DOJ cited a 1998 federal law that prohibits people not in the country lawfully from receiving postsecondary education benefits not available to  citizens. But Judge Kate Menendez found that Minnesota does not determine eligibility for in-state tuition based on residence — but on whether the student attended a high school in the state for at least three years and graduated. An appeal is possible and there are many other cases involving Minnesota and the federal government still percolating. But Attorney General Keith Ellison hailed the ruling: “I am proud my office successfully defended this law, and I will continue working to ensure every Minnesotan can live with dignity, safety, and respect.” 

A Republican legislator running for state auditor faces criminal charges after an arrest for suspected drunk driving last week as the Legislature began its recess. Rep. Elliott Engen was stopped in White Bear Lake early Friday after an officer detected him speeding in a car with expired registration and an inoperable headlight. The House had been in session well into the evening on Thursday, with Engen in attendance and voting. A breath test found him to have a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.13 — higher than the legal limit of 0.08 percent. He was booked into jail and later released. Engen issued a statement of apology: “I strive to be a man of great character, and my actions fell short last night. I will learn from this. I will do better.” Engen’s arrest is the latest of Minnesota lawmakers running into trouble with impaired driving. Another candidate for auditor, DFL Rep. Dan Wolgamott, previously was convicted of alcohol-related driving charges and faced fines, probation and other sentencing conditions that have since been satisfied. Engen had jabbed at Wolgamott for that offense.

Another Republican candidate has entered the race in Minnesota’s 4th Congressional District to challenge Democratic Rep. Betty McCollum. Paul Xiong, a Hmong community leader who left a civic council to run for office, filed paperwork last week with the Federal Election Commission to run. He’s listed there as a Republican, which is worth pointing out because nowhere is his party affiliation listed on his campaign website. He’ll be competing for the nomination with Paul Wikstrom of Shoreview, who ran for Legislature in the last cycle. McCollum has competition for her renomination from Aswar Rahman but is considered the heavy favorite in her bid for a 14th term.