Good morning. Apparently it’s international day for achievers, so get out there and get it done.

State lawmakers moved toward quick repeal of a law celebrating the late labor movement leader César Chavez following reports that he had sexually abused women and girls. The same day a bill was introduced, it was approved 129-0 by the House. It’s now on a Senate committee agenda for Tuesday in a move that signals swift consideration is coming there, too. A group of legislators and community leaders in the state said the Legislature should take rapid action to pull the March 31 honor Chavez from the books. Republicans agreed to accelerate consideration. The New York Times published a lengthy investigative story last week that included on-the-record accusations of rape and child sexual abuse by women who worked around Chavez in the farm worker rights movement. Chavez died in 1993. Efforts are also underway in St. Paul to rename a road and a school named after Chavez. A Senate committee is due to consider a companion to the House bill in a hearing today.

Two bills are on the way to Gov. Tim Walz’s desk for his signature — the first to make their way there this legislative session. The Senate approved a bill yesterday that would allow hemp-derived edible cannabis products like gummies to be tested in laboratories outside the state through May of next year. The move is aimed at relieving a testing bottleneck in Minnesota as more cannabis products come online. Democratic Sen. Lindsey Port says the legislation provides critical relief to current cannabis testing backlogs. “We only have two fully functional labs at the moment, with more on the way,” she said. “This is creating a backlog, particularly for the more specialized med products, like meds for children with epilepsy, is creating a wait for patients that is unacceptable.” The deadline for Minnesota’s hemp-THC market to change from out-of-state to in-state testing is fast approaching on March 31. Port hopes Walz signs off on the legislation before then. Another bill, which would require drivers to stop when a school bus’ red lights are flashing, cleared the House. Both bills had previously passed in the opposite chamber.

A bill to tee up $7 million for the the city of Chaska to support the costs of hosting major golf events at Hazeltine National Golf Club got a debut airing in a Senate committee yesterday. The bill would provide the money this summer. The course is hosting the KPMG Women's PGA Championship in June and will host the Ryder Cup in 2029. Senator Ann Rest, DFL-New Hope, said it's an investment in the state's economy: "There's been no other golf course in the country that has been able to host two Ryder cups, and the only one that is scheduled now is at Hazeltine. We know that in order to make money, sometimes you have to spend money, and that is the basic premise of this bill." That bill could be included in a larger bill at the end of session. Last year, a proposed tax exemption bill for some PGA events did not pass after attracting some DFL opposition.

Gov. Tim Walz won’t be involved in setting the next Minnesota budget, but he shared some interesting thoughts about taxes in a recent interview. Walz spoke with Star Tribune business columnist Evan Ramstad about income taxes, specifically proposals to further tax the highest earners by creating a new fifth tier. Walz has advocated for similar proposals before but says he wouldn’t do so if he were still in office for future budget discussions. The two-term Democratic governor gave Evan a golden-goose reason: “The revenue you’re going to gain by doing this is offset by the inability to either recruit or have [executive-level] people stay here. ... We have a headquarters economy, and that’s what we’re really talking about.” Expect to see or hear those remarks reverberate next year if Democrats gain full Capitol control and attempt to seek tax increases. 

Finally, a correction on an item from yesterday. In recounting the weekend endorsing convention activity, Brian incorrectly listed who won the DFL nod sought by former state Rep. Ryan Winkler. It was Jess Lewis who won the 43B contest. The candidate from Golden Valley is a former federal employee whose job was part of the Trump administration’s downsizing. Specifically, Lewis was formerly the lead air pollution scientist for the effectively shuttered development agency USAID. She is campaigning as “a bold, progressive leader who will fight for working families, defend our democracy, and ensure that our kids inherit a future with clean air, strong public schools, and real opportunity for every family.” Kyrstin Schuette was also endorsed for the state House by the local DFL, but that was for another open seat in the western suburbs.