Capitol Retort: Prince, N.Y., Target, Testing, Tubman

Editor’s note: Welcome back to Capitol Retort, our weekly review of issues in state and national news, with a rotating cast of local characters. Answers have been edited for length and clarity but not unity. Any instances of agreement are accidental.

Question 1: Any thoughts on the passing of Prince or what he meant to Minnesota?

Annette Meeks, founder and CEO, Freedom Foundation of Minnesota: When they were filming “Purple Rain” in downtown Minneapolis, I was out with some girlfriends and we were walking down the street in the Warehouse District. A very large man said, “I’m sorry you can’t walk down this street.” Being the uppity person I was even then, I said what do you mean? You need permits to shut down a street.” And we walked down the street. We saw Prince on his motorcycle, coming out of an alley. And we were like, “Oh, they probably do have lots of permits.” But [Thursday is a] really sad day for us. He really put us on the map. We became kind of a cool place.

Sen. Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis: The news broke while we were in Finance [Committee]. Phones started exploding. I could sense the hubbub and the tension in the room. It was clearly a momentous occasion. It was worth pausing and paying our respects. He gave all of us unbelievable hours of joy, listening to amazing breakthrough music. He was a cultural icon, contributed in many other ways to the times, the sensibility, and the fashion. Who else of his stature among people of color is representing Minnesota on an international stage? He’s top tier if not the foremost.

Rep. Peggy Flanagan, DFL-St. Louis Park: I was at First Avenue until 3 a.m. [Friday] and will be offering a resolution on Monday to honor his life and music and contributions to Minnesota. I haven’t felt this devastated since Paul Wellstone died. It’s that caliber for me, and clearly for so many Minnesotans and people all over the world.

Question 2: Trump and Clinton won the New York presidential primary walking away. What advice do you have for the non-front-runners, or for down-ballot candidates in Minnesota? 

Meeks: My advice to the other three: Please keep running. For candidates running in Minnesota, [don’t] get involved in any way in these presidential skirmishes, whether running for a national delegate spot or even giving their opinion. I would stay as far away remain from the presidential race as I could.

Dibble: For the non-front-runners, keep running. It’s a democracy, served by vigorous competition of ideas. But for the good of our democracy take the vitriol of the attacks and the temperature down. It doesn’t contribute anything. Get it up on a higher plane and do it quickly. It does not have to be like this.

Flanagan: My advice is field, field and more field. Direct voter contact is the way to set yourself apart and build relationships with folks.

Question 3: Target is inviting customers and employees to use toilets and fitting rooms that correspond with their gender identity. Good move?

Meeks: That’s up to Target to decide. From a limited government/conservative perspective, that’s a private company making their own decision based upon their own market analysis. I have no problem with private companies doing that; my problem is when government tries to do stuff like that.

Dibble: Of course it is. People are what they are, end of story.

Flanagan: It’s a fantastic move. I’m proud that Target is a hometown company. I’m also discouraged that we’re talking about the bathroom bill that discriminates and is bullying and harmful to our young people in particular. When I overspend at Target, I will feel less guilty about it.

Question 4: The U.S. Supreme Court might strike down a Minnesota law making it a crime to refuse a breath test. Should it be a crime, or only if police get a search warrant?

Meeks: I’m not a lawyer and I don’t play one on TV. I hate to cop a plea on you but I just don’t know enough about it.

Dibble: I am undecided on that question. I tend to favor the idea of getting a warrant. But I am concerned about public safety. In terms of police power, it’s a hugely awesome power, and I tend to fall down on the side of allowing for some sort of check and balance on particularly intrusive police power into our personal spheres.

Flanagan: It’s tricky. We need to decrease the amount of drunk driving, but I do have concerns about people having to submit to testing without giving their consent. It’s fair the Supreme Court is looking at it.

Question 5. Harriet Tubman will bump Andrew Jackson off the front of the $20 bill. What change would you like to see in our currency? 

Meeks: I thought it was cool. Of all the people they picked, that was really a home run. It goes to show you if you want to stay on the currency you better have a long running musical. Two years ago Alexander Hamilton was dead. He’s been revived by Broadway.

Dibble: It’s a phenomenally awesome and exciting change. Harriet Tubman, since I was a little kid, has been an enormous hero of mine. To see a woman with her legacy of putting herself at tremendous risk to free slaves—it’s an incredibly great and positive decision. Other changes, it should be way more colorful, different sizes to help people with disabilities to distinguish denominations. And more women and people of all different cultural backgrounds.

Flanagan: It’s a really good step. As an American Indian woman, I certainly have feelings about Andrew Jackson and the Trail of Tears. I would also like to see more women, from different racial and cultural backgrounds. We have a lot of women in this country who have done good stuff and I’m glad our currency is catching up to that.

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