St. Paul city leaders could vote today to expand their powers to levy fines against negligent landlords, wage thieves and other bad actors.

Why it matters: Supporters say a city charter change is necessary to enable St. Paul to go after powerful violators with the money to fight — or flout — enforcement of city codes.

What they're saying: "This is about holding the people accountable that do not suffer the consequences," City Council Member Saura Jost said last week.

Catch up quick: Right now, St. Paul workers can clear your unshoveled sidewalk, then bill you for it — but that's different from a punitive fine.

• St. Paul is currently the only large Minnesota city that doesn't issue these civil penalties, known as administrative citations, to enforce its ordinances.
• The proposed charter amendment would change that.

State of play: A unanimous vote is required, but all seven City Council members and Mayor Melvin Carter have voiced their support.

Zoom in: The charter change doesn't specify which violations would be subject to the new fines, but St. Paul officials have detailed some areas where the current enforcement options aren't working:

• 🏚️ Property maintenance: City Council President Mitra Jalali has pointed to the troubled properties like the vacant CVS at Snelling and University, saying stiffer fines might force its owner to either sell or redevelop them.
• 💸 Wage theft: The threat of a fine might deliver employees' back pay more quickly.
• 🏘 Rent control: Short of filing criminal cases, city officials admit they lack leverage to pressure landlords.

The other side: Opponents say many of these cases are best resolved in the courts, so creating a parallel bureaucracy to handle enforcement and appeals would be wasteful.

Friction point: When local governments abuse their fine-issuing powers, a federal investigation warned it disproportionately affects low-income people and residents of color.

• St. Paul City Council Member Anika Bowie pledged advisory groups would review any new ordinances that impose fines to ensure they "won't be used as a city revenue generator."

What's next: Opponent Peter Butler, who believes supporters are "overselling" the benefits, is collecting signatures for a ballot measure meant to freeze the charter change, the Pioneer Press reported.

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Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison joined forces with more than a dozen Democratic state attorneys general to sue President Trump over an executive order that attempts to ban birthright citizenship.

What they're saying: The lawsuit calls the order a "flagrantly unlawful attempt to strip hundreds of thousands American-born children of their citizenship."

• The suit also argued the president has "no authority to rewrite or nullify a constitutional amendment."

The other side: A White House spokesperson urged Trump's opponents to get on board with his "wildly popular agenda."

Go deeper via Axios

👋 Torey here with an airport etiquette bone to pick.

Driving me bananas: All of you who straight up park in the MSP Airport arrival zone, multiple lanes deep, blocking access for drivers whose friends or family are actually ready and waiting at the curb.

State of the lanes: I've witnessed blatant disregard for the no-idling rules at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 in recent weeks, with traffic at a standstill due to those who don't move.

💭 My thought bubble: Wait in cell phone lot, or circle on the outer lane, until your guest is ready for pick-up.

• Does your passenger sometimes have to wait a few minutes? Yes, but the extra lap keeps traffic moving for everyone!

Weigh in: We're running an anonymous survey to find out how many of you are part of the problem. Take that here.

• Those of you who are brave enough to put your (first) name on your take can reply to this email with a defense of your approach! We'll include some of the responses in a future newsletter.

🏒 Willard Ikola, the former Edina boy's hockey coach and U.S. Olympian, has died at age 92. (Fox 9)

🗳️ St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter yesterday signaled he would likely run for a third term this November. (Pioneer Press)

🏈 The Vikings agreed to a contract extension with head coach Kevin O'Connell. (ESPN)

🫏 Minnesota DFL Party chair Ken Martin says he's closing in on securing enough votes to win his race to lead the Democratic National Committee. (New York Times)

• One of his main rivals for the job accused him of "seeking to create a false sense of momentum."

🚔 A Minneapolis City Council committee will vote today on whether to allow the city to charge fees for off-duty police work. (Background via Axios)

📎 Minnesota's last Staples store, located in Minnetonka, is closing. In unrelated news, TIL there is no "staple" emoji. (Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal)

Minnesotans filed more than 29,000 "Do Not Call" complaints to the Federal Trade Commission between October 2023 and September 2024.

Zoom in: About 55% of the complaints were sparked by robocalls, FTC data shows.

The intrigue: National data suggests it could be worse — or that our "Minnesota niceness" keeps us from "being a bother" and filing a complaint.

• Other states have much higher rates.

The bottom line: To file a complaint, visit DoNotCall.gov or call 1-888-382-1222.

🌱 Discover new local events.

The Minnesota Ice Festival at TCO Stadium now until Feb 16: Experience The Minnesota Ice Festival, home to the world's largest ice maze-over 18,000 sq. ft. of icy fun. Enjoy slides, skating, sculptures, food trucks, & more.

Hosting an event? Email [email protected].

Minnehaha Falls has frozen solid.

• The 53-foot-tall landmark — as we all struggle to recall from the times before everything froze — normally has flowing, liquid water.

Stunning stat: With a low of -19, yesterday was the coldest day in the Twin Cities since Valentine's Day 2021, according to NWS records.

Get a taste of summertime at the falls on our Instagram