Minneapolis City Council members today will consider a $38 million training facility for police, firefighters, and other first responders.

Why it matters: The proposal is shaping up to be the hardest lesson yet on what a court-enforceable MPD reform plan — meant to reshape the department in the wake of George Floyd's murder — will cost Minneapolis.

• Opponents are digging in. They're calling the proposal "Cop City 2.0," echoing a moniker for a similar facility in Atlanta that sparked years of lawsuits, protests and violent clashes that drew national attention.

State of play: Mayor Jacob Frey's administration this week is asking the council to kick off the project with a $6.1 million property purchase.

What they're saying: Proponents argue the new center would tick a major box in MPD's reform settlement, which calls for improved training facilities.

The other side: Council Member Robin Wonsley said at a briefing last week that MPD could fulfill the settlement by leasing space in existing police training centers in the metro, calling the new facility a "want" not a "need."

Between the lines: In a narrow, legal sense, MPD's court settlement does not require this new training facility.

Reality check: Practically, the city is "fairly boxed into it," said Alex Uballez, a former U.S. Attorney for New Mexico who briefly oversaw Albuquerque's police reform plan.

• Uballez noted Minneapolis' settlement ordered outside reviews, which found major deficiencies in MPD's training and facilities that the city is obligated to address.
• Minneapolis could build, retrofit or lease other facilities to come into compliance, but the city's court-appointed monitor has already blessed the all-in-one training center proposal.

The big picture: The proposal highlights a common critique of reforming police through the courts: Nationally, legal settlements have spurred many tangible purchases for departments that don't guarantee cultural change.

• "Training is not a waste of time," University of St. Thomas law professor Rachel Moran told Axios. "But I do question when we only focus on training … as opposed to improving accountability systems."

Yes, but: Better training can improve culture and policing, but current facilities limit MPD's ability to stage some of the trainings the reform settlement envisions.

• "Looking 10 years down the road — where you're trying to sustain the reform — I don't know how you do that without this facility," Minneapolis public safety commissioner Toddrick Barnette told Axios.

Barnette's beef with the "Cop City" critique

Target plans to update its dress code for store employees this summer, tightening guidelines around red tops and limiting large logos, the company confirmed to Axios.

• The retailer wants shirts to be closer to its signature red — less burgundy and pink — and is asking employees to wear blue denim or khaki bottoms.

Store workers will receive a free shirt and a one-time 50% discount on denim as part of that change, the company said.

Zoom out: The update comes as Target is also boosting employee discounts on some of its own apparel brands as part of a broader turnaround effort.

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🏈 Minnesota Sports & Events will provide an update on a potential future NFL Draft in Minnesota today.

🎤 Bruce Springsteen will sing "Streets of Minneapolis" at the Minnesota Capitol on Saturday as part of a No Kings rally. (Fox 9)

🌿 A bill to ease a cannabis testing backlog by allowing hemp-derived THC seltzers and edibles to use out-of-state labs for another year cleared the Senate yesterday. (Background via Axios)

• It now goes to Gov. Tim Walz's desk. He's expected to sign it.

✈️ The Trump Administration is sending ICE agents to 13 airports to help with security line delays. (Axios)

• Agents have not been seen at MSP Airport, which so far has run smoothly despite the spring break surge and unpaid TSA workers. (Star Tribune)

🏭 LeJeune Steel is closing its longtime South Minneapolis headquarters. (Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal)

• It will move its corporate workforce to the North Loop and manufacturing to its Barronett, Wis. facility.

Minnesota Senate Republicans are still searching for a serious recruit for a Maple Grove swing seat that could decide the majority next year.

State of play: Warren Limmer's retirement creates an opening in Senate District 37.

• While Limmer has kept the area in Republican hands for three decades, demographic shifts have made the district a top battleground.

Case in point: The Democratic presidential ticket carried the seat by 8 percentage points in 2024.

What we're hearing: Republicans worried about their prospects for holding the seat have been lobbying Rep. Kristin Robbins, who won her half of the district with 57% of the vote, to drop her bid for governor and run for state Senate instead.

• But Robbins insists that she's staying in the gubernatorial race for now.

The intrigue: Someone recently registered domain names for a potential Robbins Senate run — though the Maple Grove Republican told me it wasn't her.

The other side: Democrats are looking to flip the district in a bid to hold or expand their one-seat majority.

• Their candidate, Maple Grove City Council Member Kristy Janigo, has been running since last summer.

In other news

🫏 Several well-known Democrats ran into trouble during last weekend's endorsement conventions.

What happened: Ryan Winkler, a former House majority leader, lost his bid for the party's backing to rival Jess Lewis in one Golden Valley House district.

• Meanwhile, the contest between six-term DFL Sen. Ron Latz and former St. Louis Park Council Member Lynette Dumalag ended with "no endorsement."

Full column

Meat raffles are a staple at many Minnesota bars, but limits on tickets and prizes haven't increased in 30 years.

The latest: A bill, set to be heard in a Minnesota Senate committee this afternoon, would allow charities to charge $5 (up from $2) per entry and offer prizes worth $200 (up from $70).

Why it matters: Have you been to a grocery store lately? Seventy bucks doesn't get you much.

• Beef prices are up 60% in the last six years alone, according to federal data.

Salt-N-Pepa, TLC and En Vogue will play the State Fair Grandstand on Saturday, Sept. 5.

• The former was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year.

Tickets go on sale Thursday at 10am.