Saint Paul, Minnesota

St. Paul, Minnesota, Mayor Kaohly Her has nominated Assistant Chief of Operations Jeramiah Melquist to lead the city's fire department. Melquist, a 26-year department veteran, has held roles including assistant chief of medical services, deputy chief, district chief, fire captain and fire equipment operator. Her selected him from five finalists, three internal and two external, citing his experience and leadership style, which he describes as mission-driven and people-first. He pointed to the department's recent Class I rating from the Insurance Services Office, placing St. Paul among the top 1% of U.S. fire departments for protection and readiness. The nomination now requires confirmation by the St. Paul City Council.

DFL incumbent Steve Simon, seeking a fourth term as Minnesota secretary of state, debated Republican challenger Tad Jude at Minnesota Public Radio's St. Paul studio. Jude called for tighter voter requirements, including provisional ballots for same-day registrants, saying "an illegal vote is a stolen vote." Simon cited studies ranking Minnesota first nationally on election performance and showing only three illegal votes among 13.4 million cast from 2015 to 2024. Simon pressed Jude on Trump's unsubstantiated claims of winning Minnesota; Jude acknowledged certified results but stopped short of refuting Trump. Both addressed a DOJ lawsuit over Alaska's Senate certification and debated the state's redesigned flag. Election Day is November 3.

The St. Paul Board of Education will hold a special meeting to consider a revised plan for closing a multi-million-dollar budget gap, after parents and teachers objected to an earlier proposal to cut 18 English learner (EL) teachers. The new approach would leave more than 10 vacant positions unfilled and offer early retirement to seven to 12 EL teachers, saving roughly $2.3 million, with other adjustments bringing total savings to about $5.3 million. The district cites a loss of more than 500 EL students this year, tied partly to federal immigration enforcement activity in the Twin Cities, costing nearly $5 million in funding. The board previously postponed a vote unanimously amid the backlash.

The St. Paul school district and its teachers' union have proposed early retirements and leaving vacancies unfilled instead of cutting up to 18 English learner teacher positions to close a budget gap. The school board, which postponed a vote on the original cuts after backlash and a lengthy meeting, is set to consider the revised plan Friday. The new proposal would leave more than 10 vacant positions open and offer early retirement to seven to 12 English learner teachers, saving an estimated $2.3 million, with total budget adjustments topping $5.3 million.

The district says it is losing more than 500 English learner students this year, partly tied to a federal immigration enforcement operation in the Twin Cities, worsening an already $51.5 million deficit.

A Twin Cities opinion piece by local election official Ken Peterson defends Minnesota's voting system amid DOJ threats to deploy election-day monitors. Peterson notes bipartisan agreement between state GOP and DFL chairs that the system, run by over 30,000 local poll workers, is secure. A federal judge recently blocked DOJ efforts to obtain state voter rolls for DHS review. Minnesota uses paper ballots, certified equipment, and the Statewide Registration System to prevent double voting. Cited fraud cases remain rare: a St. Thomas Law School study found only three noncitizen voting convictions among 13.4 million ballots cast from 2014–2024. Minnesota led the nation in 2024 voter turnout and election administration rankings.

The St. Paul City Council unanimously approved a resolution directing the city and county to ramp up outreach to unsheltered residents, including those at encampments near Shepard Road and the former Pig's Eye Park site, which Mayor Kaohly Her ordered cleared in August. The non-binding plan calls for a 60-day "strategic investment period" with a housing navigation tent, intensive casework, and progress reporting, plus a push for temporary low-barrier indoor shelter this winter and expansion of tiny-home "village" style housing modeled on Minneapolis's Avivo Village. It does not pause encampment clearings, a step advocates had sought, and leaves funding and cost questions unresolved pending county and state partnership.

St. Paul's City Council has approved a new approach to homeless encampments after the closure of the Pig's Eye Park camp this summer shifted hundreds of residents to a growing encampment along Shepard Road, now exceeding 400 people. Nearby residents report increased fires, thefts and other incidents since August.

The plan requires a 60-day outreach period before closing an encampment, unless there is an immediate public safety threat, and calls for a temporary six-month indoor shelter this winter plus a permanent shelter modeled on Minneapolis's Avivo Village. Costs could exceed $2 million, requiring county and state support. Mayor Kaohly Her's office says it is reviewing the proposals' viability while continuing planned transitions at other encampments.

The St. Paul school board voted unanimously to postpone a decision on cutting roughly 18 full-time English as a second language teaching positions, following a five-hour meeting marked by union rallies and public comment that stretched past 10:30 p.m. The proposed cuts stem from a drop of 542 English learner students versus January projections, which officials tied to Operation Metro Surge, a federal immigration enforcement operation in the Twin Cities. The shortfall threatens nearly $5 million in state per-pupil funding. Union leaders say the cuts would hit at least two dozen schools and call the plan rushed; Superintendent Stacie Stanley denies it was made in secret. The board delayed the vote until the week of October 26 to explore alternatives.