ST. PAUL — Some of the laws passed in the Minnesota Legislature in the last session went into effect on Aug. 1.
One that was passed with near-unanimous support creates more stringent requirements for repeat driving-while-intoxicated offenders.
The bill expands the state’s ignition interlock program — a device like a breathalyzer that won’t allow a vehicle to start until the driver has proven they’re not impaired.
The legislation was inspired by a 2024 incident in which a drunk driver, with several prior DWI convictions, killed two people on a restaurant patio and injured several others in St. Louis Park.
As of Aug. 1, consequences for DWIs will get tougher, extending the "lookback period" for prior DWIs from 10 to 20 years. Anyone who gets a DWI with a prior one in the last 20 years will have to use an interlock device for 2 years.
The penalties get stricter for repeat offenders; with two new DWIs requiring 6 years of interlock, and offenders with three new DWIs will have to use the interlock for 10 years.
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And: A McGregor gas station was fined by the state Pollution Control Agency; the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission was given a transportation award; and Red Lake County will defend its baseball title Monday. -
Contributed/Alyssa Chen / Minnesota ReformerThe state abruptly paused payment to thousands of care providers in May in a rush to meet a federal deadline. -
Contributed/Lakers Girls Golf Instagram PageAlmost 90 Northland students competed at the state golf tournament June 9-10, 2026, around the Twin Cities. -
Contributed/Brian DowThe number of detainees has not been confirmed. Bemidji police and Beltrami sheriff's deputies did not take part, leaders say. Some community members gathered to protest. -
And: A missing Alexandria woman found alive in mud puddle near Backus; a nature-based early learning center opens in Coleraine; and Brainerd boys and Detroit Lakes girls are state golf champions.
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Contributed/briandjan607 via FlickrThe Emergency Forest Order, which prohibited campfires and charcoal-fueled cookstoves, will be lifted on June 12, 2026.
