It’s back to business at the Capitol, and several public safety-related bills have been introduced this session. 

But which bills have enough bipartisan support to pass in a divided Legislature?  

MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst talks with two key lawmakers about public safety and the proposals seeking to reshape laws from traffic offenses to felony crime sentencing.  

Later in the hour, two political analysts break down the last month in state and national politics. President Donald Trump has brought his predictably unpredictable style back to the White House and Minnesota’s 2026 election stakes have been raised. We’ll find out what to expect over coming months.

Guests:  

• Sen. Ron Latz, DFL-St. Louis Park 




• Rep. Paul Novotny, R-Elk River 




• Abou Amara is a political analyst and Twin Cities attorney.  




• Preya Samsundar is a political analyst and a GOP strategist.  

Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS.   

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.