Union leaders told state senators on Thursday that Minnesota’s federal workers are now missing rent and are taking home boxes of food at the end of their shifts.

The sobering testimony on Thursday comes as the federal government shutdown nears a month. It was the latest meeting of the Minnesota Senate’s Subcommittee on Federal Impacts.

Mark Johnson, of Duluth, representing Transportation Security Administration agents with the American Federation of Government Employees, said roughly 1,000 of Minnesota’s 18,000 federal employees are TSA agents.

“I’ve got officers that have come to me that say my rent is due on Nov. 1. I don’t have the funds for that. My landlord is unwilling to work with me. And, ‘Oh, by the way, they told me there was going to be a $50-per-day late fee.’ How do people sustain that when you are … paycheck to paycheck?” Johnson said.

Johnson has been with AFGE for 18 years and said this isn’t his first rodeo. At day 30, with the longest shutdown on record at 35 days, he said he would “like to hope” another record isn’t set, but that he’s “just not sure.”

“It’s time for our leaders to start focusing on how to solve problems for the American people, rather than on who is going to get the blame for the shutdown,” he said. “There’s no partisanship in this. We need our elected officials to please, please get together and hammer this out.”

Neal Gosman, an AFGE leader and a TSA agent at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, said his employees took home donated food boxes after their shifts on Wednesday.

Members of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture who have partnerships with the U.S. Department of Agriculture also testified. Dr. Nicole Neeser, director of the Dairy and Meat Inspection Division, said their services in testing meat are considered essential since processing plants can’t sell products without inspectors.

Dr. Brian Hoefs, director of the state Board of Animal Health, who oversees animal disease, said Minnesota is already the state most affected by avian flu, with 208 confirmed cases. He said if a new disease emerges, he’s not sure how his staff would respond.

Hoefs said his communication with the USDA, which provides 20% of his staff’s budget, is “not where it used to be.”

“The USDA contingency plan for the federal shutdown has also been removed from the website … we don’t know why, but that’s kind of the … status of where we’re at with communications,” he said. “We don’t get a lot of direct communication like we used to. There’s … decisions being made that we aren’t always privy to, and we find out about them after the fact.”

Alex Fitzsimmons, with the Children’s Defense Fund, testified about her concerns with the federal nutrition program Women, Infants and Children. Minnesota receives roughly $9 million a month for WIC, and funds are expected to last through the third week of November, according to reports from Minnesota Management and Budget on Wednesday.

“Oftentimes, we’re concerned about being hyperbolic as advocates; in this situation, this isn’t hyperbole,” she said. “Losing access to WIC would result broadly in increased hunger, poorer health outcomes, and greater financial strain for thousands of pregnant women, infants and young children in Minnesota.”

Attorney General Keith Ellison testified before the subcommittee regarding a 25-state lawsuit against the USDA that argues the halt in food stamp benefits during the shutdown is illegal and that a $6 billion contingency fund should be tapped. Ellison reported that a federal judge was expected to make a ruling on the case soon.

“It’s intolerable that nearly one half-million Minnesotans could go hungry when the law clearly provides for funding to help it across previous federal government shutdowns,” Ellison said of the Trump administration’s decision to stop paying food stamps during the shutdown. “SNAP benefits have never been interrupted by a lapse on appropriations, until now.”

It’s unclear what state lawmakers could do to mitigate the effects of the federal shutdown.

Sen. Erin Maye Quade, DFL-Apple Valley, said she’s looking for legislative fixes that could “backfill” the loss in federal funds. The state’s budget for the next two years was already passed in the 2025 session, with the hopes of curbing a $6 billion projected deficit for 2028.

She mentioned Minnesota’s rainy day funds, but said she hasn’t “been around long enough to know what constitutes a rainy day.” DFL Gov. Tim Walz said Monday those funds are untouched and that the Legislature would have to come back to approve their use.

“This is not something that a state should be having to figure out. Like, this is why we pay federal taxes,” Maye Quade said. “This is why we have federal partners, having 50 different governors and, you know, D.C. and then Puerto Rico trying to figure out, how are we going to backfill and figure this out with 50 different solutions? That’s dire.”

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When St. Paul residents go to the polls on Tuesday, they’ll find a question on their ballot asking them whether to amend the city’s charter — which is akin to a municipal constitution — to allow for new forms of non-criminal penalties known as administrative citations.

If approved, the city council would have the authority to propose fine ladders for violations of city ordinances. The charter amendment does not spell out any particulars around the size of the penalty or the type of ordinance violation that would trigger a civil fine.

Instead, each type of administrative citation would be presented as its own ordinance amendment to city code, and get its own individual public hearing prior to a council vote in the months to come.

Officials with the mayor’s office, the city council, St. Paul Public Works, the Department of Safety and Inspections and other areas of city government have highlighted 15 areas where enforcement is lacking and the city could potentially impose administrative citations to improve quality of life for everyday residents.

Those areas include animal-control violations, neglected construction sites, errant landlords who fail to respect building codes or rent control requirements, illegal discharges to storm and sanitary sewers, and employers who sidestep the city’s minimum wage or sick and safe time rules.

Given the city’s difficult finances and aging housing stock, critics have expressed concern that the city could use administrative citations to help balance its budget by fining homeowners for chipped paint, weeds, tall grass and other mundane property issues common to century-old houses and low-income neighborhoods. They say that rather than protect the vulnerable, the fines could amount to a tax on the poor.

Here’s what voters need to know:

The ballot question wording:

“Referendum on Ord 25-2 amending the City Charter.

“Should Ordinance Ord 25-2, amending Chapter 6.03 of the St. Paul Charter, regarding Administrative Citations take effect? Ordinance Ord 25-2 amends the City Charter to authorize the issuance of Administrative Citations that may result in the imposition of civil fines for violations of City Ordinances. Administrative Citations are not Criminal Citations. A ‘Yes’ vote is a vote in favor of amending the City Charter to allow the City to issue administrative citations. A ‘No’ vote is a vote against amending the City Charter and against administrative citations.”

Who is on board:

The charter amendment is backed by St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and challenger Rep. Kaohly Her, the seven members of the city council, the city’s charter commission, city department leaders and a wide coalition of labor groups and progressive advocates. They include ISAIAH, SEIU Healthcare MN, the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, AFSCME Council 5, Unidos St. Paul, Faith in Minnesota, TakeAction Minnesota, Housing Justice Center, Sustain St. Paul and members of local DFL groups backing the “Vote Yes For a Fairer St. Paul” campaign.

Opposition:

While the ballot question has not drawn heavily organized opposition, it failed to pass the city’s charter commission or win unanimous city council approval in 2018 and 2021. Former city council member Jane Prince has written at length about her concerns. Arguing that the public should have the right to weigh in, former City Hall employee Peter Butler gathered enough petition signatures this year to block council approval from amending the charter without first going to public ballot. Mayoral candidates Yan Chen and Mike Hilborn have said they’ll vote “no” on the question, which has drawn mixed reviews from some leaders of neighborhood district councils.

Arguments for:

Proponents have noted that if a landlord fails to fix a broken toilet, an employer refuses to pay out sick time or a dog repeatedly terrorizes the neighbors, the city’s options generally amount to one of two extremes: a strongly worded letter of warning, or criminal charges.

In the case of housing or building code violations, the city can revoke a certificate of occupancy, leaving residents homeless, or cancel a business license, closing the business entirely. Minneapolis and other large cities in Minnesota have intermediate powers to impose non-criminal penalties on rule-breakers, which can roll out more quickly than criminal charges without the long-term consequences of creating a criminal record.

As St. Paul has delved into a progressive agenda, including paid sick and safe time, a $15 minimum wage, rent control, a wage theft ordinance and other rules, the city has found it tough to keep up with enforcement.

To ensure fairness in execution, the city council voted to establish a temporary advisory committee that would spend up to a year crafting an “equitable implementation framework” around administrative citations as they roll out. The committee would be expected to issue written recommendations focusing on the potential disparate impacts of administrative citations on vulnerable groups protected by the city’s Human Rights Ordinance.

“Administrative citations are a necessary tool for St. Paul to have what it needs to keep its residents safe, for the city to run well,” said Matt Privratsky, a former city council member and chair of the Vote Yes For a Fairer St. Paul campaign.

“Right now, the city is forced to over-criminalize penalties because it does not have the ability to use civil fines or administrative citations,” Privratsky said. “And at the time when federal uncertainty has never been greater, the community needs stability, it needs its common-sense tools in place.”

Arguments against:

If city inspectors were empowered to fine everyday residents over mundane property issues, they wouldn’t have to look far. Well more than half of the city’s single-family homes, duplexes and triplexes were built before 1930, and the likelihood of finding peeling fence paint on a century-old property is high.

Even if used judiciously by the current administration, a charter amendment raises the possibility that the next city council — or the one after that — could increase fines, in both size and volume, to help balance departmental budgets, a burden that could land disproportionately on low-income and middle-income communities of color.

Butler has noted that a charter amendment may not be necessary. To institute non-criminal penalties, some cities cite a section of state statute allowing them to impose civil fines of up to $1,000.

Critics have said that administrative citations fly in the face of the Carter administration’s previous commitment to reducing fines and fees, including library fines, in the name of equity. Chen has called the effort overly bureaucratic and Hilborn called citations another burden for small businesses in a city already struggling to attract commerce.

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Prince, the former council member, has noted that the city already charges property owners for abatement — the cost of sending out a city work crew — if they fail to shovel snow and ice from their walk or cut tall grass. The charter amendment proposes no upper limit on fines.

“There are fines and fees when you violate things, but it can’t exceed the city’s cost of enforcement,” said Prince on Tuesday. “In 2022 when they brought (administrative citations) forward, they wanted to cap it at $2,000 and the charter commission voted it down because they thought it was too high. Now they’ve brought it back with no cap.”

For complete coverage of area elections as well as how to vote, visit twincities.com/elections.

Imani Cruzen contributed to this report.

 

Vikings at Lions (-8½)

J.J. McCarthy is back at quarterback after the Vikings tired of watching Carson Wentz try to play with a mangled shoulder. The backup QB over the past few weeks has felt almost as much pain as the Vikings brain trust that jettisoned Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones.
Pick: Lions by 24

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) walks off the field after the the Vikings loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in a NFL game U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025. The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Minnesota Vikings, 28-22. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

49ers at Giants (+2½)

New York rookie sensation Cam Skattebo is done for the season after suffering a grotesque dislocation of his ankle. For viewers watching on TV, it was the most sickening sight since watching the White House East Wing being razed.
Pick: 49ers by 7

New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo, left, gets tackled by Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun, right, but injured his ankle in the process during an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Colts at Steelers (+3½)

Pittsburgh lost to Green Bay last Sunday night and looked horrible doing it thanks to its ugly 1930s throwback jerseys. T’was a bracing sight for observers who believed there had been no possible way to make Aaron Rodgers look worse.
Pick: Colts by 7

Green Bay Packers’ Rashan Gary sacks Pittsburgh Steelers’ Aaron Rodgers during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Falcons at Patriots (-5½)

Former Vikings QB Kirk Cousins failed miserably in Week 8 filling in for the injured Michael Penix in Atlanta’s 34-10 loss to lowly Miami. The NFL’s most overpaid substitute has now updated his famous postgame refrain to “FEW LIKE THAT!”
Pick: Patriots by 7

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) listens for the play call during the second half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Danny Karnik)

Bears at Bengals (+2½)

Cincinnati somehow found a way to lose to the winless New York Jets last Sunday. The surprise upset lifted the Jets’ popularity in the Big Apple polls, surging ahead of fellow losers Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa.
Pick: Bengals by 3

Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, center, speaks during a mayoral debate with independent candidate former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, left, and Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis, Pool)

Chargers at Titans (+9½)

San Diego hall of fame tight end Antonio Gates is denying a report he was involved in the latest sports high stakes poker scandal. Gates is accused of being a “face card” to attract high rollers to rigged games whenever Chauncey Billups was busy with other Mafia duties.
Pick: Chargers by 21

FILE – In this Sept. 16, 2018, file photo, Los Angeles Chargers’ Antonio Gates warms-up before an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, in Orchard Park, N.Y. Gates announced his retirement, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020, following a 16-year career that saw him finish with 116 touchdowns, which is the most by a tight end in NFL history. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus, File)

Saints at Rams (-13½)

Feckless New Orleans is turning to rookie quarterback Tyler Shough and benching Spencer Rattler against the 5-2 Rams. This game is almost as much of a mismatch as the upcoming showdown between the U.S. military and Venezuela.
Pick: Rams by 14

New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough (6) throws a pass against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Panthers at Packers (-12½)

Green Bay’s Tucker Kraft fittingly had a career day last Sunday with 143 yards and two touchdowns, just in time for Tight Ends Day. Meanwhile in Carolina, Panthers backup quarterback Andy Dalton looked his age in a 40-9 loss on Geriatric Gingers Day.
Pick: Packers by 14

Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft (85) carries during the first half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Seahawks at Commanders (+3½)

Former Vikings and Seahawks great Adrian Peterson was arrested on drunk driving charges again last week after being found asleep at the wheel of his SUV while the engine was running. This likely ruins his chances to get hired as Jordan Addison’s designated driver.
Pick: Seahawks by 7

This undated photo released by the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office, shows former NFL player Adrian Peterson. (Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office via AP)

Cardinals at Cowboys (-2½)

LSU abruptly fired coach Brian Kelly despite being obligated to pay him a $54 million buyout. Kelly’s utter failure in Baton Rouge means it’s almost certain he’ll be the next head coach hired by Jerry Jones.
Pick: Cardinals by 3

LSU head coach Brian Kelly yells to an official during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Vanderbilt, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Other games

Broncos at Texans (-1½)
Pick: Broncos by 4

Jaguars at Raiders (+3½)
Pick: Raiders by 3

Chiefs at Bills (+1½)
Pick: Bills by 3

FILE – Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) avoids Kansas City Chiefs safety Nazeeh Johnson (13) as he runs for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus, File)

Bye week

Browns, Jets, Eagles, Buccaneers

Record

Week 8
10-3 straight up
8-5 vs. spread

Season
75-45-1 straight up (.625)
63-58 vs. spread (.537)

All-time (2003-25)
3894-2146-15 straight up (.645)
2974-2937-145 vs spread (.503)

You can hear Kevin Cusick on Thursdays on Bob Sansevere’s “BS Show” podcast on iTunes. You can follow Kevin on X– @theloopnow. He can be reached at kcusick@pioneerpress.com.

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