The Upper Midwest Law Center filed two important briefs with the Minnesota Supreme Court this week in separate cases involving election administration and public access to government records.
City of Oak Grove v. Steve Simon, et al.
Who decides how elections are administered inside city limits? That question is now before the Minnesota Supreme Court in City of Oak Grove v. Steve Simon, et al.
In its reply brief, UMLC argues that Minnesota law gives cities, not counties, the authority to choose whether to use paper or electronic voter rosters in the precincts they administer. The case centers on Oak Grove’s decision to return to paper voter rosters at polling places within city limits after ending its electronic roster agreement with Anoka County.
“The law allows paper voter rosters, and it gives local officials authority to make that choice,” said Doug Seaton, President of UMLC. “Oak Grove made a lawful decision for its own precincts. State and county officials should not be able to override that decision simply because they prefer a different system.”
Alpha News v. City of Detroit Lakes, et al.
The public still has not seen the full police footage from former Sen. Nicole Mitchell’s burglary arrest. In Alpha News v. City of Detroit Lakes, et al., UMLC is asking the Minnesota Supreme Court to change that.
The petition asks the Court to review lower court decisions denying Alpha News’ request for police body-camera and dash-camera footage from Mitchell’s April 2024 arrest. UMLC argues the case presents an issue of statewide importance because Mitchell’s arrest, public statements, continued Senate service, and subsequent conviction created significant public interest in what happened.
“When an elected official is arrested, convicted, and continues to play a major role in state government, the public has a right to the fullest possible picture,” said Nicholas Nelson, Senior Appellate Counsel at UMLC. “This case is about transparency, accountability, and whether courts can deny access to important public records based on reasoning that does not match the facts.”