Hot dish Thursday, Jan. 25

By Kelly Smith

President Joe Biden visits Superior, Wis., today to talk about his Investing in America agenda. My Duluth colleagues, Jana Hollingsworth and Christa Lawler, will be there, along with two Star Tribune photojournalists. The presidential visit comes as the aging Blatnik Bridge, the main connector between Duluth and Superior, just received $1 billion in federal funding. Wisconsin also happens to be a presidential battleground, which Biden narrowly won in 2020 and former Republican President Donald Trump narrowly won in 2016.

Biden also visited the bridge in March 2022 to highlight the $1 trillion infrastructure law he had signed months earlier. Gov. Tim Walz and other officials are expected to attend his visit Thursday.

SPORTS BETTING: Senate Finance Chairman John Marty, DFL-Roseville, on Wednesday issued a written statement on legalized sports betting, my colleague Rochelle Olson reports. Marty has been presumed to be one of two no votes in the 34-member DFL caucus on a bill to legalize sports betting. But Marty says that's not necessarily true.

His statement said he wants to spend more time talking about the human and societal costs, not just the question of who profits from sports betting. He also disputed the notion that gambling is a priority of the DFL, saying he couldn't recall the concept having been discussed in a caucus meeting.

In an interview, Marty said that yes, he could vote for a gambling bill if it included enough safeguards for bettors, amateur athletes and minors, among others. He said he has many amendments to offer, ranging from geofencing around schools to allowing gamblers to set personal limits in advance and banning bets on games with minors.

"I want to make sure we don't significantly increase problem gambling by what I call a predator industry," Marty said, adding that he's more of a libertarian than a prohibitionist on gambling.

"This would be the largest expansion of gambling in state history. It far exceeds casino gambling because you can bet on your phone 24/7," Marty said.

Given the money going into lobbying efforts, Marty said he expects the issue to continue until it's passed.

"If Minnesota's going to have this I want us to have the best law we can," he said, adding that he doesn't want Minnesota to get "rolled like Kansas." Marty cited this New York Times story about the legalization effort in the Sunflower State.

CD2: On Thursday, U.S. rep. Angie Craig will announce new legislation in West St. Paul to eliminate federal taxes on Social Security benefits for seniors at a roundtable with Minnesota retirees. Her team is also hosting an open house for constituents with questions or issues with Social Security and Medicare.

Craig is running for re-election this year and faces several challengers, including Joe Teirab, who was endorsed Wednesday by New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, the Republican House chairwoman. "From serving his country in the Marines to protecting Minnesotans by putting violent criminals behind bars as a federal prosecutor, Joe Teirab is a tremendous example of what I mean when I say 'America First,' and I am proud to endorse his candidacy," she said in a statement.

KLOBUCHAR: On Wednesday, Giffords PAC, the organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, endorsed Sen. Amy Klobuchar for reelection this year. So far, no formidable Republican challenger has emerged yet to run against the three-term incumbent. "Born and raised in a state with a tradition of responsible gun ownership, she understands that there is no conflict between the Second Amendment and commonsense safety measures," Giffords said in a statement.

EVENTS WATCH: On Thursday at 1 p.m., the House Health Finance and Policy Committee will hear a bill known as the End-of-Life Options Act, to establish end-of-life options for terminally ill adults, sponsored by Rep. Mike Freiberg, DFL-Golden Valley. My colleagues Briana Bierschbach and Reid Forgrave will have more details after the hearing. Briana and Reid have already reported on this effort.

WHERE'S WALZ: As noted, Walz will be in Duluth and Superior, Wis., for Biden's visit.

Have a great day, and keep us posted at hotdish@startribune.com.

Sign up for the Hot Dish newsletter here or forward this email to friends and family so they can sign up, too.