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Senator Klein apologizes after suspension from Kelsey; Senate lawmaker says prediction markets will be addressed in an elections amendment
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Summary
Reporters asked about Senator Klein’s suspension from the prediction market platform Kelsey; a Senate lawmaker said Klein apologized to the caucus and on the floor, remains on a prediction‑markets bill, and that an amendment addressing prediction markets was added to the omnibus elections bill with broad support.
Reporters asked whether members of the Senate caucus had participated in betting or prediction platforms after news surfaced about Senator Klein’s suspension. A Minnesota Senate lawmaker said she had no evidence others had used such platforms and described Senator Klein as having apologized to colleagues and on the Senate floor.
"Senator Klein today apologized to our caucus, and he made an apology to the entire senate on the floor today," the lawmaker said. When asked whether additional ethics complaints or actions were needed, she said Senator Klein "has remedied the situation" and characterized the matter as addressed.
Reporters pressed whether the situation required changing Senate rules or statute. The lawmaker said the emergence of prediction markets has created harms and that rules and possibly statute may need updating to clarify conflicts and perceptions. She said the Senate added an amendment to the omnibus elections bill that addresses the issue and described that amendment as carrying broad support.
When asked whether Senator Klein remains on the prediction‑markets bill, the lawmaker replied, "He is still on that bill." The lawmaker also noted that the issue was discussed in an amendment to the elections bill and that the Senate expects to take up the matter on the floor.
The lawmaker framed prediction markets as potentially harmful to people’s access to services and said the Senate wants to make clear its standards for participation in emerging platforms. No formal vote on the prediction‑markets statutory changes was recorded in the briefing; the lawmaker described the amendment as added and supported but did not provide a roll‑call tally.
Next step: the Senate plans floor consideration of the relevant elections package and the lawmaker said leadership meetings are ongoing to reconcile differences across chambers.
