Eric Roper
Columnist
News & PoliticsSince joining the Minnesota Star Tribune in 2009, Eric has covered the Twin Cities metro area, the city of Minneapolis, the state Legislature and Congress. Prior to becoming a columnist, he oversaw the Star Tribune's Curious Minnesota project and helped create the narrative podcast "Ghost of a Chance." He is a graduate of the George Washington University and lives in south Minneapolis. In his spare time, Eric is a hobbyist woodworker and old home DIYer. To follow Eric's work by email, sign up for his newsletter at startribune.com/roperalert.
Latest from Eric Roper
Roper: Stakes are too high for City Council’s performative politics over hotel liquor licenses
Progressives seem intent on kneecapping one of downtown’s most important event venues, the Depot, just when the city most needs visitors.
February 18, 2026
Roper: Washington warned us about this moment. For America’s 250th, Minneapolis should lift him up.
Restoring the vandalized statue of George Washington, and tapping into his wisdom, could be a potent symbol during this anniversary.
February 12, 2026
Roper: Sheriff Witt’s decision raises tricky questions about how to end this nightmare
Hennepin County’s top law enforcement officer is mulling limited cooperation with ICE to help wind down the federal government’s immigration surge.
February 7, 2026
Roper: How Minnesota’s civic culture fueled a tough ICE resistance, took feds by surprise
It’s not pleasant for people to go toe-to-toe with the federal government. But in this case, it’s very Minnesotan.
January 29, 2026
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Roper: Libertarians are outraged by ICE tactics. Will conservatives listen?
The small-government advocates see a real threat to civil liberties in Minneapolis.
January 23, 2026
Roper: ICE tactics threaten to unravel trust with local law enforcement
Mysterious federal agents zipping around the Twin Cities and bending the local norms of policing are creating confusion.
January 11, 2026
Roper: Minneapolis council picks minority and majority leaders — and they’re both democratic socialists
The new titles for City Council members with similar politics got the new term off to an acrimonious start and reinforced old divisions.
January 7, 2026
Roper: Delayed George Floyd Square decision came at a cost
Minneapolis finally agreed to a street plan after years of debate, but still has major decisions to make about the intersection.
December 17, 2025
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Roper: Want to revive Uptown? Grab a ‘passport’ and show Hennepin Avenue businesses some holiday cheer
The “Holidays on Hennepin” program aims to draw traffic to the street after a lengthy road reconstruction.
December 12, 2025
Roper: Remembering ‘king of clubs’ Peter Hafiz, who built a Minneapolis nightlife empire
The namesake of Sneaky Pete’s, and owner of other landmarks like Deja Vu and Gay 90s, died recently.
December 5, 2025
Roper: Someone toppled George Washington five years ago. Are we ready to put him back up?
A statue of the first president never returned to a Minneapolis park after vandalism pushed him off a pedestal in 2020.
December 1, 2025
Roper: Public outcry might give new life to decaying, 136-year-old Minneapolis house
An 1889 home in northeast Minneapolis is in rough shape after years of vacancy. A proposal to demolish it incensed neighbors.
November 23, 2025
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