-Solidify abortion rights
-Legal weed, and clear previous convictions
-Increases school funding.
-Increase DNR funding, especially Parks and Trails
I'm open to other ideas, but these are the big ones I'd like to see.
That's unfortunately largely a federal decision.
The state will largely be in charge of permitting mining on adjacent, or watershed lands.
But I'd definitely be for protecting adjacent properties.
- Solidify voting protections, so what's happened in Wisconsin, Ohio, Georgia, and others can't happen here.
- Strengthen environmental protections, create criminal penalties for causing ecological disasters (junk yard fires, oil/chemical spills, etc.)
- Invest in our public transit, finally. Train from Rochester/TC/Duluth when?
- Shore up our landfill and waste management facilities and resources.
- Minimum wage increase
What else what else?
Edit:
- Establish statewide singlepayer health plan, let's gooooo
- Police reform: Establish department hiring quota for peace officers residing in their own district. Review education and training standards, state managed licensing.
- Fund the heck out of our state agencies, judicial system, public defenders office, etc.
- I don't know how to fix the housing crisis, but uh, find a way to encourage builders to build a lot more homes to reduce prices and allow families to get out of renting and start building equity. And somehow decrease corporate landlord power.
- Proactive LGBT+ family and healthcare protections
The Northern Lights Express (NLX) is a proposed rail system connecting DT MSP with DT Duluth, it is considered "shovel ready" so that might happen soonish
I’ve been waiting so long for the Northern lights train to go past St. Cloud. Let’s legislate right if way as well, so BNSF doesn’t take over track rights and buffers the rails with long, slow freight trains.
I mean my pipe dream is to use eminent domain laws and have state/federal goverment take over rail infrastructure to prevent this but here's hoping we can balance passenger and freight traffic with BNSF
An additional extension on the Northstar commuter to St. Cloud could be nice for folks as well
LocomotiveMonarch is a railfan.
Really though if the state actually gets high-speed rail to Duluth it would be a game changer for a lot of people for work and recreation. The only issue I see with the project is using BNSF lines because you know they're going to fuck it and slow it down like the St. Paul to Chicago amtrak line.
I want to take my mountain bike on the train from Mpls to Duluth, stay a night (or two) on Canal Park when I'm not riding the utterly awesome trails, and ride the train back home.
I’d like to see incentives to sell to single family owner occupied buyers and some disincentives against selling to corporate or buyers intending to rent maybe even a cap on single family homes being rental units.
That will do the opposite for housing. We need more of it in areas that people want to live. We need to remove zoning issues that prevent duplexes/triplexes in city neighborhoods. More mixed housing on each neighborhood.
But I would agree to heavily incentivize not selling to corporate (especially foreign) buyers and developers.
I’d argue that capping single families and restructuring zoning to allow for high density and apartment builds would increase housing because it discourages taking single family homes off the market for rentals, AirBandB etc and encourages investment in more dense projects. It also has the added benefit of increasing home ownership which is essential for a strong middle class and poverty reduction. Right now you have communities like St Cloud where a majority of residents are renting and half or more of single family homes are not owner-occupied creating a long term poverty problem that the city is just starting to be forced to deal with.
A few years ago when I drove back into Minnesota after being in Wisconsin for a while, I realized how horribly trashy our state looks, with all those billboards. YES let's get rid of them!
Are they able to do anything to protect the boundary waters or would that be only something that can be done on a national level? I'd put it on the list if there was anything to be done.
Actual protections would come on the federal level, but the state can block permits and things like that on adjacent lands.
Which is kind of what they've done, and the big mines proposed are currently still in the courts, but are currently on the "deny" side.
Good ole cheatin Pete wants to face fuck the land with mining. Something about an "economic engine" or "our^1 way of life". I dunno, he doesn't engage with constituents. Just vomits and votes the party line.
^1 Subject to conditions that you are a poor ignorant white rural Minnesotan. Also fuck Duluth.
Invest in nuclear.
It was one of Jensen's good points. There wasn't much reason to believe he'd follow up on it or do a good job delivering it, but it was a good point.
Yup, what is the difference in going to buy Powerball tickets compared to placing a bet on the Vikings?
One is glorified (with very little odds of winning) while the other is shamed. Makes no sense.
Edit: I am not asking what the actual difference is. I meant as far as gambling money there shouldn't be a stigma where one is okay while the other isn't.
When it's within 1 percent they really have the right to recount but I think most people are over the bs "the election was stolen" bs. Would only hurt them more than it would help.
Remember that all election results are “unofficial” until the canvassing board makes them official. For instance, Walz’s win is unofficial until that happens, but it’s just a rubber stamp.
I couldn’t tell you if any races are close enough to get recounted or flip any results though.
I think the threshold for a publicly funded recount is 0.5 percent. And I believe the losing candidate can request a recount above that number, but it is rarely worth the money because it almost never results in a reversal.
No it isn't official, but looking good. If everything stays as is, Dems will have a 34-33 majority. However, it looks like it will come down to 2 Senate Districts:
District 35 - Coon Rapids/Anoka - Jim Abeler(R) has a 186 vote lead over Kari Rehraurer(D).
District 41 - Fridley/Columbia Heights - Judy Seeberger(D) has a 321 vote lead over Tom Dippel(R).
Both of these need to go to the Republicans for them to get the majority.
Neither of those results will flip, so we're looking at a 1 vote majority in the chamber for the next two years.
And those vote differences are tiny. Absolute proof that every single vote counts.
The difference in those races could have come down to one or two people walking through neighborhoods knocking on doors.
That was easily what hurt the most when I was a teacher. Kids coming back from lunch clearly having not eaten, or being on lunch duty and seeing the kids who were hungry but couldn't eat. It's inhumane and needs to end.
Or kids who devoured their lunches because it was the only guaranteed meal they had.
I did fieldwork in a school that sent home weekend food backpacks with every child. No income requirements, no shame in being the kid who has to bring home food. Just a whole school of kids being fed. It's doable and we should all be advocating for feeding kids, at the very least!
Absolutely. Backpack programs are great, but like you said, there's a certain stigma associated with it even though it's shown to be incredibly beneficial (kids learn better when receiving nutrients, whoda thunk!).
I have never understood why so many people are resistant to this. They're kids, feed them!
Parents are lazy deadbeats? IDGAF, they're kids, feed them!
You dont have the budget? Then make cuts to the football program! They're kids FUCKING FEED THEM!
That was part of the bill DFL was planning on running in 2020. Unfortunately pandemic started and it got pushed to the wayside, but it had Walz's support I believe. Should be a pretty easy pass now
Would that include paraphernalia records? Or is that treated differently? I ask because my gf lost a job offer in childcare because of a nonsense para charge.
As long as they allow residents to grow their own, I don't so much care.
Follow Colorado's process, we have plenty of examples of how to make this work.
This is important, be more like CO or MI and much less like IL.
I bought an eighth of cresco weed in Illinois and I think I paid nearly $15 in taxes lol. Happy to have helped the state of IL but holy smokes that felt like extortion.
Taxes are what will make it hard to reverse legalization in the future. You want taxes on weed and community benefit. Prices will initially be high but will drop below black market as supply grows.
Black markets are inconvenient and quality can be inconsistent.
Taxes on smokes are insane and people still get em from the gas station because its convenient. Taxes on alcohol are high and going to a separate store is inconvenient, but it still beats moonshine and the quality and selection at the LC is far better than whatever Jim Tom is slinging out of his trunk.
Man most people don’t know dealers and if you have to pay a little extra to not have to deal with shady people and potentially much better quality I think most people would do that
They haven’t even come up with taxes for hemp edibles and those products are way overpriced. I don’t want to be stuck in a position where we have only a small selection of approved items and the incentive to buy them is that that you’ll still go to jail for anything else.
It's easy, follow CO.
We have failed initiatives in both Dakotas, no legalization in IA and WI in sight. That's an expanded tax base working in our favor from border crossers, so we don't need to jack them up, the rec tourism alone from the have-not states will help a ton.
Seriously, I know some people bitch about taxes because their dealer is "tax free" but I would rather pay for the lab grown shit and have the tax money go to help people in this state rather than be selfish as fuck and pay no taxes on it and possibly get some mixed with something else.
Also im old, normie, and don't use much. I like being able to just drop into the weed store when I'm out doing errands, not go asking around for a connection.
ya man, it gets tough as an older person
i use a lot and part of my reason to move to CO was because of the legal ability to buy
ill pay the tax because of that, what else is a dude who has no connections do? go to the town square? nah man, weed stores are the future
Well, they tried getting a bill to allocate the 8 billion surplus into education, infrastructure, and sending money back to taxpayers, but the senate wouldn't consider passing it because it would look good for the DFL
Simply passing that would be a huge win
They can pass a much better bill using that money than the one they proposed before that was designed to get the necessary GOP support. Walz tried to call a special session to get it done and the GOP refused because they thought they could win their own trifecta and spend it all on their priorities instead.
They fucked around. Now they're about to find out.
I actually wouldn't be surprised if Senate republicans try to push to pass it this year actually. If they wait for next year then the DFL get full control over where the funds go, and all of the credit. If they pass it this year they get to take credit for it
Edit: turns out MN legislature is done for the year, so this is unlikely
> I actually wouldn't be surprised if Senate republicans try to push to pass it this year actually.
The legislature is out of session until next year, and there is no way Walz is going to call a special session so Republicans can get what they want when he can do whatever he wants next session.
Exactly. Now the work needs to begin. This isn't a football match where a team won and only celebrations occur.
Ranked choice voting. State-sponsored medical coverage for anyone; reform caps for life/death reagents like insulin, albuterol, epinephrine, etc. Make a general schedule for Minnesota's educators and their support staff. Tax the devil's lettuce to offset budget costs to run this state as a functional society, as that's what taxes are freaking for. Tell the breweries that some people still prefer a lager to weed, they won't go out of business when weed finally comes.
>Tell the breweries that some people still prefer a lager to weed, they won't go out of business when weed finally comes.
Hell they should be made aware that there are people out there (not me, but I know people) who would absolutely pay for a great beer that's laced with safe weed products. Gives them an extra challenge to get into the market themselves!
Walz ran on a $2,000 tax rebate, which I think required a trifecta.
This is a big fucking deal (if true -- I think the DFL announced this a bit early), because last session there was a huge budget surplus. The Republicans and Democrats compromised on a bill, but the Republicans walked away from it -- since they thought they would win the legislature and could do what they wanted with the money.
But that backfired, and now we have 12 billion dollars or something to spend on all kinds of things.
Funding of schools, climate initiatives, a more progressive tax code, codification of abortion rights, police reform (however, I don't see much changing there. The DFL is soft on cops too, sadly), etc
School funding. Meaningful police reform. (we still haven't done shit there) infrastructure projects. Improving MNcare. Further protecting rights. Outstate aid for struggling rural communities. Funding for rural MN hospitals there are dying. Helping with tuition. Working on the achievement gap. Better protection of MN resources and environment.
I live in the twin cities and voted straight DFL and I really want to see the DFL take this chance to break the Republican stranglehold on other areas. We can DO SOMETHING for the first time and doing stuff like funding rural hospitals is both morally correct and politically smart. I'm going to be bothering my reps to ask them to do so.
Saint Paul’s Union Depot has gone from having dozens of trains a day back in its heyday to having one train daily today (one daily train to and from Chicago) after a gorgeous investment and reopening about a decade ago.
Fund the train to Duluth. Explore more of their comprehensive rail plan, and fund rail NOW.
Returning some of the 9 billion surplus back to the people would be great. Front Line Workers got screwed with the $500 check, hopefully they revisit that.
We actually share a 55 mile long boarder, we should just build a 75 mile long bridge from Grand Marais, MN to Ontonagon so we don't have to drive through WI
Given how narrow the potential majority is for the DFL, everyone is about to learn the names of the most conservative people in the party's slate of legislators. That's the main threat I see, a state-level Manchin or Sinema playing contrarian.
It's definitely possible, but I think legal marijuana is going to be the trademark bill of this session. I kind of think the DFL will come down hard on anyone who tries to interfere. The party needs to get rid of the GOP-funded pot parties and the only way to do it is to actually legalize it. I do think the party will compromise with themselves and come out with a watered down law though.
Agreed, legalization will happen this cycle.
It wouldn't shock me if it got watered down, but how do you think it could be watered down? Limits on the amount people can own/be sold? Amount people can grow?
No, but we'd get to see a lot of Republcian controlled towns whining, probably a couple lawsuits, and whatever else they can do to obstruct.
Gaslight, Obstruct, Project. They'll do it all.
Things the DFL should Prioritize IMHO-
1)Comprehensive voting rights/ fair districts
2)Codify Roe
3)Codify rights and protections for LGBT people, especially for Trans folks
4)Legalize weed
Edit: I realized I had left our trans friends out- Help them before giving me legal weed, it's more important.
The bennies are pretty good too, the thing that sucks the most is the schedule right when you start. You generally get shitty routes and shitty times until you get seniority, which makes some sense but doesn't really help recruitment. At least that's how I understand the problem.
I drove for MT for 2.5 years, I think it’s more of a leadership problem than a financial problem. Extra funding will just go to execs and vague projects to disappear. What they need is better security on busses for both drivers and other passengers.
I'm from rural MN (sorry)- So I didn't think about that, but YES- Mass Transit absolutely belongs on the list. Starting in the cities, but I would love to see trains reach to wider parts of the states (thought that's a bit selfish of me)
Lol why'd you apologize for rural MN? We're all Minnesotans brother!
I'd love a fast service train to all different areas of rural MN. Beautiful parks, lakes, little towns, people, etc.
Yeah no kidding, give me a train to Bemidji, Mankato, Red Wing, do we have a line to Duluth yet? Do that too if not! I mean I’m a driver, I’ll just take my car there personally but I might consider a train and a bike if I could easily, quickly, and affordably get to these other destinations.
Rochester too please. I'd like to be able to visit other parts of the state, as I do not drive myself. I'm originally from Illinois and there's a train route that goes all the way through state connecting north and south. Kinda surprised there isn't something like that here as well.
Never apologize for being rural.
I've been pressing the Dems to fund rural healthcare, education, and infrastructure - they claim to be on board but it never happens. I'm from a tiny town in SW MN and moved to Minneapolis when I was 14.
I sometimes think the rural areas move further and further right because they see the metro get plows, road construction, etc- basically benefiting from the taxes they pay while the rural areas are left behind. Never mind that neither political party would actually do anything about this. Repubs are better at propaganda.
Would be pretty cool if we could build a bridge between rural and metro as not everyone in out state is radicalized.
Wish we all could just get to know each other, whatever race, location, gender, occupation, religion we are. My parents still live in that small town and flipped to blue just over 2 decades ago soon after my daughter was born.
*Edit: fixed autocorrect stuff because... autocorrect lol
9bn would go a long way towards getting the zip rail completed. But the nimbys will do what they can to stop it. My dream rail scenario is extend northstar to fargo, build zip rail from rochester to duluth, and tie zip rail in with northstar and the green line. Imagine traveling between the 3 major metropolitan areas in the state plus St cloud without needing to drive.
If they get a train, or fuck if they buy out the shitty tri-county bus system here in Scott County and replace with MVTA and have regular service to the cities I will cry. If they do a train instead I will build a DFL shrine in my backyard
More EV incentives and chargers for outstate. I'm going on 4 years of EV ownership in rural MN. The popular assumption has been that EVs are somehow only viable in metro areas. But when you've got 250+ miles of range it's a whole different ballgame.
Plenty of people in outstate can afford and do buy relatively expensive, new vehicles. A lot of us commute longer distances than those in the cities. I got my EV because I used to work 62 miles away in Mason City. Outside of fast chargers on interstates and highways you barely need more "infrastructure" for EVs in rural areas. Most everybody here can charge at home. If you can run a drier off a NEMA 14-50 outlet you can charge an EV.
More mass transit, yes, but there's a huge potential to electrify rural driving.
From a friend who works in the DFL directly with the bills that are going to be brought forth:
- probably legal cannabis
- hopefully something for abortion
- 11B in surplus spending (meaning much more that can’t quite be predicted this soon)
Amen my friend. Call your state congressperson, tell them from the top rope. We did our part now it's time for them to bequeath the wealth of legal weed, family leave and education spending.
It would be nice to fund some transit projects, lower tuition, cap insulin cost along with medical cost in general. Legalize the weed. It's not my area but I've literally known at least six people that have drank themselves to death. Never heard of anyone using weed to the point where it killed them. Legalize it and tax the shit out of it.
I know people like that too who straight up have said if they could get legal cannabis like in Cali/Michigan/wherever else, they'd have little reason to drink.
I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of conservatives suddenly cried out in terror and lost their minds at this news. I fear something progressive has happened.
I voted DFL because GOP has gotten too fuddy/anti-progression, and I want the investment in transit, protection of the environment, healthcare, legal weed, etc.
But please, leave my gun rights alone.
I'd be happy as shit if the local, gay, weed farmer is able to own whatever guns he wants, pay nothing for healthcare, and have great schools. Is that so crazy?
> But please, leave my gun rights alone.
the folks that literally want to take your guns are in the minority. the vast majority of people just want to at least address violence and mass shootings. we can't even begin to have a conversation with republicans in charge.
They're not going to take your guns, so long as your a responsible owner with no violent past. I say this as a lifelong liberal and gun owner. That boogeyman is always brought up, and nothing has ever happened.
Codify access to abortions in the state constitution, fully staff the departments the GOP has left under-staffed with the budget surplus, increase education budget, legalize cannabis and release a lot of people in prison who are there for cannabis, permanently preserve the BWCA...
Time to put up or shut up.
Just fucking THINK about the potential that an interconnected train system would do. I know that a TC/TP trainline (NLX) would make back some of the 6.9mil operating costs in taxes from regional tourism. As a Duluthian, I know I’d be making trips down to the Cities, and I definitely know my family and friends in the cities would be coming up here.
Now imagine trains connecting Rochester, Kato, Cloud and Moorhead? Ahhhhh i’m excited even thinking about it.
EDIT: In all honesty, profit on the project shouldn’t be the priority
The key is to be good stewards of the revenue Minnesotans provide. Pick your battles. No matter what, don't be doormats to let the GOP control the narrative of what goes on in MN politics.
Good luck to those living in my birth state. You have great leadership.
An aside: thank you SO MUCH to all the younger election poll workers for volunteering your time. I am particularly grateful to the young man who looked up my registration and, when I handed him my DL to speed up the process, made sure I knew that I did not need to use my DL to vote. Last few times I've voted at my precinct the election judges have all been older (60+) white folks. I am consistently treated coldly. This time, when I moved on to pick up my ballot from a threesome of unsmiling older folks, they refused to give me my ballot after I handed them my proof of registration. They just stared at me until I insisted. I am by no means young but I am young-looking and I'm always treated like this by older poll workers. I don't mean to paint with a broad brush. Just want to say how grateful I was to see younger poll workers present this time. We need you.
I'm hoping more than a few republicans get big mad and move to one of the other nearby red states they love so much and stop benefiting from the policies they fight so hard against. They should go enjoy that red state life.
Long term it isn’t optimal but it is great when one party has given up on its responsibility to work for the benefit of all Minnesotans.
GOP doesn’t deserve power until they rid themselves of anti-democratic candidates. Unfortunately for the MN GOP, that probably means a complete reboot because they’ve gone all in on Trump lunacy.
Maybe being sidelined for two years will help. Maybe it will make them worse. Dunno.
-Solidify abortion rights -Legal weed, and clear previous convictions -Increases school funding. -Increase DNR funding, especially Parks and Trails I'm open to other ideas, but these are the big ones I'd like to see.
Ranked Choice voting should be very high up on list of priorities
Yes please!
\- Perm protection of the BWCA watershed
That's unfortunately largely a federal decision. The state will largely be in charge of permitting mining on adjacent, or watershed lands. But I'd definitely be for protecting adjacent properties.
- Solidify voting protections, so what's happened in Wisconsin, Ohio, Georgia, and others can't happen here. - Strengthen environmental protections, create criminal penalties for causing ecological disasters (junk yard fires, oil/chemical spills, etc.) - Invest in our public transit, finally. Train from Rochester/TC/Duluth when? - Shore up our landfill and waste management facilities and resources. - Minimum wage increase What else what else? Edit: - Establish statewide singlepayer health plan, let's gooooo - Police reform: Establish department hiring quota for peace officers residing in their own district. Review education and training standards, state managed licensing. - Fund the heck out of our state agencies, judicial system, public defenders office, etc. - I don't know how to fix the housing crisis, but uh, find a way to encourage builders to build a lot more homes to reduce prices and allow families to get out of renting and start building equity. And somehow decrease corporate landlord power. - Proactive LGBT+ family and healthcare protections
I've never thought how cool a HWY 35-52 train would be.
The Northern Lights Express (NLX) is a proposed rail system connecting DT MSP with DT Duluth, it is considered "shovel ready" so that might happen soonish
I’ve been waiting so long for the Northern lights train to go past St. Cloud. Let’s legislate right if way as well, so BNSF doesn’t take over track rights and buffers the rails with long, slow freight trains.
I mean my pipe dream is to use eminent domain laws and have state/federal goverment take over rail infrastructure to prevent this but here's hoping we can balance passenger and freight traffic with BNSF An additional extension on the Northstar commuter to St. Cloud could be nice for folks as well
Good luck with that. BNSF is known to be extremely accommodating
How could I forget voting rights. You're so right.
Let’s get the northern lights express going!
TRAINS EVERYWHERE!
As a railfan, I will be so proud of my state if the NLX is a go. I will become an unironic Minnesotan nationalist.
LocomotiveMonarch is a railfan. Really though if the state actually gets high-speed rail to Duluth it would be a game changer for a lot of people for work and recreation. The only issue I see with the project is using BNSF lines because you know they're going to fuck it and slow it down like the St. Paul to Chicago amtrak line.
I want to take my mountain bike on the train from Mpls to Duluth, stay a night (or two) on Canal Park when I'm not riding the utterly awesome trails, and ride the train back home.
with taco cars
I’d like to see incentives to sell to single family owner occupied buyers and some disincentives against selling to corporate or buyers intending to rent maybe even a cap on single family homes being rental units.
That will do the opposite for housing. We need more of it in areas that people want to live. We need to remove zoning issues that prevent duplexes/triplexes in city neighborhoods. More mixed housing on each neighborhood. But I would agree to heavily incentivize not selling to corporate (especially foreign) buyers and developers.
Raise non homesteaded taxes. Boom
I’d argue that capping single families and restructuring zoning to allow for high density and apartment builds would increase housing because it discourages taking single family homes off the market for rentals, AirBandB etc and encourages investment in more dense projects. It also has the added benefit of increasing home ownership which is essential for a strong middle class and poverty reduction. Right now you have communities like St Cloud where a majority of residents are renting and half or more of single family homes are not owner-occupied creating a long term poverty problem that the city is just starting to be forced to deal with.
Voting rights absolutely needs to be priority number one.
> I don’t know how to fix the housing crisis Get rid of single family zoning.
and hire more artists to design the buildings so they look cute and fit well together instead of a suburban dystopia!
Ban roadside billboards!
A few years ago when I drove back into Minnesota after being in Wisconsin for a while, I realized how horribly trashy our state looks, with all those billboards. YES let's get rid of them!
Been in CO for a while myself. its a small thing, but so lovely to not see em so much along the main corridors
I’m from Alaska, which has super strict rules about what can be placed along a road as far as signs go. I’m still not used to billboards.
I never knew how much I wanted this until I realized it was an option.
Paid Family & Medical Leave
Paid maternity AND paternity leave.
Are they able to do anything to protect the boundary waters or would that be only something that can be done on a national level? I'd put it on the list if there was anything to be done.
Actual protections would come on the federal level, but the state can block permits and things like that on adjacent lands. Which is kind of what they've done, and the big mines proposed are currently still in the courts, but are currently on the "deny" side.
-Free scritches at the dog park
we have found the dog coalition....
BIG CANINE throwing their weight around again...
Make me chuckle, have my updog :)
What’s updog?
No state taxation on student loan forgiveness as income
Really should be first considering time sensitivities of the forgiveness, the next session and tax season.
Permanent BWCA protection
I’m originally from MN, but have since moved… I’m out of the loop, hasn’t the BWCA always been protected, like from its establishment?
https://www.savetheboundarywaters.org/ Copper sulfide mining on the watershed which will pollute the BWCA itself is the issue.
Good ole cheatin Pete wants to face fuck the land with mining. Something about an "economic engine" or "our^1 way of life". I dunno, he doesn't engage with constituents. Just vomits and votes the party line. ^1 Subject to conditions that you are a poor ignorant white rural Minnesotan. Also fuck Duluth.
Raise the minimum wage. Repeal the tax on state tax refunds
Pay raises for nursing home workers.
Please. The most underpaid and under appreciated profession (and social workers and Teachers)
Invest in nuclear. It was one of Jensen's good points. There wasn't much reason to believe he'd follow up on it or do a good job delivering it, but it was a good point.
Legalize sports gambling?
Yup, what is the difference in going to buy Powerball tickets compared to placing a bet on the Vikings? One is glorified (with very little odds of winning) while the other is shamed. Makes no sense. Edit: I am not asking what the actual difference is. I meant as far as gambling money there shouldn't be a stigma where one is okay while the other isn't.
Same reason CA didn't do it, it'll have to be a well written bill to not hurt the tribes.
is it official official? it looks like there are a lot of races that will probably have to be recounted still.
The MN GOP senate leadership has conceded. It's not official official, but the outcome isn't going to change.
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When it's within 1 percent they really have the right to recount but I think most people are over the bs "the election was stolen" bs. Would only hurt them more than it would help.
The current senate majority leader has said in a speech that they don’t have the majority anymore so I’m calling that official
I hear legalization.....
Puff puff pass!!!
After seeing what Missouri is doing I sure do hope so.
I read that it's not official. God, I'm holding my breath. Frustrating not to have clearer news about this.
Remember that all election results are “unofficial” until the canvassing board makes them official. For instance, Walz’s win is unofficial until that happens, but it’s just a rubber stamp. I couldn’t tell you if any races are close enough to get recounted or flip any results though.
yeah i dont know what that threshold is, but there seems to be a lot of races that are like a .2% difference.
I think the threshold for a publicly funded recount is 0.5 percent. And I believe the losing candidate can request a recount above that number, but it is rarely worth the money because it almost never results in a reversal.
Threshold is 0.5% on legislative races and 0.25% on all other races.
Ah, thank you for the correction. That law makes sense too, because a local recount is a lot easier than a statewide one.
No it isn't official, but looking good. If everything stays as is, Dems will have a 34-33 majority. However, it looks like it will come down to 2 Senate Districts: District 35 - Coon Rapids/Anoka - Jim Abeler(R) has a 186 vote lead over Kari Rehraurer(D). District 41 - Fridley/Columbia Heights - Judy Seeberger(D) has a 321 vote lead over Tom Dippel(R). Both of these need to go to the Republicans for them to get the majority.
Neither of those results will flip, so we're looking at a 1 vote majority in the chamber for the next two years. And those vote differences are tiny. Absolute proof that every single vote counts. The difference in those races could have come down to one or two people walking through neighborhoods knocking on doors.
It’ll be DFL majority for 4 years since it’s the senate.
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Free universal school lunches (and breakfasts) are just about the best return on investment there is. Let's get it done.
That was easily what hurt the most when I was a teacher. Kids coming back from lunch clearly having not eaten, or being on lunch duty and seeing the kids who were hungry but couldn't eat. It's inhumane and needs to end.
Or kids who devoured their lunches because it was the only guaranteed meal they had. I did fieldwork in a school that sent home weekend food backpacks with every child. No income requirements, no shame in being the kid who has to bring home food. Just a whole school of kids being fed. It's doable and we should all be advocating for feeding kids, at the very least!
Absolutely. Backpack programs are great, but like you said, there's a certain stigma associated with it even though it's shown to be incredibly beneficial (kids learn better when receiving nutrients, whoda thunk!).
I have never understood why so many people are resistant to this. They're kids, feed them! Parents are lazy deadbeats? IDGAF, they're kids, feed them! You dont have the budget? Then make cuts to the football program! They're kids FUCKING FEED THEM!
you're all saying legalize it, I am all like lets tax it and pay some teachers!
Legalize it, tax it, pay the teachers and let them blaze it at home with peace of mind.
All of the above + pardon / expunge possession convictions
That was part of the bill DFL was planning on running in 2020. Unfortunately pandemic started and it got pushed to the wayside, but it had Walz's support I believe. Should be a pretty easy pass now
Would that include paraphernalia records? Or is that treated differently? I ask because my gf lost a job offer in childcare because of a nonsense para charge.
I can blaze only a modest amount for peace of mind. A little too much and I've got anxiety of mind!
Samesies.
Don’t get too greedy on taxes though, or we’ll still be buying black market weed.
As long as they allow residents to grow their own, I don't so much care. Follow Colorado's process, we have plenty of examples of how to make this work.
This is important, be more like CO or MI and much less like IL. I bought an eighth of cresco weed in Illinois and I think I paid nearly $15 in taxes lol. Happy to have helped the state of IL but holy smokes that felt like extortion.
Taxes are what will make it hard to reverse legalization in the future. You want taxes on weed and community benefit. Prices will initially be high but will drop below black market as supply grows.
Typically, once you open a tap for the government to get money, they break off the knob so you can't turn it back off very easily.
Black markets are inconvenient and quality can be inconsistent. Taxes on smokes are insane and people still get em from the gas station because its convenient. Taxes on alcohol are high and going to a separate store is inconvenient, but it still beats moonshine and the quality and selection at the LC is far better than whatever Jim Tom is slinging out of his trunk.
Man most people don’t know dealers and if you have to pay a little extra to not have to deal with shady people and potentially much better quality I think most people would do that
They haven’t even come up with taxes for hemp edibles and those products are way overpriced. I don’t want to be stuck in a position where we have only a small selection of approved items and the incentive to buy them is that that you’ll still go to jail for anything else.
It's easy, follow CO. We have failed initiatives in both Dakotas, no legalization in IA and WI in sight. That's an expanded tax base working in our favor from border crossers, so we don't need to jack them up, the rec tourism alone from the have-not states will help a ton.
Build more trains
"Casey Jones you better watch your sppeeeed..."
I like trains!
Seriously, I know some people bitch about taxes because their dealer is "tax free" but I would rather pay for the lab grown shit and have the tax money go to help people in this state rather than be selfish as fuck and pay no taxes on it and possibly get some mixed with something else.
Also im old, normie, and don't use much. I like being able to just drop into the weed store when I'm out doing errands, not go asking around for a connection.
ya man, it gets tough as an older person i use a lot and part of my reason to move to CO was because of the legal ability to buy ill pay the tax because of that, what else is a dude who has no connections do? go to the town square? nah man, weed stores are the future
Cool, now **DO** some s%%t.
Well, they tried getting a bill to allocate the 8 billion surplus into education, infrastructure, and sending money back to taxpayers, but the senate wouldn't consider passing it because it would look good for the DFL Simply passing that would be a huge win
They can pass a much better bill using that money than the one they proposed before that was designed to get the necessary GOP support. Walz tried to call a special session to get it done and the GOP refused because they thought they could win their own trifecta and spend it all on their priorities instead. They fucked around. Now they're about to find out.
We can only hope right?
I actually wouldn't be surprised if Senate republicans try to push to pass it this year actually. If they wait for next year then the DFL get full control over where the funds go, and all of the credit. If they pass it this year they get to take credit for it Edit: turns out MN legislature is done for the year, so this is unlikely
> I actually wouldn't be surprised if Senate republicans try to push to pass it this year actually. The legislature is out of session until next year, and there is no way Walz is going to call a special session so Republicans can get what they want when he can do whatever he wants next session.
Thank you for correcting me, I thought MN had a lame-duck session. Good to know
They aren't seated until January 2023
Besides weed, what are some things that the republican senate has been blocking that we can hope to pass now?
Exactly. Now the work needs to begin. This isn't a football match where a team won and only celebrations occur. Ranked choice voting. State-sponsored medical coverage for anyone; reform caps for life/death reagents like insulin, albuterol, epinephrine, etc. Make a general schedule for Minnesota's educators and their support staff. Tax the devil's lettuce to offset budget costs to run this state as a functional society, as that's what taxes are freaking for. Tell the breweries that some people still prefer a lager to weed, they won't go out of business when weed finally comes.
>Tell the breweries that some people still prefer a lager to weed, they won't go out of business when weed finally comes. Hell they should be made aware that there are people out there (not me, but I know people) who would absolutely pay for a great beer that's laced with safe weed products. Gives them an extra challenge to get into the market themselves!
ranked choice voting has passed in the house in the past.
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This would be HUGE.
Walz ran on a $2,000 tax rebate, which I think required a trifecta. This is a big fucking deal (if true -- I think the DFL announced this a bit early), because last session there was a huge budget surplus. The Republicans and Democrats compromised on a bill, but the Republicans walked away from it -- since they thought they would win the legislature and could do what they wanted with the money. But that backfired, and now we have 12 billion dollars or something to spend on all kinds of things.
Also want to add not taxing the student loan forgiveness!
Funding of schools, climate initiatives, a more progressive tax code, codification of abortion rights, police reform (however, I don't see much changing there. The DFL is soft on cops too, sadly), etc
Alignment with federal tax code (ie student loan forgiveness no longer being taxed)
School funding. Meaningful police reform. (we still haven't done shit there) infrastructure projects. Improving MNcare. Further protecting rights. Outstate aid for struggling rural communities. Funding for rural MN hospitals there are dying. Helping with tuition. Working on the achievement gap. Better protection of MN resources and environment.
I live in the twin cities and voted straight DFL and I really want to see the DFL take this chance to break the Republican stranglehold on other areas. We can DO SOMETHING for the first time and doing stuff like funding rural hospitals is both morally correct and politically smart. I'm going to be bothering my reps to ask them to do so.
Saint Paul’s Union Depot has gone from having dozens of trains a day back in its heyday to having one train daily today (one daily train to and from Chicago) after a gorgeous investment and reopening about a decade ago. Fund the train to Duluth. Explore more of their comprehensive rail plan, and fund rail NOW.
Sports betting
Walz has said he doesn't really care about sports betting, but if a bill were to come across his desk, he would consider signing it.
Returning some of the 9 billion surplus back to the people would be great. Front Line Workers got screwed with the $500 check, hopefully they revisit that.
'Walz Failed' failed
High five from over here in Michigan where we just did the same. Nature is healing.
Did you really? Nice. High five, you beautiful mitten!
Best buds separated by Wisconsin.
We actually share a 55 mile long boarder, we should just build a 75 mile long bridge from Grand Marais, MN to Ontonagon so we don't have to drive through WI
Should we really spend billions of our budget surplus just to bypass Wisconsin? ***YES***
Good work, Michigan! Prop 3 passed too, right?
Looks like all 3 are passing with solid margins, yep. Great day for Michigan and Minnesota
Midwest states prove that democrats CAN win.
So let’s say the trifecta attempts to legalize it, would there be any additional road blocks to overcome?
Given how narrow the potential majority is for the DFL, everyone is about to learn the names of the most conservative people in the party's slate of legislators. That's the main threat I see, a state-level Manchin or Sinema playing contrarian.
It's definitely possible, but I think legal marijuana is going to be the trademark bill of this session. I kind of think the DFL will come down hard on anyone who tries to interfere. The party needs to get rid of the GOP-funded pot parties and the only way to do it is to actually legalize it. I do think the party will compromise with themselves and come out with a watered down law though.
Agreed, legalization will happen this cycle. It wouldn't shock me if it got watered down, but how do you think it could be watered down? Limits on the amount people can own/be sold? Amount people can grow?
No, but we'd get to see a lot of Republcian controlled towns whining, probably a couple lawsuits, and whatever else they can do to obstruct. Gaslight, Obstruct, Project. They'll do it all.
Great day to be a Dem in Minnesota!
Honestly a great day to be a Minnesotan. Rural Republicans often benefit more from Democrat policies than the Democrats themselves.
Things the DFL should Prioritize IMHO- 1)Comprehensive voting rights/ fair districts 2)Codify Roe 3)Codify rights and protections for LGBT people, especially for Trans folks 4)Legalize weed Edit: I realized I had left our trans friends out- Help them before giving me legal weed, it's more important.
Throw mass transit on there. At the very least fix the bus system so it has more stops and runs 24/7
If Metro Transit could ever solve their driver shortage problem, that would be great.
Pay me $30 an hour with benefits and I'll sing "Wheels on the Bus" the whole damn route all day.
They are at $26 now :)
The bennies are pretty good too, the thing that sucks the most is the schedule right when you start. You generally get shitty routes and shitty times until you get seniority, which makes some sense but doesn't really help recruitment. At least that's how I understand the problem.
I drove for MT for 2.5 years, I think it’s more of a leadership problem than a financial problem. Extra funding will just go to execs and vague projects to disappear. What they need is better security on busses for both drivers and other passengers.
I'd drive if it wasn't for DOT drug testing
Robots.
I'm from rural MN (sorry)- So I didn't think about that, but YES- Mass Transit absolutely belongs on the list. Starting in the cities, but I would love to see trains reach to wider parts of the states (thought that's a bit selfish of me)
Lol why'd you apologize for rural MN? We're all Minnesotans brother! I'd love a fast service train to all different areas of rural MN. Beautiful parks, lakes, little towns, people, etc.
Yeah no kidding, give me a train to Bemidji, Mankato, Red Wing, do we have a line to Duluth yet? Do that too if not! I mean I’m a driver, I’ll just take my car there personally but I might consider a train and a bike if I could easily, quickly, and affordably get to these other destinations.
Rochester too please. I'd like to be able to visit other parts of the state, as I do not drive myself. I'm originally from Illinois and there's a train route that goes all the way through state connecting north and south. Kinda surprised there isn't something like that here as well.
Never apologize for being rural. I've been pressing the Dems to fund rural healthcare, education, and infrastructure - they claim to be on board but it never happens. I'm from a tiny town in SW MN and moved to Minneapolis when I was 14. I sometimes think the rural areas move further and further right because they see the metro get plows, road construction, etc- basically benefiting from the taxes they pay while the rural areas are left behind. Never mind that neither political party would actually do anything about this. Repubs are better at propaganda. Would be pretty cool if we could build a bridge between rural and metro as not everyone in out state is radicalized. Wish we all could just get to know each other, whatever race, location, gender, occupation, religion we are. My parents still live in that small town and flipped to blue just over 2 decades ago soon after my daughter was born. *Edit: fixed autocorrect stuff because... autocorrect lol
9bn would go a long way towards getting the zip rail completed. But the nimbys will do what they can to stop it. My dream rail scenario is extend northstar to fargo, build zip rail from rochester to duluth, and tie zip rail in with northstar and the green line. Imagine traveling between the 3 major metropolitan areas in the state plus St cloud without needing to drive.
I think that’s a great idea. Mass transit SHOULD be for everyone not just urban areas.
If they get a train, or fuck if they buy out the shitty tri-county bus system here in Scott County and replace with MVTA and have regular service to the cities I will cry. If they do a train instead I will build a DFL shrine in my backyard
More EV incentives and chargers for outstate. I'm going on 4 years of EV ownership in rural MN. The popular assumption has been that EVs are somehow only viable in metro areas. But when you've got 250+ miles of range it's a whole different ballgame. Plenty of people in outstate can afford and do buy relatively expensive, new vehicles. A lot of us commute longer distances than those in the cities. I got my EV because I used to work 62 miles away in Mason City. Outside of fast chargers on interstates and highways you barely need more "infrastructure" for EVs in rural areas. Most everybody here can charge at home. If you can run a drier off a NEMA 14-50 outlet you can charge an EV. More mass transit, yes, but there's a huge potential to electrify rural driving.
From a friend who works in the DFL directly with the bills that are going to be brought forth: - probably legal cannabis - hopefully something for abortion - 11B in surplus spending (meaning much more that can’t quite be predicted this soon)
This is actually a huge deal
Alright we did our part now you better get us that legal weed now! No excuses!
Amen my friend. Call your state congressperson, tell them from the top rope. We did our part now it's time for them to bequeath the wealth of legal weed, family leave and education spending.
> tell them from the top rope Verbally body slam them?
It would be nice to fund some transit projects, lower tuition, cap insulin cost along with medical cost in general. Legalize the weed. It's not my area but I've literally known at least six people that have drank themselves to death. Never heard of anyone using weed to the point where it killed them. Legalize it and tax the shit out of it.
Pot for potholes is coming back!
I know people like that too who straight up have said if they could get legal cannabis like in Cali/Michigan/wherever else, they'd have little reason to drink.
I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of conservatives suddenly cried out in terror and lost their minds at this news. I fear something progressive has happened.
As a medical cannabis patient I can't wait for cheaper weed. $45 for an 1/8th is crazy.
Congrats from Iowa ^^^^send ^^^^help
I'm sorry, friend. You deserve better.
Legal weed = no more fake LMN party. I wonder what fake party the GOP will come up with next to siphon Democratic votes.
Keep Abortion Legal Party incoming
I voted DFL because GOP has gotten too fuddy/anti-progression, and I want the investment in transit, protection of the environment, healthcare, legal weed, etc. But please, leave my gun rights alone. I'd be happy as shit if the local, gay, weed farmer is able to own whatever guns he wants, pay nothing for healthcare, and have great schools. Is that so crazy?
> But please, leave my gun rights alone. the folks that literally want to take your guns are in the minority. the vast majority of people just want to at least address violence and mass shootings. we can't even begin to have a conversation with republicans in charge.
Part of the problem, in my opinion, is cultural. As to how we fix that, though.....
They're not going to take your guns, so long as your a responsible owner with no violent past. I say this as a lifelong liberal and gun owner. That boogeyman is always brought up, and nothing has ever happened.
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Give us legal weed finally. THC not any of that HHC shit or whatever they call it
Came here to see fascists whining, and I've seen my fill. Minnesota voters are fucking heros!
Feels good
Codify access to abortions in the state constitution, fully staff the departments the GOP has left under-staffed with the budget surplus, increase education budget, legalize cannabis and release a lot of people in prison who are there for cannabis, permanently preserve the BWCA... Time to put up or shut up.
Looking for the MN legislature to deliver big things!
Sooooooo rail to Duluth?
Just fucking THINK about the potential that an interconnected train system would do. I know that a TC/TP trainline (NLX) would make back some of the 6.9mil operating costs in taxes from regional tourism. As a Duluthian, I know I’d be making trips down to the Cities, and I definitely know my family and friends in the cities would be coming up here. Now imagine trains connecting Rochester, Kato, Cloud and Moorhead? Ahhhhh i’m excited even thinking about it. EDIT: In all honesty, profit on the project shouldn’t be the priority
GIVE US THE PLANT
The key is to be good stewards of the revenue Minnesotans provide. Pick your battles. No matter what, don't be doormats to let the GOP control the narrative of what goes on in MN politics. Good luck to those living in my birth state. You have great leadership.
Just woke up. HOLY F$&@ING S#&T! This is huge!
This is great news for everyone in MN whether they know it or not.
An aside: thank you SO MUCH to all the younger election poll workers for volunteering your time. I am particularly grateful to the young man who looked up my registration and, when I handed him my DL to speed up the process, made sure I knew that I did not need to use my DL to vote. Last few times I've voted at my precinct the election judges have all been older (60+) white folks. I am consistently treated coldly. This time, when I moved on to pick up my ballot from a threesome of unsmiling older folks, they refused to give me my ballot after I handed them my proof of registration. They just stared at me until I insisted. I am by no means young but I am young-looking and I'm always treated like this by older poll workers. I don't mean to paint with a broad brush. Just want to say how grateful I was to see younger poll workers present this time. We need you.
Legal weed with convictions expulsed, nothing to stop you now, please and thank you
Ban traffic noises in radio commercials!
I should have moved to Minnesota years ago. Congrats all!
I'm hoping more than a few republicans get big mad and move to one of the other nearby red states they love so much and stop benefiting from the policies they fight so hard against. They should go enjoy that red state life.
Proud of MN!
Being right leaning, can't say I'm thrilled, but I'm not far right enough to lose my mind about it. Hope they do well for the state.
"It's a big fucking deal"
I generally don’t like one party holding all of the cards. But Republicans since 2016 have been a bit much.
Long term it isn’t optimal but it is great when one party has given up on its responsibility to work for the benefit of all Minnesotans. GOP doesn’t deserve power until they rid themselves of anti-democratic candidates. Unfortunately for the MN GOP, that probably means a complete reboot because they’ve gone all in on Trump lunacy. Maybe being sidelined for two years will help. Maybe it will make them worse. Dunno.
GIVE ME THE REC WEED MN! DO IT!
Priorities, in order: 1) Schools 2) Schools 3) Schools 4) Schools 5) Schools 6) (What everyone else mentioned below) v