Minnesota Moves Closer to Cannabis Legalization Friday, 08 January 2021
Minnesota is still pushing for legalization and planning to try again during this legislative session, although they are still facing some resistance from the state Senate.
“Public support is growing for legalizing and expunging criminal records for cannabis,” House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler said regarding the new, proposed legislation. He plans to sponsor another bill for legalization this time around. “We want to create a safe, regulated marketplace where people can buy cannabis, know what they’re getting, where law enforcement knows where cannabis is coming into the community.”
“There are obviously big racial biases in the criminal justice system, very different arrest rates, very different incarceration depending on your race,” he added, regarding some of the other reasons for legalization in Minnesota. “The big hurdle is not really trying to convince people tha
Minnesota Representative Pete Stauber reported he was safe inside the U.S. Capitol after an insurrection by extremist supporters of President Donald J. Trump halted the Electoral College certification vote Wednesday, as he drew more criticism for backing unfounded election fraud claims.
Hours earlier, Trump encouraged protesters to âtake back our countryâ and walk down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. toward the Capitol building. His lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, called for âtrial by combat,â as they hoped to challenge the results of the election and the Electoral College certification by Congress.
The riots were part of a volatile day in Washington, D.C. and in St. Paul, where Trump supporters also gathered on the grounds of the Minnesota Capitol to protest Bidenâs win.
The Minnesota Legislature convened Tuesday with the COVID-19 pandemic and a new two-year budget at the top of the agenda for a session that will be unlike any before.
Jan 6, 2021
MINNEAPOLIS The Minnesota Legislature convened Tuesday with the COVID-19 pandemic and a new two-year budget at the top of the agenda for a session that will be unlike any before.
Battle lines are already being drawn over the sweeping emergency powers that Democratic Gov. Tim Walz has used to command the state’s fight against the coronavirus, with Republicans trying to carve out a stronger voice for the Legislature in decisions about reopening schools and businesses.
The Capitol has remained mostly closed to the public since the pandemic began and has been fenced off since the unrest that followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May. Nearly all House meetings will be conducted online, while the Senate plans a hybrid of in-person and online hearings and floor sessions.
Iron Range business owners and workers might feel some relief after Minnesota lawmakers on Monday passed a $216 million plan designed to distribute $88 million through the state Department of Revenue to bars and restaurants and other establishments reporting a 30 percent drop in revenue. Gyms and bowling alleys are also on the list to receive help in a time when many small businesses in the region have been scrambling to keep afloat during the pandemic.
Rep. Julie Sandstede, DFL-Hibbing, on Monday night said in a statement that âthe threat of COVID-19 remains dire, but so too is the economic disaster small businesses, workers, and families have experienced this year.â