By REP. HODAN HASSAN, District 62B
Friends and neighbors,
The historic 2023 legislative session has officially ended. For the first time in a decade, we were able to move past gridlock and work together under DFL leadership to make some of the most robust investments in Minnesota’s families we’ve ever seen. We also successfully protected reproductive freedom, made major moves towards clean energy, cut taxes by $100 million, cracked down on catalytic converter thefts, expanded voting rights, strengthened gun violence prevention measures, made investments to address the housing crisis, legalized adult-use cannabis, and made major investments for infrastructure improvements across the state – and that just begins to scratch the surface.
One thing I want you to know about me is I put my constituents in South Minneapolis first. That’s why I fought for robust investments for our community and delivered over $78 million for Minneapolis Public schools, $27 million in grants, and $9 million in business loans through NDC and MEDA for South Minneapolis to rebuild Lake Street and other cultural and economic corridors sustaining infrastructure damage after the murder of George Floyd. I also championed major investments in our community’s economy. I’m incredibly excited to share these victories with you, but make no mistake: there is more work to be done in 2024 and beyond. We’re just getting started.
I want to share two major victories from the final days of the legislative session. We passed HF 100, which will legalize adult-use cannabis and provide automatic expungement of prior low-level marijuana convictions. Our cannabis laws have contributed to a deep disparity when it comes to incarceration, and under this new law, there will be a Cannabis Expungement Board to review other cannabis convictions and determine whether a person is eligible for expungement. This law goes into effect August 1st.
We also passed Paid Family and Medical Leave. The United States of America is the only developed country in the world that does not guarantee some sort of paid leave for its workforce, and it’s been a major disservice to our citizens and our economy. Now, all Minnesotans will be eligible for up to 12 weeks per year of paid leave to care for themselves or a loved one. In addition to the benefits for workers, paid family and medical leave will also benefit businesses. Studies have shown businesses with paid family and medical leave policies have lower turnover rates, higher productivity, and stronger employee morale. Paid family and medical leave will also help Minnesota to attract and retain top talent. Additionally, our bill creates a grant program for businesses with 50 employees or fewer to apply for grants to cover certain costs. This is a massive win for Minnesota and a huge win for our working-class community.
I’m looking forward to spending more time with my family over the interim and enjoying everything our community has to offer during these summer months. If there is anything I can do to be of service, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at rep.hodan.hassan@house.mn.gov.
In solidarity,
Rep. Hodan Hassan
