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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Mary Kunesh-Podein (DFL)

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Update on climate, cannabis and ice castles

Friday, January 17, 2020

Rep. Kunesh-Podein

Greetings to all,

If you don't have weekend plans yet, I strongly recommend you bundle up to check out the New Brighton ice castles! Thousands are expected to visit the sculptures at Long Lake Regional Park while it's open. Over the past five years, these ice castles have been built in Excelsior, Stillwater, and Eden Prairie - and I'm proud that 41B is playing host this year! Find more information at their website here

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The ice castles open tonight - great photo by the Star Tribune!

Be Heard on Cannabis

My colleagues have been holding a series of 15 conversations on legalizing adult-use cannabis around the state - if you haven’t been able to join, you can watch a livestream of the meeting in South Minneapolis, read coverage from MPR of a visit from Colorado officials who discussed Colorado’s experience legalizing cannabis, and join us on January 27 in New Brighton!

I want to hear what you think the main issues are in legalizing cannabis. What are current problems with prohibition? What are concerns you have about legalizing cannabis, or thoughts you have on how we should do it? We want to know what you think! 

k

Minnesota’s current cannabis laws are doing more harm than good. By creating a regulatory framework, we can address the harms caused by cannabis and establish a more sensible set of laws to improve public health, increase access for veterans, and help the Minnesotans who have been swept up in the criminal justice system for minor offenses.

2020 MLK Day Celebration 

On January 20, Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan will host the 34th Annual State of Minnesota Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration. And, you're invited! 

This event is an opportunity for community to come together, reflect and build on the legacy of Dr. King, strengthen connections, and celebrate the Black experience. The theme for this year’s celebration is For Our Children. 

When:

Monday, January 20 from 10 a.m. until noon. Doors open at 9:15 a.m. with activities in the foyer. The program begins at 10 a.m.

Where:

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, 345 Washington St. St. Paul

This celebration is free and open to the public. Seating is limited and will fill up fast. There will be overflow areas for viewing and live streaming on TPT.org. 

mlk

Join the Climate Action Caucus

Last year, thousands of young Minnesotans gathered at the Capitol and in more than a dozen cities to call for action on climate change. To show our support, my colleagues and I formed the Climate Action Caucus. This dedicated group of legislators, which I’m proud to be a part of, is working on a bold, comprehensive plan to address the climate crisis. We’re holding a series of events that bring legislators, policy experts, and Minnesotans together to discuss how climate change impacts our state and share potential solutions.

So far we’ve held community conversations dedicated to transportation, housing, public health, and local communities. The next one, scheduled for January 24, will focus on the intersection of climate and higher education. If you’d like to receive emails about upcoming events, sign up here. More information about the Climate Action Caucus is available on our website.

Climate Action Caucus Higher Ed

I hope you have a wonderful, if chilly, weekend!

Sincerely,

Mary KP