Minnesota, F*&# YEAH!!! The Stunning Success of the DFL Miracle!

You might have seen Minnesota showing up win your local news feeds lately for being the polar opposite of Republican led states like Florida, Texas, Montana and others.  While those Red States relished in passing bills based on hating people and restricting people's rights, Minnesota has had a different approach in 2023.

Last Fall, as we approached the 2022 Election, after years of divided government in the state where the Right refused to help most non millionaire and billionaire Minnesotans, Republicans were insisting they couldn't wait for the "Red Tsunami" that was coming, where they would take over the entire state (Governor's office, the MN House and MN Senate).  They proudly bragged about how they were going to "Jam their agenda down those Liberal's Throats!"

But a funny thing happened.  The Right in Minnesota had stacked the deck against themselves.  They had a disastrous gubernatorial candidate, and a FAR more disturbing Secretary of State Candidate.  They were intentionally ignoring the strong pro-abortion current in the electorate against them, courtesy of the Republican stacked court overturning of Roe v. Wade last June.  And they grossly underestimated the public appeal of their douche-y tone and false alpha male jerkish-ness. 

They lost...BADLY!

The Minnesota Democrats (or as they call them in Minnesota, the DFL) EASILY won the Governor's office, held the House, and (shock of all shocks) got a one seat majority in the Minnesota Senate!

I was a little skeptical of how much the DFL was going to get done here.  This is a team who historically would take a simple free throw and not only miss the shot, but miss the backboard completely and injure four people in the stands.  They have a record of shootings themselves in the foot.

But in 2023, a Minnesota Miracle happened.  Learning from their INSANELY overly cautious strategy of the past, they decided to find their common ground up front and ended up passing a once in a 100 years legislative agenda, one that will benefit Minnesotans for generations to come.

Below is an INCOMPLETE list of all the Minnesota DFL got passed this session.  Bask in the glory that is Minnesota! 

• Minnesotans can make 'autonomous decisions' about their reproductive health, concerning contraception, abortion and pregnancy
• Minnesota is a sanctuary state for women seeking abortions.  Subpoenas and extraditions in regards to abortion will not be enforced in Minnesota
• Other abortion restrictions (24 hour waiting period, hospital mandates, women's information gathering, informed-consent rule) were also ended
• Minnesota is a sanctuary state for transgender individuals seeking gender affirming care. Minnesota will not help enforce any out-of-state prosecutions
• The practice of conversion therapy for children and vulnerable adults is now forbidden
• Paid Family and Medical Leave is now the law in Minnesota
• The DFL delivered the largest tax cut in Minnesota history
• A major expansion of high speed broadband across the state brings us closer to border to border coverage
• All electricity in Minnesota must be carbon free by 2040
• Rebate checks for Minnesotans making $78K or less a year, and married couples making $150K or less, and rebates for up to three kids per household
• A child tax credit focused on lower income workers, up to $1750 per child under 18
• A massive expansion of social security tax exemption, geared towards couples making less than $100K a year and individuals making less than $78K a year. Over 75% of Minnesota seniors no longer will pay the tax
• Universal free school breakfast and lunch to all kids
• $7.8 Billion for funding roads, transit and airports over the next two years
• Minnesota has a 'red flag law,' which means authorities can seize firearms for someone deemed to be a high risk of injuring themselves or others
• Private party transfers of certain firearms now require universal background checks
• Free tuition to state universities, public colleges and tribal colleges for families making $80K or less
• Every school district in the state got a major budget increase, especially in essential services 
• Rental assistance was expanded for 5000 more low income households, with about a third guaranteed to go to outstate communities
• New paths for struggling farmers to get their product to hunger relief organizations across the state
• Undocumented workers can now get a driver's license
• $300 million to low income families to get access to early childhood education
• More mental health resources for every level of education in MN
• Major investments into the state colleges
• It's now illegal in Minnesota for people to knowingly spread false information with the intention of stopping someone from voting
• Money to address food insecurity on college campuses
• $300 million in new funding to help public safety officials treat mental health calls
• PFAS (forever chemicals) are banned in Minnesota in 2025
• Marijuana is now legal in Minnesota
• Minnesota will expanded MinnesotaCare (the state's medical care program) to more people, with he goal to offer it to all Minnesotans within a few years
• Some marijauan convictions in Minnesota will be expunged when legal marijuana becomes law
• A massive investment in green energy, primarily solar panels
• Rebates for buying an electric car
• Schools will now offer free menstrual products for students and schools will have the opioid treatment Naloxone available
• $80 million per year for local government and county aid
• $326 million for local roads and bridge repair
• The gas tax is now tied to inflation, preventing further budget shortfalls
• Home weatherization funding for low income individuals
• Voting rights restored for 55,000 Minnesotans with felony convictions, with new rules to reinstate those rights for all felons upon their release from incarceration
• Far more restrictions on police serving no-knock warrants
• Harsher penalties for car-jackers
• A massive increase in spending to upgrade the facilities at the State Parks in Minnesota, benefiting every part of the state
• A major investment in expanding mental health services for farmers 
• 16 year olds will be automatically registered to vote when they turn 18 in Minnesota
• $43 million to help battle violent crime in Minnesota
• More authority to the AG to scrutinize medical mergers in the state, to make sure the mergers benefit Minnesotans
• Removal of bizarre rule that prohibited the studying of expansion of mass transit in the south Twin Cities metro area
• Funding to get commuter rail from the Twin Cities to Duluth
• Increased funding for the Attorney Genral's office to allow him to help more counties in prosecutorial duties
• $5 million in renovations to the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center
• $200 million in down payment assistance for low and moderate income Minnesotans to buy homes
• $233 million for helping to address flood mitigation in the state
• Money to replace lead pipe water lines across the state
• Protections for farmers when grain buyers become financially insolvent
• Cracked down on price gauging during emergencies
• Helping with emergency funding for food shelves in the state
• Cracking down on catalytic converter thefts in Minnesota
• Money to encourage the growth of new farmers in Minnesota, especially immigrant and BIPOC farmers
• $300 million ot the state nursing homes to help address the shortages within the industry
• The state will aggressively combat the deer disease Chronic Wasting Disease, in an effort to limit the impact and consequences
• New money for management of our natural lands
• $25 million for snowmobile and ATV trails
• Money to deal with crimes and drug issues on the metro transit lines
• All full time workers can now accrue paid sick and safe leave time
• Money set aside to study the long term effects of COVID
• It is now illegal to discriminate against a person due to their hair 
• Replenished the AG Emergency account
• State fish hatcheries will be rebuilt and/or improved
• Improvements slated for 'from shore' fishing facilities statewide
• They expanded dental benefits for the needy
• The Governors commissioner appointments can no longer be held hostage as a long term negotiation tool
• Money to help homeless people pursue employment and educational opportunities
• New Police stations, fire departments and public safety centers across the state
• Student loan forgiveness for hospital nurses
• Employment protections for meat packing workers
• $35 million to improve boat ramps and facilities at lakes statewide
• Tax credits for electric bikes
• Civics and personal finance classes will be required to graduate high school
• Expansion of bike trails across the state
• New rules regulating pesticides, to stop the devastation of pollinator species
• Money to improve Spirit Mountain Ski Area
• The end of non-compete agreements in Minnesota
• Rental assistance for people struggling with mental illness
• MN schools must teach about the Holocaust and genocide
• $90 million for Minnesota Veteran care
• Employers can no longer force employees to attend an anti-union captive audience meetings
• Increased local cybersecurity grants for local communities
• A new Public Health facility in Bloomington
• Teachers unions can now bargain over educator to student ratios in classrooms
• More school resources for Native America students
• Worker protections for Amazon warehouse employees
• $350 million for new affordable housing statewide and $120 million to subsidize preservation of existing affordable housing
• In MN a contractor entering into a construction contract assumes liability for any unpaid wages
• A $40 million increase to Head Start
• All schools in Minnesota will have to have expanded ethnic studies by 2028
• $65 million for two years to try to limit family homelessness
• $380 million for 47 wastewater projects across the state of Minnesota
• Cash money for various projects including rebuilding US Hwy. 8
• Stopped religious colleges from requiring public high school students taking classes at their facilities (PSEO) from requiring the students sign a faith statement
• 5.5 million to deal with youth homelessness
• Active shooter drills are now banned in Minnesota schools, replaced with violence prevention training once a year
• They revived the historic building tax credit which gives money for people to fix up older buildings
• Adopted a new educational reading curriculum based on phonics
• People on bicycles can have rolling stops at interchanges, as long as they safely yield
• They increased the film production tax credit to encourage more movie and TV productions to film in Minnesota
• We've address the potential minnow shortage crisis
• Juneteenth is now a holiday in Minnesota
• A committee to explore the possibility to expand the Northstar line all the way to St. Cloud
• A new sheet of indoor ice in Hermantown

And Minnesota renamed a highway after Prince (we should at least give him a county too!).

DAAAAAAAMMMMMMNNNN!  This is stunning, but to see them pull all of this off with a one seat majority it truly amazing.  How many times would a Democratic party act like three or four of these LESSER bills would be a triumphant session.  Heck, Democratic states with solid Democrat majorities rarely pass one tenth of an agenda this beautiful during a session! 

As you can imagine, a lot of Minnesota Republicans are now screaming "we're leaving!"  To them I say BYE!  Trust me, whatever red state you move to you are about to come across a lot of unexpected and expensive things which will sting, but let's let that be a surprise.  And the healthcare in red states! Bless your hearts and good luck!  Considering the beacon the Minnesota DFL just made Minnesota, I have ZERO doubt far more poeple will be coming to Minnesota than leaving.

And frankly, we will not miss you if you leave.

If you are that uptight and stresses out about all of this, a reminder that dope is legal in Minnesota starting August 1.  That might help.