It was a whirlwind of a legislative session. Minnesota’s historic progressive trifecta championed everything from marijuana legalization to abortion rights and paid time off for Minnesota workers. 

August 1st marks the date that many of our new laws go into effect. With so much exciting activity in the legislature, it can be hard to keep up. 

In case you missed it, here are a few of the exciting programs Minnesotans now have access to: 

• Adult-use cannabis

On May 22nd, 2023, Governor Tim Walz signed groundbreaking legislation to legalize recreational adult-use cannabis! 

Progressives successfully championed the bill through the legislative session despite Minnesota conservatives taking ridiculous steps to oppose legalizing marijuana. 

Now, Minnesotans over 21 can legally possess and publicly transport 2 ounces of cannabis flower and up to 8 grams of cannabis concentrates. 

And included in the law are necessary measures to repair the legacy of racial injustice created by decades of criminalized marijuana use. 

To help address criminal justice inequities created by our current system, the new law will decriminalize low-level cannabis use offenses, and misdemeanor cannabis convictions will be expunged in Minnesota. 

• Worker safety

Everybody deserves to make it home safely at the end of the workday.

Minnesota’s new worker safety law is geared towards regulating mega-corporations like Amazon, which abuse workers with unsafe conditions and unreasonable, undisclosed quota systems. 

The new law protects Minnesota’s workers by improving safety and workforce standards for workers in warehouses and meatpacking facilities. 

• Gun violence prevention

The public safety budget passed by progressives in the House and Senate takes definitive action to reduce gun violence.

The new law requires all private purchases of pistols and semi-automatic military-style assault weapons to be subject to background checks.

• Expanded access to low-cost insulin 

The Minnesota Insulin Safety Net Program was created by progressives in 2020 to help Minnesotans struggling with the high cost of insulin. Thanks to the work of our progressive leaders this session, the program has been expanded to serve undocumented Minnesotans.

More Minnesotans than ever will be able to access low-cost insulin starting August 1st, 2023.

• CROWN Act

The Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, or CROWN Act, was one of the first bills to pass through the Minnesota House and Senate this year.

The law expands the Minnesota Human Rights Act to prohibit race-based discrimination, specifically concerning hair.

And will help ensure that discrimination in the workplace and in school for Black Minnesotans who style their hair in braids, twists, locks, or for their natural hair texture is no more.

• Bike reform 

Fun fact: Minneapolis is the most bikeable city in America, and Minnesota is consistently in the country’s top five most bikeable states. 

This session, progressive legislators took steps to continue to improve Minnesota biking. 

Minnesota bicyclists can now roll through stop signs as long as they do it cautiously!

The law also designates the Mississippi River Trail Bikeway and the Jim Oberstar Bikeway as state bicycle routes.

Building a better Minnesota 

Seeing such achievement under progressive leadership has been inspiring, even with constant roadblocks from Minnesota conservatives. 

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