Democrats Deliver Some HOLY SH*T Minnesota Nice Times For Ya!

And they didn't pass a single bill targeting people they don't like.

Minnesota lawmakers, once stymied by gridlock, just ended one of the most consequential legislative sessions in the country since perhaps the New Deal, and this time Black people can participate!

First, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party majority sent a $2.6 billion infrastructure package to Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, who'll happily sign it with one of those fancy ceremonial pens.

"The investment that we're making here — whether that's in local communities here in the metro area or in greater Minnesota — we are making a significant impact into everybody's lives," said infrastructure bill sponsor Rep. Fue Lee. "Whether that's the road that we drive on, the drinking water that we have, or the community centers and the cultural centers that we have around the state."

During the final hours of the legislative session, the DFL majority also approved a $6.2 billion two-year health and human services budget. This will increase funding for mental health services; create a new state department for children, youth, and families; and expand the state’s publicly subsidized insurance, known as MinnesotaCare, to include the estimated 40,000 undocumented people who live in Minnesota and meet the program's requirements.

The Senate on Monday afternoon passed the bill by a 34-32 vote, and the House passed it 69-64.

Sen. Melissa Wiklund from Bloomington said in statement, "This bill is a game changer for Minnesota families thanks to the investments we are making to improve their daily lives and remove many of the unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles they face. This truly will deliver transformational change for all Minnesotans.”

 The Star Tribune reports:  

While the infrastructure bills passed the two chambers with bipartisan support, Republicans continued to raise concerns about the scale of spending in Minnesota's next $72 billion two-year budget. A projected $17.5 billion surplus enabled Democrats to expand state programs and aid in many areas, though much of the money is one-time cash.

Of course, Republicans are cranky. Rep. Pat Garofalo from Farmington whined, "As we congratulate and pat each other on the back for what is an unprecedented, explosive amount of government spending in our state, and now record borrowing, what does this mean for the future of Minnesota?"

Why, it means great things for Minnesotans! That was a silly question.

Last week, the Minnesota Senate passed a bill creating a state-run paid family and medical leave program that will offer up to 20 weeks of time off for a serious medical condition or if someone needs to care for a family member, including taking care of a newborn. This bill increases the number of Minnesotans receiving paid leave from 25 percent to 100 percent.

Sunday, state Sen. Omar Fateh led the passage of a bill that will require a minimum pay rate for Uber and Lyft drivers and establish protections against wrongful termination or "deactivation." Currently, Uber and Lyft drivers don't receive a minimum wage, overtime pay, or Social Security and workers’ compensation insurance. After the Transportation Drivers bill passed, the impacted drivers gave Fateh a free ride around the building.

“Senator @OmarFatehMN gets the hero’s welcome after his Transportation Drivers, aka Uber/Lyft bill, passes Senate”

— John Croman (@John Croman) 1684707459 

Uber and Lyft have predicted several doomsday scenarios if the bill becomes law. They've even threatened to shut down operations in the state entirely, so Walz remains non-committal.

“This is an economy that needs to be looked at,” Walz said Sunday. “[The executive branch is] responsible for the implementation, so we have questions on a lot of areas that need to be answered before things come to us.”

Maybe Walz will perk up on the subject if drivers give him a ride around the governor's mansion. It just looks like fun.

The DFL majority also fully legalized marijuana and provided free breakfasts and lunches to all Minnesota public school students. Look at these kids who are happy they won't starve.

“At Webster Elementary in Minneapolis, Gov. Walz signs School Meals bill, providing free breakfasts and lunches to all Minnesota public school students”

— John Croman (@John Croman) 1679079655 

Minnesota Democrats don't boast a gerrymandered supermajority. They have a six-vote margin in the House, and just a single vote margin in the Senate. However, there's nary a Sinema among them. That's not to say they are all far-left liberals. There are plenty of moderate Democrats. However, they want to help people, not feed their massive egos. This is good government in action.

[ Star Tribune / Twitter / Minnesota Reformer ]

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