On Tuesday, May 7, after weeks of negotiations, Senate Republicans amended the 2024 Minnesota Human Rights bill with language that reinstates religious liberty protections that were removed by the Senate Democrats last year.

The bill reinstates the protections for religious organizations that every Minnesotan deserves and expects to have. At least 15 religious communities and organizations—Catholics, Muslims, Jews, Evangelical Christians, and others—expressed their support for the restoration of the religious exemptions. Passing this amendment and the bill secures in law both a fundamental and a foundational right every American is afforded under the Constitution.

I am proud to say that both the amendment and the final bill passed with unanimous support.

Last session, Senate Republicans warned Democrats that their legislation to legalize cannabis was not yet ready. This bill failed to address key questions about our ability to ensure public safety, regulate cannabis at a local level, or protect Minnesota children from harmful products. Unfortunately, this year’s cannabis bill does little to answer Minnesotans’ many concerns and challenges.

Senate Republicans offered several amendments to improve safety including amendments that:

• Increase the penalty for underage cannabis from a petty misdemeanor to a misdemeanor (same as underage alcohol)
• Expand the list of ineligible persons to exclude licensure for those who have committed a serious crime of violence

Democrats refused to accept these changes. However, Republicans were successful in adopting the following consumer protection measures: 

• Accelerate cannabis and substance use education requirement in schools so that it would begin one year earlier, during the 2025-26 school year 
• Require more robust labeling requirements for the potential side effects of cannabis 
• Add candy or desserts to the cannabis advertising prohibition that currently includes cartoon figures, toys or animals 
• Add one seat on the Cannabis Advisory Council for a clinical pharmacist 

If you wish to read further on this issue, click here.

I was recently appointed to serve on both the "Junk Fees" Conference Committee and the Commerce Policy Conference Committee. A conference committee is a committee made up of members from both the Senate and the House of Representatives appointed to reconcile the differences between two versions of a bill that has been passed by both bodies. Each conference committee usually has either three or five members from both the House and the Senate. While I plan on voting against these bills when they come back to the Senate floor, I was able to offer amendments to make improvements to the final versions of the bills.

On Tuesday, May 7, the Senate Subcommittee on Ethics met for the first time since a complaint was filed against Sen. Nicole Mitchell (D- Woodbury) after her arrest and subsequent charge of first-degree burglary. She is accused of breaking into her stepmothers’ home.

Sen. Mitchell never spoke and her attorney, Bruce Ringstrom, Jr., stated plainly she would not be answering questions. In addition, Ringstrom invoked Sen. Mitchell’s Fifth Amendment right on nearly every question asked, whether it was related to her court case or not. Neither Mitchell nor her attorney provided any evidence of her innocence to the committee.

Following the presentations and questioning, Democrats would not vote to find probable cause to continue the investigation into Mitchell’s behavior. Republicans would not vote to defer proceedings until after the criminal complaint is finished, citing the short time left in the legislative session.

Sen. Bobby Joe Champion made a motion to return on June 12, 2024, or earlier if something of substance is made available to the committee. That motion passed. 

This week, Senate Democrats chose partisan and political gun policy over commonsense bipartisanship. Democrats continue to pass controversial legislation relying on the deciding vote of a Democrat Senator who has been charged with a felony crime of violence. The bill includes some Republican language to increase the penalties for those who act as a straw purchaser by buying a gun for someone who legally can’t have one. However, it also turns law-abiding gun owners into criminals with the controversial binary trigger ban. Notably, it does not include a third provision, safe storage requirements, which have been criticized as unworkable and potentially dangerous in the case of emergencies.

Based on the tragedy in Burnsville earlier this year, Republicans also proposed increasing the penalties for straw purchasers from five years to ten years if the firearm they purchased to give to someone ineligible is used to assault or cause harm to a public safety officer. The amendment was adopted with broad bipartisan support, including by the bill’s author, Sen. Gustafson.

Happy Mother's Day! On Sunday, we celebrated all that moms have done for us.

This past weekend marked the 2024 Minnesota fishing opener! This summer, I hope you can get out on the lake and enjoy this Minnesota tradition. I have worked to improve our state’s fish hatcheries and public water accesses. Best of luck, anglers!

With Gratitude,

Senator Jordan Rasmusson

District 9