Voters have elected lawmakers at the Minnesota Legislature that more accurately reflect the people in our state.
At least 35 out of 201 legislators identify as people of color and 11 of the local lawmakers identify as LGBTQ and that’s the most representation we’ve seen yet.
Three Black women were elected to the Minnesota Senate, the first in the 164 years it has been around.
These lawmakers are meeting over the next few months to talk about important policies that will impact communities around the state.
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Tom Bottern and Elizabeth Lincoln, two nonpartisan administrators who work at the Minnesota State Capitol, joined MPR News host Angela Davis to share how to follow and influence the decisions that will directly impact people around the state.
Here are four key moments from the conversation.
The following transcript has been edited for length and clarity. Click the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
Tom Bottern: Things are happening really fast and whether you like it or not, there's one-party control of state government in Minnesota and that's the driving factor. The number of bills that have been introduced in each chamber is staggering compared to previous years, about 30...
An Indian-origin former police officer who pleaded guilty to his part in a “crash for cash” scam involving fraudulent personal injury claims has been sentenced to four years and five months in p...