Legislative Update - May 14, 2021

Dear Neighbors, 

Last evening, we made history in the Minnesota House by successfully passing a bill to legalize and regulate adult-use cannabis while also expunging the records of those convicted on nonviolent cannabis-related crimes, and we did so with bipartisan support. This is a bill I am honored to co-author.

There are many reasons why legalizing cannabis for adult use is important for Minnesota, but addressing the impact of our current prohibition on our communities of color is right at the top. The history of our cannabis laws is rooted in racism, and in the modern day we’ve seen Black Minnesotans arrested for cannabis possession at a rate over 5 times higher than that of white Minnesotans - despite similar usage rates. As we go forward with this growing movement to legalize cannabis in our state, we can never forget the damaging, disproportionate impact prohibition has had on our communities.

Now, the bill has been sent over to the Republican-controlled Senate, where it will likely remain for some time. Senate Republican Leadership has made it clear that they have no interest in even giving our bill the opportunity of a vote, despite its growing bipartisan popularity. It’s unlikely there will be significant movement on this in the near future, but it’ll be up to all of us to call on Senate Republicans to ensure Minnesota doesn’t get left behind as more states legalize adult-use cannabis. It’s not an issue we can afford to ignore any longer. 

Updated Guidance on Masks

Last week, I had shared Governor Walz’s updated timeline for Minnesota’s COVID measures. Originally, the plan was to keep a statewide mask mandate in place until 70% of the eligible population had been vaccinated, or until July 1 - whichever came first.

New guidance from the CDC led to an update on Minnesota’s mask policy, with the statewide mandate ending today. To clarify, the City of Minneapolis is still keeping its mask mandate in place. It’s not clear when this would change, so be sure to stay in the loop, and I’ll be sure to share the most updated information as it’s available. In the meantime, our best course of action to close the book on COVID is to get vaccinated when you’re able. Vaccine appointments are available through the following resources:

• The Minnesota State Fairgrounds

• The state-wide Vaccine Locator Map 

• Hennepin County Vaccine Registration

• The CDC’s Vaccine Finder

If you have any questions about our cannabis bill or the work we have left this session, please feel free to reach out at 651-296-4262 or email at rep.fue.lee@house.mn. I look forward to hearing from you. 

Sincerely, 

Fue Lee

State Representative