For Forum News Service, Alex Derosier says, “With Democrats in complete control of Minnesota government, the chances of the state legalizing recreational marijuana appear the strongest they’ve ever been. For the past six years, the divided government in St. Paul was a roadblock to any efforts to bring legal pot to Minnesota. … While Democrats in the House and Senate have not yet rolled out their priorities for the 2023 legislative session, Gov. Tim Walz and prominent DFL lawmakers have already expressed support for legalization. On a livestream this week, former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura said Walz told him legalization was one of the first things he hopes to get done when the Legislature reconvenes Jan. 3.”
For the Strib, Rochelle Olson reports, “The new Senate DFL caucus selected a Twin Cities-centric leadership team Thursday, choosing Minneapolis Sen. Kari Dziedzic for the post of majority leader. … As majority leader, Dziedic will be responsible for setting and shepherding the Senate Democrats’ agenda, with the party holding a margin of just one vote over the GOP. The announcement came after the caucus met behind closed doors at the Carpenters Local Union 322 in St. Paul, a couple of miles from the Capitol. Neither the vote nor the nature of the deliberations were made public so it wasn’t immediately known whether…
