Dear Neighbors,

Happy New Year!  I hope you and your family have had a good holiday season! We are just one days away from the first day of the 2025 Legislature Session 2025, which begins on Tuesday, January 14th. I look forward to my ninth  year as a legislator (four in the House of Representatives) representing Senate District 39, which includes the communities of St. Anthony Village, New Brighton, Columbia Heights, Hilltop, Fridley, and Spring Lake Park.

The Senate is mourning the loss of Senator Kari Dziedzic, who passed on December 27, 2024. 

Kari was elected to the Senate in 2012 to represent northeast Minneapolis, where she has called home her entire life. She was the eldest daughter of Walter and Patricia Dziedzic, she followed her father’s footsteps into community service.

Kari will be remembered by her family and those she served for her enthusiastic and humble leadership, which inspired all who knew her. She was kind, smart, and generous with her time and talents. She was fearless, even as she entered her battle with an ovarian cancer diagnosis in 2023 while serving as Senate Majority Leader.

I am grateful to have served with Senator Dziedzic and to have called her a friend. Her work will  improve the lives of Minnesotans for generations to come. 

I will continue to Chair the Education Finance Committee and participate in the Education Policy Committee, Agriculture, Broadband, and Rural Development Committee, and Environment, Climate, and Legacy Committee. Through this session I will continue to update you as my committees and the session develop.

Introduction of My Bills

For the 2023-24 Session, I hit the ground running and introduced 191 new bills, all of which can be found here.

In 2019 I successfully passed the Equal Rights Amendment off of the House floor with a vote of 72-55. Then again off of the Senate floor in 2023. Unfortunately, the opposite bodies did not successfully pass an ERA. That has not discouraged me and I will once again introduce language to add the question to the ballot in 2026. The current language stands as this: All persons shall be guaranteed equal rights under the laws of this state. The state shall not discriminate against any person in intent or effect on account of race, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, or sex, including but not limited to pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes and reproductive freedom, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation. It is my hope that we will pass this language in a bipartisan way and take it to the people of Minnesota to decide to add this constitutional amendment.

Please join us for an ERA Rally on Tuesday, January 14, at 10 am in the rotunda!

Don’t hesitate to encourage other interested community members to sign up for my newsletter. Please share this link: https://www.senate.mn/member/1242/subscribe?type=subscribe.

Legislative Calendars

TV and Audio Streaming

Bill Search

Senate on Social Media

In addition to public hearings and legislative sessions, the Capitol is open to the public Monday through Saturday for public tours and many events throughout the year. There are several areas within the Capitol complex that are available to rent. The Department of Administration maintains that information on its website.  

In order to make libraries more accessible, Anoka County went fine free! Check out this video to learn more. This means that all the counties in the metro area are now fine free!

As flu season reaches its peak, staying healthy and preventing the spread of illness is more important than ever. Whether at home or work, taking precautions can help avoid getting sick and protect those around you.

One of the most effective ways to prevent the flu is by getting vaccinated.  Click here to get the latest information from the MN Department of Health on vaccines.

On Thursday, I had the pleasure of meeting some students involved in the YMCA’s annual Youth in Government Program. Pictured here is Luca Stewert from St. Anthony HS and Youth Secretary of State Yahira Barreto-Paredes from Fridley.

In 2023 I authored and passed legislation for a new license plate honoring missing and murdered Indigenous people. It was unveiled on the annual day of remembrance for missing and murdered Indigenous people on February 14th, 2023 and since that time I am pleased to announce that over 3000 license plates have been purchased, securing over $10,000 for the reward fund embedded in the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives office. Keep this in mind the next time you need to update your license plate!

Additionally, as a fun sidenote, the next Free Park Day, where all Minnesota State Parks and state recreation areas offer free admission to everyone with no vehicle permits needed, will also be on Monday, January 20, Martin Luther King Day. Access more information about Free Park Days.

Minnesota's minimum-wage rates recently adjusted for inflation to $11.13 an hour for all employers, including large employers, small employers, youth, and J-1 visa wages for hotels, motels, and lodging establishments. The law still allows for a 90-day training wage for workers under age 20. *The state minimum-wage rates do not apply to work performed in the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, which have higher minimum-wage rates.

As always, I wish you the best in 2025. Do not hesitate to reach out to me for any reason!

Regards, 

Mary K. Kunesh

Assistant Majority Leader

Minnesota Senate, District 39

Capitol Address

95 University Avenue W.
Minnesota Senate Bldg.
St. Paul, MN 55155

Unsubscribe from future updates