Senate DFL Leader Melisa López Franzen (DFL-Edina) today strongly condemned the recent spate of hate crimes in Edina that have targeted members of the African American, Jewish and LGBTQ Communities across the city, saying such acts have no place in any Minnesota community.
“As a state leader, a mother and a resident of Edina, I am outraged and sickened that this type of behavior is happening in my community,” said Sen. López Franzen. “I am joining with the mayor, the school superintendent, local law enforcement and fellow community members to ensure Edina remains a safe place for our residents and is free of any form of hate. I will also continue to push my colleagues at the State Capitol to pass hate crime legislation so that other communities can act as well.”
Sen. López Franzen said her sons attend school in a building attached to the Edina Community Center, where a noose was recently found. In the past several weeks, communities across the metro have also seen occurrences of hate crimes. She said DFLers pressed legislation in 2021 to give state officials and local law enforcement the tools to help identify and fight hate crimes. Unfortunately, she said their efforts were blocked by the Republican majority.
“Edina is a supportive place to live that welcomes Minnesotans of all backgrounds,” she said. “It’s great to see that people across our community are standing up and making clear that these behaviors are unacceptable.”
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