Sen. Oumou Verbeten

Senate Queer Caucus Celebrates Victories for LGBTQ+ Rights and Reproductive Health Care

Senate Passes Trans Refuge Bill, Conversion “Therapy” Ban, and Reproductive Freedom Defense Act in Landmark Day for Justice and Autonomy

ST. PAUL, Minn. — On Friday, the Minnesota Senate passed three bills that protect Minnesota’s LGBTQ+ community by banning torture by conversion “therapy” (HF 16); defending health care providers and people seeking reproductive health care (HF 366); and protecting trans youth and their families from out-of-state attacks on gender-affirming health care (HF 146).

Senate Majority Leader Dziedzic Says Senate Overwhelmingly Passes Sen. Oumou Verbeten’s Bipartisan Bill to Prevent Labor Trafficking 

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic (DFL-Minneapolis) said today the Senate has overwhemingly passed Senator Clare Oumou Verbeten’s bipartisan bill to improve and clarify shortcomings around Minnesota’s labor trafficking laws that have inadequately protected trafficking victims across Minnesota.

Minnesota Senate POCI Caucus Voices Support for Tennessee Lawmakers Expelled After Gun Reform Protest

ST. PAUL, Minn. — On Thursday, April 6, Tennessee’s Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted to expel two Black lawmakers, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson—just failing to oust a third representative, Gloria Johnson, by one vote—a week after the three Democrats led a gun reform protest in the chamber. This follows yet another mass shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville that left three 9-year-olds and three adults dead.