Sen. Torres Ray

Senator Torres Ray condemns human rights violations in Colombia

Senator Patricia Torres Ray (DFL-Minneapolis), who was born in Colombia and elected as the first Latina to serve in the Minnesota Senate in 2006, is leading national efforts to call on members of Congress, the White House, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. Department of Justice to deliver a firm and urgent message to their Colombian counterparts to stop the violent attacks against peaceful protesters in Colombia.

DFL Legislators call for action on MPCA request to address PFAS contamination

On Thursday, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) announced findings that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination had been found in 98 out of 101 closed landfills across the state, and that 59 of these closed landfills in 41 counties have levels that exceed the Minnesota Department of Health’s health-based guidance values for PFAS. PFAS are forever chemicals that have been shown to cause adverse health effects such as changes in development, liver and thyroid function, immune response, increased kidney damage, and certain cancers.

Senate DFL women Senators demand equal rights under the law

The women of the Senate DFL gathered today virtually to rally for Minnesota to finally pass the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). The federal Equal Rights Amendment was originally written in 1923 and finally passed by Congress in 1972. Minnesota ratified the ERA one year later in 1973. After nearly 100 years, the ERA bill was passed in the Minnesota House in 2019, but did not make it past the Republican-controlled Senate.