Democrats welcome choice of Minnesota governor to be Harrisās running mate in race against Donald Trump and JD Vance
Walz has served as Minnesotaās governor since 2019 after 12 years in the House of Representatives and now chairs the Democratic Governors Association. He has built a reputation as a folksy politician who can get things done, as Minnesota has adopted a number of progressive laws during his tenure. According to aĀ pollĀ conducted earlier this year, Walz enjoys an approval rating of 55% among Minnesotans. Since MinnesotaĀ DemocratsĀ achieved a legislative trifecta in the 2022 elections, Walz and his allies have used their power to push a slate of progressive policies. The governor has signed bills protecting abortion access, expanding background checks for prospective gun owners and legalizing recreational marijuana. āRight now, Minnesota is showing the country you donāt win elections to bank political capital,ā Walz said last year. āYou win elections to burn political capital and improve lives.ā That philosophy has endeared him to progressives, who threw their support behind him as the veepstakes kicked into high gear over the past two weeks. They reshared clips of Walz lovinglyĀ mockingĀ his daughterās vegetarianism andĀ tinkeringĀ with his car to paint him as the dad that America needs right now.
This is fucking awesome! Honestly, sincerely good news and a very promising pick for the potential Harris Administration. An aggressive, unabashed, popular, populist left-winger with a track record of enacting real, substantive help for people is capital-G Great.
What has he done, specifically?
While Tim Walz might not be a household name, his political star has been on the rise in recent weeks after making several viral cable news
Abortion rights
In a 1995 ruling, the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld abortion rights in Minnesota. In January 2023, Walz signedĀ the PRO ActĀ (Protect Reproductive Options Act) into law, making abortion a "fundamental right," as well as access to contraception, fertility treatments, sterilization and other reproductive health care.
The law made Minnesota the first state to codify abortion rights in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 ruling in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which nullified Roe. v. Wade after nearly 50 years of precedent. In April 2023, Walz signed theĀ Reproductive Freedom Defense ActĀ into law, shielding women and providers from any legal action originating from the patient's state.
Pro-LGBTQIA+ legislation
In March 2023, Walz signed an executive order to protectĀ the right of residents to have access to gender-affirming health care. Weeks later, he signed the "Trans Refuge" bill, banning the enforcement of arrest warrants, extradition requests and out-of-state subpoenas for those who traveled to Minnesota for care.
"When someone else is given basic rights, others don't lose theirs," Walz said. "We aren't cutting a pie here. We're giving basic rights to every single Minnesotan."
Paid family, medical and sick leave
In May 2023, Walz signed a law creating a state-run program to provideĀ paid family and medical leaveĀ for Minnesota workers, funded by a 0.7% payroll tax on employers, by 2026.
Legalization of recreational marijuana
In May 2023, Minnesota became the 23rd state in the nation toĀ legalize recreational cannabis use. Three months later, people 21 and older could start to possess certain amounts ofĀ marijuanaĀ at home and on their person, in addition to legally growing up to eight plants at a time.
Restoration of voting rights for former felons
In March 2023, Walz signed a bill thatĀ restored the right to vote to more than 50,000 convicted felons who had already served their time.
Universal school meals
Amid the increase in food insecurity for many Minnesotans during the pandemic, and the subsequentĀ strain on the state's food shelves that remains to this day, Walz signed a bill in March 2023 that ensures all K-12 students in the state have access to free breakfast and lunch on school days.
Do you know what makes this even better?
Fuck 'Em. I know negative partisanship is important and can help motivate right-wingers to vote, but they're going to vote anyway. And him being afraid of Walz is just a sign that he's a good pick, in policy and politics.
