This week on Renegade Feminist, we’re bringing you all things Line 3. We’re talking tar sands, treaty rights, wild rice, boreal forests, the firing of Commissioner Kelly, and the ways Line 3 and Keystone XL are being treated differently — despite being depressingly the same. Plus, an illuminating/horrifying/inspiring conversation with water protector Gina Peltier, who breaks down the stakes, sheds light on what’s happening on the front lines, and lifts up the powerful community of indigenous women leading this fight. Don’t miss this one.

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Last week was FarmFest here in the NorthStar state, which puts agriculture front and center! Bri and Grace dive into the political implications of the current drought conditions and what it might mean for an upcoming special session in the legislature, plus how a California law impacts Minnesota’s hog farmers. (Fun fact: We’re a big pig state.) Also, a spect-ag-ular chat with State Auditor Julie Blaha to talk all things crop art, governmental authority over the State Fair, and our favorite topic of all time: women going where they’re needed and running for office.

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It’s very clearly the middle of summer, and we’re feeling the heat in all the ways: high temps, political nonsense that has nothing to do with actual policy, and extreme drought conditions. Find out why folks on both sides of the aisle want Rep. John Thompson to resign and how to get free beer for adopting a tree to water. Plus, Bri & Grace connect with Rep. Esther Agbaje — learning more about the work that happened around Housing in this past session & what is actually up with the Eviction Moratorium. Then make a quick phone call to help call off Line 3.

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Big news, Renegades: WE HAVE A STATE BUDGET! It wasn’t the smoothest process, and there were some definite shenanigans before adjournment, so this week, Grace & Bri are digging into all of it: what’s in the budget, what’s not, and why. Plus, they chat with Senator Kari Dziedzic about why the Senate GOP went the petty route, delayed session end, and forced out the Pollution Control Agency commissioner, Laura Bishop. And finally, they share how MN stacks up nationally, vaccine-wise, in what may just be the last COVID Corner — fingers crossed.

Meet Our Guest - Sen. Kari Dziedzic

Senator Kari Dziedzic was born and raised in Northeast Minneapolis. She attended Edison High School and the University of Minnesota where she earned a mechanical engineering degree. She represents Senate District 60 which includes Cedar-Riverside, Seward, and Northeast and Southeast Minneapolis neighborhoods.

Dziedzic was first elected to the Minnesota Senate in January of 2012 in a Special Election and was reelected in September of 2012 and again in 2016. Before joining the Minnesota Senate, she worked at Hennepin County in the private sector and as an aide for US Senator Paul Wellstone.

Show Notes

Minnesota still doesn’t have a completely finalized budget despite Wednesday’s looming deadline, so in this week’s episode, Grace and Bri get us up to speed with what has been happening in the country’s only divided legislature -- including some shenanigans from GOPers in the Senate and a filibuster/temper tantrum in the House. Then, Emmy-nominated independent journalist/badass Georgia Fort stops by to chat about her work to change the way we tell stories and who we tell them about -- and how we change media narratives for the better. Plus, we unpack the Chauvin sentencing and nerd out about Suni Lee and the other Minnesotans heading to Tokyo for the Olympics next month.

Meet Our Guest - Georgia Fort

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Happy Pride, folks! To celebrate, Grace & Bri chat with Cassidy Wall, the founder and editor-in-chief at tence - a new magazine focused on honoring, highlighting, and celebrating queer creators in Minnesota. They also dive into what’s going on with our state budget (or lack thereof) as the legislature heads into special session, correct a narrative about the Minneapolis DFL endorsements for city council, and then check in on which of Minnesota’s Fortune 500 companies are guilty of rainbow-washing.

Meet Our Guest - Cassidy Wall

Cassidy Wall is the founder and editor-in-chief at tence. She has always been a multifaceted creative. Her mom had to put up with copious amounts of paintings, collages, scrapbooking, and poems she brought home from school. Cassidy credits her with giving space to explore in all areas of life. From a young age, Cassidy experimented with different art-forms: music, zine making, multi-media art, writing and more.

Her main passion is connecting with others, forming relationships and dissecting existence. Cassidy is an in-person sort of human who thrives on deep conversations. She strives to communicate the complexities within all of us.

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Hear about many of the amazing bills Minnesota’s women lawmakers have been working on - from the legislators themselves! Representatives & Senators from across the state called in to share the bills they are most proud to have worked on this past year. From education to dental care, and mining to paid time off - these bills will help remind you of the hard work being put in on behalf of Minnesotans.

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Check out more bills!

Thank you to all the Representatives & Senators who shared their stories!

It’s the last day of the regular legislative session, but (GASP) we still don’t have a final budget! So in this episode, Grace & Bri break down the breakdown with Senator Erin Murphy, who talks us through some of the highs and lows of session and gives us an idea of what we can expect next. Plus, learn about some sneaky anti-abortion language in the Health and Human Services omnibus bill; what’s up with declining birth rates here in Minnesota; and celebrate a new law that supports incarcerated mothers.

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Get up to speed with Grace and Bri on what’s at stake these last two weeks of our legislative session, where we are with police reform, and what last week’s surprising news about redistricting means for Minnesota. Plus, this week’s guest is Deputy Director of the Minnesota Budget Project, Clark Goldenrod, who’ll talk about why legislators need to pass a budget by May 17th – and what could happen if they don’t.

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This week, join Grace and Bri to dive into local data around pretext stops like the one that resulted in Duante Wright’s murder and take a look at how the state legislature is addressing police brutality -- and just as importantly, all the ways they’re failing to address it. Plus, they’ll unpack Minneapolis’s charter amendment to transform public safety and get into some wonky weeds with former Minnesota House Rep and current candidate for Minneapolis Mayor, Kate Knuth.

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