Ward 8 is lucky to have so many active and caring people that work hard to make Minneapolis the amazing place it is

Photo of Bancroft community event at a church

Bancroft showed up and showed out on Saturday to support rent relief and housing stability for our neighbors! I had a great time connecting with neighbors and community leaders that are doing everything possible to protect and support our communities.

ICE detained more than 70 Minnesota children, data reveals Immigration officials detained more than 70 Minnesota children between Dec. 1 and March 10, a Sahan analysis of court records and federal deportation data shows.

70 Minnesota children.

Delta Air Lines, who likely flew nearly all of these kiddos out of MSP, could publicly condemn this and end the practice tomorrow, as the airlines did in 2018 with family separation, but it’s easier to stay silent.

In 2023, Minnesota decriminalized paraphernalia. This week we are voting on the Care Over Criminalization ordinance to align Minneapolis with state law. This ordinance is not about legalizing drug possession. It’s not about legalizing drug use. It’s not about completely unrelated laws passed in other cities, states, or anywhere else. Literally all this ordinance does is decriminalize the possession of paraphernalia in alignment with state law. It is about public health and community safety. This ordinance was developed and is backed by data from experts with vast experience on the ground and in the community. Syringe service programs reduce HIV and Hepatitis C transmission by an estimated 50%. People don’t stop using needles because their needles are illegal. Instead, they share them, can get infections, and end up in emergency rooms. Medical practitioners have shared their expertise. Researchers have shared their data-driven evidence. This ordinance will have positive public health and safety outcomes. Unfortunately, the current ordinance subjects people to petty misdemeanor and misdemeanor charges that impact people’s ability to get a job, find housing, and more. This can also have devastating immigration consequences like deportations for our undocumented neighbors. Let’s get this done! Jason Chavez

In 2023, Minnesota decriminalized paraphernalia. This week we are voting on the Care Over Criminalization ordinance to align Minneapolis with state law.

This ordinance is not about legalizing drug possession. It’s not about legalizing drug use. 1/

Three Months In, No Rest for the Weary YouTube video by Better Minneapolis

Now is the time to take action on this and align city ordinance with state law to offer our neighbors care over criminalization.
Full interview here:

There is well documented evidence, and our public health partners are telling us that criminalizing the possession of this kind of paraphernalia does not stop people from using them, it only leads to unsafe use.

Public health advocates are clear that in order to do the important work of preventing the spread of deadly diseases like HIV and Hepatitis C, we need to decriminalize the possession of drug paraphernalia to allow for harm reduction measures.

TOMORROW!

I was thinking, "Morty [burp], I don't care what your parents say. Where we're going we don't need roads!"

What is @jamisonwhiting.bsky.social saying to this person? Wrong answers only

there is something especially brutal, as an Indigenous person, about watching corporate greed attempt to destroy one of the remaining pristine parts of your homeland

Former council presidents: What Minneapolis needs now is leadership from Elliott Payne We were disappointed by the lack of leadership he demonstrated last week when the council failed to confirm Todd Barnette.

This commentary was submitted by former Minneapolis City Council Presidents John Cairns, Lou DeMars, Sharon Sayles Belton, Jackie Cherryhomes, Barb Johnson and Andrea Jenkins.

Six former Minneapolis City Council presidents have joined forces to go after the current one. They span the political spectrum from friends of Jacob Frey to names nobody remembers from the 1970s.
www.startribune.com/todd-barnett...

When announcing the charges on Thursday, Moriarty said: "Our work continues on all fronts, from the killings of Ms Good and Mr Pretti, to the shooting of Mr Sosa-Celis, to the incidents being investigated by our Transparency and Accountability Project."

constituent-posting: thank you, bc as a random person with a job the idea that a publicly funded $300k executive position comes with an implicit "the buck stops...elsewhere" caveat is nuts

Can we just talk about how inappropriate it is to invoke the murder or George Floyd & the uprising that took hold of our city in this context? It’s intentionally provocative and divisive. All bc he didn’t like that the council in our charter authority didn’t rubber stamp an appointment. 🙄

1000% this. As a resident, Barnette should not be reappointed based on the budget issues alone.

I also want to prioritize the safety of all Minneapolis residents, and am deeply concerned that there still are no answers as to how a Ward 8 neighbor, Davis Moturi, went for months asking for help but received none, until finally he was shot in the neck. We expect better from our City leaders.

There is a lot of talk about re-appointment of city officials, so I wanted to talk about it. I voted against re-appointing Public Safety Commissioner Barnette because I take my role of oversight seriously, and we deserve leaders who are tracking and being responsible with taxpayer dollars.

Photo for CM Stevenson presenting to community members

Photo for CM Stevenson presenting to community members

Photo for CM Stevenson presenting to community members

Photo for CM Stevenson presenting to community members

Last week we held a great Ward 8 community meeting in Horn Towers! My office connected with residents about concerns that they have in their homes and heard what they would like to see from our office. There is lots of work to do in our city, and it starts by being together in community.

Anyone who looks to fairly judge nominees based on their current job performance would come to the conclusion that Toddrick Barnette is unfit for the role. In any normal job, if someone oversaw a department that unexpectedly overspent its budget by $20 million you would be immediately fired.

Join Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is funded by our membership — not corporate foundations or private companies. This ensures that DSA members are in full democratic and political control of ou…

Join – Twin Cities DSA share.google/QEsUNS8Tip6B...

Mariah Samuels was taken from her loved ones and her community last September in a horrific act of domestic violence. The man who killed her will spend the rest of his life in prison, which will not bring Mariah back. My heart is with Mariah’s loved ones.

Also happy to be involved!

a man in a suit and tie is standing in a room holding his jacket Alt: a man in a suit and tie is standing in a room holding his jacket, looking around and waiting

POV: George Floyd Square waiting for his decision on the People's Way

•PAUSE EVICTIONS SAVELIVES 45 DAY PRE-EVICTION NOTICE PERIOD PUBLIC HEARING COME TESTIFY! The Minneapolis City Council will vote to extend the pre-eviction notice period from 30 to 45days. Date: April 21st 1:30 pm Committee of the Whole Location: Council Chambers 350 S 5th St Minneapolis, MN

Our community continues to face an extreme housing crisis cause by Operation Metro Surge. Recent reports by Homeline show that eviction filings are up by 18% in Minnesota compared to this time last year. I am proud to bring forward an extension of the 30 pre-eviction notice period to 45 days.

On Saturday I will be joining Bancroft neighbors for a rent relief fundraiser and eviction defense event. We will be gathering 3-5pm at Bethel Lutheran Church, 4120 17th Ave S. Join us to sing, learn and dream together. The event will be followed by a fundraiser bake sale.

Reminder! I will be hosting the next Ward 8 Office Hours this Friday, 4/17 11am-1pm at Bichota Coffee, 3740 Chicago Ave. I hope to see you there!

I was lucky to get to know Dave and to bring forward a resolution honoring his legacy and service to our city. Many throughout our city are deeply grateful for Dave's sage wisdom, sense of humor, kindness and love for his family, his friends, and the people of the city he loved. He will be missed.

Dave Bicking, who laid groundwork for Minnesota activism, dies at 75 Loved ones remember Bicking as a community adviser who always made time to help people.

Minneapolis neighbors are mourning the loss of a cherished community adviser and leader, Dave Bicking, who passed away on April 4th. Dave, who was also a Ward 8 neighbor, dedicated his life to improving the lives of the people of Minneapolis.

At a time when our LGBTQ+ neighbors are under attack by a hostile federal government, now is the time to take action to end stigmatizing policies and work to create more safe spaces for everyone in our community.