Senator Sandy Pappas was first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1984. After serving three terms, she was elected to the Minnesota Senate, where she currently serves.

Despite resistance from the current Republican majority, Sandy’s recent significant accomplishments as minority lead on the Senate Capitol Investment Committee were negotiating a robust state capital improvement package that included $52 million in funding to replace the 3rd Street Bridge from downtown to the East Side; development funds for the Victoria Theater on University Avenue; and equity funds for the Watan Tipi Center and the Hmong Plaza. Another recent bonding accomplishment was securing funds to build High Ground residence which greatly improved the quality of life for many homeless people in St Paul. Other bonding projects Sandy secured over the years were the Mississippi Riverfront Upper Landing, Harriet Island and Raspberry Island, the Children’s Museum, and Union Depot.

This past session, Sandy also authored and shepherded bills eliminating the statute of limitations on sexual assault and banning child marriage in Minnesota.

During her time in the Senate, Sandy has been a strong advocate to improve the lives of working people. Two important bills she passed improve the lives of women and workers. WESA strengthens workplace protections and flexibility for pregnant women and nursing mothers, expands employment opportunities for women in high-wage, high-demand occupations and reduces the gender pay gap through increased enforcement of equal pay laws. She also survived a Republican filibuster to establish the rights of personal care assistants and day care providers who received state funds to organize and join unions for collective bargaining.

Other notable results Sandy has secured to make Saint Paul a great place to live and build stronger communities through Minnesota include:

Funding for all-day kindergarten.
Passing legislation targeting state funding at local colleges to help people of color become teachers.
Funding for authoritative studies and reporting of gender and racial bias in the Minnesota court system.
Establishing a licensing system for traditional midwives and for ensuring doulas have access to hospital birthing centers in Minnesota.
Fighting off numerous efforts of outsiders to raise the speed limit on the section of Interstate 35E which bisects District 65.
Leading the effort to authorize the use of ½ cent sales tax to fund the Neighborhood STAR Program which awards loans and grants for capital improvement projects in Saint Paul neighborhoods.

Other pioneer legislation Sandy authored and got passed for Minnesota include:

Domestic Partners benefits for state employees.
Emergency contraception kits available in Emergency Rooms for sexual assault victims.
Climate Neutral Bill requiring that new state buildings constructed be carbon neutral in CO2 emissions.
Legislation curbing debt settlement abuse.
Legislation expanding the definitions of labor and sex trafficking under criminal statutes.
Home funeral legislation allowing families to hold home vigils and substitute dry ice in place of embalming chemicals.
Expanding the scope of orders of protection to include a victim’s pet, authorizing court jurisdiction.

An out-spoken advocate for human rights, Sandy has passed legislation to prohibit the international trafficking of persons; to curtail investment of state funds in the Darfur region of Sudan; and to allow high school graduates with undocumented parents to attend Minnesota state colleges at resident tuition rate (Minnesota’s DREAM Act). She has authored legislation to ban assault weapons, and to divest state funds from fossil fuels, addressing the climate crisis. Protecting partners and children from domestic abuse has long been a priority for Sandy. Minnesota became a national leader in protecting from dangerous abusers in 2014 when we passed a state law that requires that individuals under a domestic or child abuse protective order is not only prohibited from purchasing firearms, but must also surrender guns they already possess. Protecting partners and children from domestic abuse has long been a priority for Sandy. Minnesota became a national leader in protecting from dangerous abusers in 2014 when we passed a state law that requires that individuals under a domestic or child abuse protective order is not only prohibited from purchasing firearms, but must also surrender guns they already possess.

As a multi-year leader on the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement, Sandy was key in facilitating and negotiating a global agreement among retirees, labor and administration that strengthened and protected state employee pensions into the future.

A respected leader at the Minnesota Capitol, Sandy has served in many leadership positions. In 2013, she was elected by her peers to serve as Senate President. In this non-partisan role she managed Senate floor action and ruled on critical issues such as questions of germaneness.

Sandy is currently the minority lead on the Capitol Investment Committee. She also serves on the Senate’s Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee. She has served on the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement, including as chair, vice-chair and secretary. As a Capitol Area Architecture Board member and State Capitol Preservation Commissioner, Sandy is involved in Capitol asset preservation and policies on monuments on the Capitol Mall and development in the Capitol Area.

Women running for re-election to the Minnesota State Senate this year. Our numbers are dwindling from the 2014-2016 session.

Women’s Economic Security Act 2014

In 2014, Sandy passed the landmark Women’s Economic Security Act which includes stronger workplace protections for women and is paving the way for a future in which Minnesota women receive equal pay for equal work

Sandy and Friends

Neal, Jit, Sandy, Dave Thune, and Catherine Ryan

Door knocking for #GunSense

MN Moms Chapter Leader Marit Brock, State Senate President Senator Sandy Pappas, Moms Member and GV Survivor Sara Gleason. They were door knocking for #GunSense

Walter Mondale and Sandy Pappas

Celebrating 4th of July with VP Walter Mondale

Celebrating 4th of July with former Senator

Celebrating 4th of July with former Senator Ellen Anderson and VP Walter Mondale

Sandy and Rena Moran

National Conference of State Legislatures in Chicago

Minnesota legislators (including Sandy) take a selfie at the National Conference of State Legislatures event in Chicago

Sandy, walking in solidarity with the striking Allina nurses as they continue to fight to protect their health care access.

Sandy Pappas with Women Winning intern, Zi Xue

Please welcome Zi Xue, Sandy's Women Winning intern for her campaign. Zi is a University of Minnesota student from northern China who is interested in learning about America's democratic elections.

Investing in K-12 and expanding early childhood education is a top priority for Sandy. Include education achievements.

Sandy passed the landmark Women’s Economic Security Act

A member of the Capitol Investment Committee

As a member of the Capitol Investment Committee, Sandy has been a strong voice on fixing Minnesota’s aging infrastructure. *Include bonding achievements or priorities*. In 2014, she secured six million dollars in state funding to expand the Dorothy Day Center.

In 2016, Sandy passed legislation to support the development of a soccer stadium in St. Paul. She has worked with leaders in helping to bring major league soccer to the district.

Sandy recognizes that Minnesota has some of the worst racial disparities in the country. That is why she is committed to working with community partners on solutions to make Minnesota more equitable. In 2016, she served on the newly formed Subcommittee on Equity, and secured funding for St. Paul organizations such as the YWCA- St. Paul and the Sanneh Foundation for work training programming and youth mentoring, as well as funding to recruit teachers of color.

A Life-long Advocate for the Environment

Sandy is life-long advocate for the environment. In 2016, Sandy introduced legislation to study the feasibility of divesting state investments from the fossil fuel industry.

Work Remains to be Done

POLICE ACCOUNTABLITY
The eyes of the country are on Minnesota this fall, and it’s up to all of us to help secure progressive victories across the state. Republicans know they don’t have anything concrete to offer Minnesotans, so they’re trying to win by making us fear each other.

The DFL People of Color and Indigenous Caucus, chaired by state Representative Rena Moran, released The Minnesota Police Accountability Act of 2020. Highlights include:
Reclaiming community oversight by putting power into the hands of the people and neighborhoods that police officers are sworn to serve and protect.
Reforming accountability to restore confidence and trust in the system that are meant to provide justice for all Minnesotans.
Reimagining public safety by ending the unacceptable culture that is responsible for the murder of George Floyd and far too many others who look like him.

Senator Pappas is proud to be endorsed by Representative Moran and looks forward being an advocate in the Senate for this package of needed reforms.

Progress was made on police accountability and reform during a July special session thanks to a bill sponsored by Representative Carlos Mariani and supported by Senator Pappas in the Senate. Under one of the most impactful overhauls of the state’s public safety in years, chokeholds by police officers are banned in all but extreme circumstances; warrior training that encourages aggressive conduct is outlawed; and officers are now required to intervene when another officer is using excessive force. This is a good start and an issue that will need to continued to be addresses until everyone feels safe in their community.

RACIAL EQUITY
While a police reform and accountability package was passed during a July special session, this in only the first step in addressing systematic racism in our state. Senator Pappas thanks her colleagues in the Minnesota House of Representatives who voted to declare racism a public health crisis. The education, economic and housing opportunity gaps for people of color must be closed and with leadership from the state and grassroots support, justice will prevail.

PAID FAMILY LEAVE
A Paid Family Leave Program would provide an employee a partial wage replacement for up to 12 weeks to care for themselves, a family member or upon the adoption or birth of a child.

EARNED SAFE AND SICK TIME
Senator Pappas is chief author of the Earned Sick and Safe Time bill that would allow workers to earn up to 48 hours of paid leave for illness, injury, care for a family member, or an absence because of domestic abuse or sexual assault.

TEACHERS THAT REFLECT STUDENTS
A report released by the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing Standards Board found that only 4.3% of Minnesota teachers are people of color, while 33% of Minnesota students are people of color. Sen. Pappas will continue to work on legislation to provide scholarships and loan forgiveness to students of color who want to be teachers.

MAKING JUNETEEN A STATE HOLIDAY
Governor Tim Walz has asked legislative leaders to work with the community to draft legislation to establish Juneteenth as a state holiday. Senator Pappas will support this work.

DRIVERS LICENSES FOR ALL
Senator Pappas will continue to work on legislation that changes the types of documents needed for people to use as a form of identification that is accepted to received a driver’s license. The effort also repeals the requirements of U.S. citizenship, short-term admission to the U.S. and authorized presence status.

RESTORE THE VOTE
More than 53,000 Minnesotans are unable to vote because of a felony conviction on their record. After people are released from probation or supervision, they should be able to vote.

DREAM ACT
Senator Pappas is the chief author of legislation to provide more state grant money to undocumented immigrants attending college who do not qualify for federal aid. Senator Pappas’s bill would make up the gap in federal aid.

GUN VIOLENCE PROTECTION
Laws must be passed to restrict firearm transfers between people with criminal backgrounds and limit access to guns for individuals posting a significant danger to themselves or others. Though bills to close dangerous loopholes receive overwhelming support from the public, the Republican-led Senate refused to grant these bills hearings.

EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT
Minnesota has been active in trying to get the ERA passed since the 1970s. Senator Pappas will continue her efforts to make equal rights for all a reality.

LEGALIZE RECREATIONAL CANNABIS
Senator Pappas authored legislation to legalize cannabis, allow for expungement of eligible marijuana-related convictions and set up a way to tax the sale of cannabin in Minnesota. While these measures did not pass, Senator Pappas will ensure the oversight and legal framework conversations are had to make this bill a reality.

A RETIREMENT PLAN FOR LOW-WAGE WORKERS
Senator Pappas has been active on the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement. That work made her aware that not everyone has access to a pension plan to augment their social security. She has been working with AARP and SEIU on legislation to establish a pension system for low wage workers who aren’t provided a pension by their employers.

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