News
Past News Highlights:
Women in Politics Series: Sen. Mary Kunesh on Educating Decision-Makers (Women’s Press—August 18, 2022)
Life Before Roe v. Wade (StarTribune—June 24, 2022)
Native women still disproportionately face violence in Minnesota (MPR—May 18, 2022)
Some Minnesota legislators want to rethink state flag (StarTribune—April 9, 2022)
Ivanka Trump’s Empty Spectacle on Violence Against Native Women
The New Republic—July 29, 2020
Native leaders in Minnesota know what a community-led response to violence looks like. This was a photo op.
Ivanka Trump in Bloomington as Native American crime office opens; dozens protest
TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press—July 27, 2020
Mary Kunesh-Podein, who is of Standing Rock Lakota descent, joined protesters outside the new office. “Our women are not photo opportunities,”…
Grand opening of MMIP cold case investigatory office draws praise, criticism
INFORUM—July 27, 2020
Mary Kunesh-Podein, D-New Brighton, said outside of Monday’s event that she and other legislators who drafted the law establishing Minnesota’s own …
Ivanka Trump helps open first ‘cold case’ office in Bloomington
ECM Publishers—July 27, 2020
Mary Kunesh-Podein, the author and chairperson of Minnesota’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Task Force, has been a DFL House …
Minnesota is finally acting to protect Native women
Opinion-Star Tribune-September 27, 2019
The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Task Force will use data to identify and fight systemic causes of violence.
‘Not one more’: Minnesota launches task force on missing and murdered indigenous women
Star Tribune-November 22, 2019
Minnesota House passes Equal Rights Amendment
Star Tribune-March 7, 2019
It would put a measure on the 2020 ballot letting voters decide whether to alter the state’s Constitution to say people have equal rights regardless of gender.
Silenced, slain or disappeared: Indigenous women are focus of new task force
MPRNews-June 6, 2019
Credit compromise for legislative wins in 2019
Editorial-Star Tribune-May 31, 2019
MN House passes MMIW bill (again), North and South Dakota bills became law earlier this year
Bluestem Prairie-May 10, 2019
Lawmakers to discuss creating Task Force on Missing and Murdered …
KSTP-January 27, 2019
Mary Kunesh-Podein, a descendant of the Standing Rock Lakota Tribe. … Kunesh-Podein is proposing legislation to create a Task Force on …
Minnesota bill is a good start to reducing, ending violence against …
Opinion-Star Tribune-January 27, 2019
Bill seeks to address Minnesota’s missing and murdered indigenous …
TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press —February 1, 2019
“This is a national endemic,” said Kunesh-Podein, the bill’s chief author … The Minnesota task force outlined in Kunesh-Podein’s bill would be…
‘It’s time for justice. It’s time for healing.’: Bill seeks to address …
Park Rapids Enterprise-February 1, 2019
Efforts to get ERA bill through Minnesota Legislature complicated by …
MinnPost-January 25, 2019
Kunesh-Podein was followed by a legal scholar, a labor leader, a sexual assault counselor, a county commissioner and others who spoke of…
Minnesota legislature takes on controversial issue dating back to 1923 …
City Pages-January 29, 2019
Mary Kunesh-Podein and St. Paul Democratic Senator Richard Cohen. The stated purpose of the ERA is simple. It guarantees that “equality …
House panel highlights bills against gender-based violence
Star Tribune-January 29, 2019
Mary Kunesh-Podein, was one of the first on the committee’s agenda. The New Brighton Democrat is also sponsoring another bill that would …