Jennifer A. McEwen (/məˈkjuːɪn/ mə-KEW-in;[2] born May 14, 1977) is a Minnesota politician and member of the Minnesota Senate. A member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), she represents Senate District 8, which includes the city of Duluth in St. Louis County.
Jen McEwen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Minnesota Senate from the 8th district | |
| Assumed office January 5, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Erik Simonson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 14, 1977 Carbondale, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic (DFL) |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic Socialists of America[a] |
| Residence | Duluth, Minnesota |
| Alma mater | University of Maine Hamline University School of Law |
| Profession | Attorney |
Early life, education, and career
editMcEwen is a Duluth native who had received her B.A. from the University of Maine. She then attended the Hamline University School of Law, earning a J.D. She became an attorney for disabled workers and board president of the Damiano Center, where she has worked with families struggling with food security.[3] McEwen was also previously a public defender.[4] She has two children.[4]
Minnesota State Senate
editIn 2020, McEwen challenged incumbent Senator Erik Simonson for the DFL endorsement in District 7. She won the endorsement and the primary, with 77% of the vote.[5] She then won the general election against Republican nominee Donna Bergstrom, a second-time candidate who ran against Simonson in 2016, with just over 68% of the vote.[6] McEwen was reelected in 2022.[7] She is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).[8]
McEwen serves on the following committees:[9]
- Chair: Labor Finance and Policy
- Vice Chair: Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Legacy Finance
- Transportation Finance and Policy
- Energy, Utilities, Environment and Climate Finance and Policy
In the 93rd Minnesota Legislature, as chair of the Labor Committee, McEwen oversaw reforms that required paid sick leave for all employees and banned non-compete agreements.[4] She authored a bill to increase the liability of contractors for wage theft.[4] She also wrote and sponsored the Protect Reproductive Options Act, which protects abortion rights in Minnesota, after Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022.[10][11] McEwen authored and supported legislation to reestablish passenger rail service between the Twin Cities and Duluth, the Northern Lights Express.[12] In addition, she was the primary sponsor of a bill to provide $240 million to replace lead service lines across Minnesota, which passed and was signed into law in May 2023.[13][14]
See also
editExplanatory notes
editReferences
edit- ^ Stein, Jeff (2017-08-05). "9 questions about the Democratic Socialists of America you were too embarrassed to ask". Vox. Archived from the original on 2018-11-11. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
- ^ "Senate Members' Pronunciation". Minnesota Legislature. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
- ^ Aug 12th 2020 - 10am, Teri Cadeau | (12 August 2020). "McEwen advances to Minnesota Senate District 7 general election". Duluth News Tribune. Archived from the original on 2021-01-15. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d Nesterak, Max (29 June 2023). "The players who made the big plays: Minnesota lawmakers worth watching". Minnesota Reformer. Archived from the original on 2023-06-29. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
- ^ "What a progressive DFLer's primary victory in Duluth says (and doesn't say) about politics and environmental policy in northern Minnesota". MinnPost. 2020-08-13. Archived from the original on 2021-01-14. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
- ^ "Index - Election Results". electionresults.sos.state.mn.us. Archived from the original on 2021-01-14. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
- ^ Passi, Peter (2022-11-09). "McEwen retains Duluth's Senate District 8 seat". Duluth News Tribune. Archived from the original on 2022-11-18. Retrieved 2023-01-28.
- ^ Dreier, Peter (2020-12-11). "The Number Of Democratic Socialists In The House Will Soon Double. But The Movement Scored Its Biggest Victories Down Ballot". Talking Points Memo. Archived from the original on 2021-07-26. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
- ^ "MN State Senate". www.senate.mn. Archived from the original on 2021-01-13. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
- ^ Bierschbach, Briana (28 January 2023). "What you need to know about abortion bills moving at the Minnesota Capitol". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on 2023-01-28. Retrieved 2023-01-28.
- ^ Derosier, Alex (2023-01-27). "Minnesota Senate set to vote on abortion rights protections". Detroit Lakes Tribune. Archived from the original on 2023-01-27. Retrieved 2023-01-28.
- ^ Derosier, Alex (24 January 2023). "Advocates of Twin Cities-Duluth passenger rail service say they are more optimistic about approval". St. Paul Pioneer Press. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
- ^ Derosier, Alex (2023-05-09). "Minnesota Senate approves $240 million for lead-pipe replacement". Duluth News Tribune. Archived from the original on 2023-05-18. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ Wiley, Michelle (2023-05-16). "Walz signs $240 million lead pipe removal bill". MPR News. Archived from the original on 2023-06-05. Retrieved 2024-01-05.