Athena Hollins (born October 18, 1983) is an American politician serving in the

Minnesota House of Representatives The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. There are 134 members, twice as many as the Minnesota Senate. Floor sessions are held in the north wing of the State Capitol in Saint Pa ...

since 2021. A member of the

Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) is the Minnesota affiliate of the U.S. Democratic Party. As of 2022, it controls four of Minnesota's eight U.S. House seats, both of its U.S. Senate seats, the Minnesota House of Represen ...

(DFL), Hollins represents District 66B, which includes parts of

Saint Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

in Ramsey County,

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

. Since 2023, Hollins has served as majority whip for the House DFL caucus.

Early life, education, and career

Born in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

, Hollins attended

Reed College Reed College is a private liberal arts college in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1908, Reed is a residential college with a campus in the Eastmoreland neighborhood, with Tudor-Gothic style architecture, and a forested canyon nature preserve at ...

, graduating with a

B.A Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

., and the University of Saint Thomas, graduating with a J.D in 2011. After graduating from law school, Hollins practiced family law and estate planning. She served as president of the Payne-Phalen Community Council. She works in community relations and diversity and inclusion, serving as a senior director of diversity and foundations.

Minnesota House of Representatives

Hollins was elected to the

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

and was reelected in 2022. She challenged nine-term DFL incumbent

John Lesch John Lesch (born January 15, 1973) is a Minnesota politician and former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he last represented 66B, which included portions of Sai ...

for the DFL endorsement and lost, but defeated him in the primary election. Hollins serves as the majority whip for the House DFL caucus and vice chair of the Rules and Legislative Administration Committee. She sits on the Climate and Energy Finance and Policy and Public Safety Finance and Policy Committees, as well as the Property Tax Division of the Taxes Committee. Hollins is a member of the House People of Color & Indigenous (POCI) Caucus, the Black Maternal Health Caucus, and the Queer Caucus. Hollins authored a bill to ban the use of

conversion therapy Conversion therapy is the pseudoscientific practice of attempting to change an individual's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to align with heterosexual and cisgender norms. In contrast to evidence-based medicine and cli ...

for minors and vulnerable adults, which passed the House floor in 2021 and 2023. She also introduced legislation to ban the "

gay panic defense The gay panic defense or homosexual advance defence is a legal strategy in which a defendant claims to have acted in a state of violent, temporary insanity, committing assault or murder, because of unwanted same-sex sexual advances, usually b ...

" used to plead down murder charges against LGBTQ victims. Hollins sponsored successful legislation to eliminate the statute of limitations on reporting sexual assault. In 2021, Hollins introduced legislation to ban the use of no-knock warrants in the state of Minnesota, however lawmakers ended up approving a less restrictive policy. After the police killing of Amir Locke, she introduced a bill to further limit no-knocks, which Governor Walz stated he would sign if it came to his desk. That proposal passed the House floor in 2022 as part of a larger public safety bill, but was opposed by Senate Republicans and chair of the Senate Public Safety Committee,

Warren Limmer Warren E. Limmer (born January 24, 1955) is a Minnesota politician and member of the Minnesota Senate. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, he represents the 34th District, which includes portions of Hennepin County, Minnesota, Hennepin ...

. Hollins has been critical of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officer's Association, stating the MPPOA has been "steadfast in support of the status quo". Hollins signed on to a letter calling on the Biden administration to stop Line 3, a tar sands pipeline proposed to cut through Minnesota tribal lands. She authored legislation requiring manufacturers to disclose when PFAS chemicals are added to their products, and a bill to jump-start the battery industry for storing renewable energy. Hollins supports legalizing marijuana and expunging prior convictions.

Electoral history

Personal life

Hollins lives in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood of

Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County, Minnesota, Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississip ...

, with her spouse.

References

External links

Official House of Representatives website

Official campaign website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hollins, Athena 1983 births Living people Democratic Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives Women state legislators in Minnesota 21st-century American politicians Reed College alumni University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) alumni Minnesota lawyers 21st-century American women politicians