Jessica "Jess" Hanson (born September 13, 1986) is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2021. A member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), Hanson represents District 55A in the southern

Twin Cities Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in statu ...

metropolitan area, which includes the cities of Burnsville and

Savage Savage may refer to: Places Antarctica * Savage Glacier, Ellsworth Land * Savage Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Savage Ridge, Victoria Land United States * Savage, Maryland, an unincorporated community * Savage, Minnesota, a city * Savage, Mi ...

and parts of Dakota and

Scott Scott may refer to: Places Canada * Scott, Quebec, municipality in the Nouvelle-Beauce regional municipality in Quebec * Scott, Saskatchewan, a town in the Rural Municipality of Tramping Lake No. 380 * Rural Municipality of Scott No. 98, Saska ...

Counties.

Early life, education and career

Hanson was born and raised in

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 ...

. She earned a Bachelor of Science in social work from

St. Catherine University St. Catherine University (St. Kate's) is a private Catholic university in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was established as one of the first institutions of higher learning specifically for women in the Midwest and was known as the College of St. C ...

and a Master of Arts in advocacy and political leadership from Metropolitan State University. Hanson has worked as a dental network representative for

Anthem An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to short ...

since 2007. Before her election to the legislature, Hanson led the Minnesota Campaign for Full Legalization, a nonprofit advocacy group focused on marijuana legalization.

Minnesota House of Representatives

Hanson was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in

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 reelected in

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...

. She first ran after one-term DFL incumbent Hunter Cantrell announced he would not seek reelection. Hanson defeated former Republican representative and state auditor candidate

Pam Myhra Pamela J. Myhra (born 1957) is an American politician and served as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives during the 87th and 88th legislative sessions. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, she represented portions of Dakota ...

in the general election. In 2020, Hanson had her election results challenged, but a judge dismissed the case for failing to state a claim and a lack of subject-matter jurisdiction. Hanson serves as vice chair of the Economic Development Finance and Policy Committee, and sits on the Children and Families Finance and Policy, Higher Education Finance and Policy, and Human Services Policy Committees. Hanson authored "Travis's Law", which requires 911 operators to refer calls to mental health teams trained to deescalate serious mental health episodes. The bill was named after Travis Jordan, a man considering suicide who was shot and killed by

Minneapolis police The Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) is the primary law enforcement agency in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. It is also the largest police department in Minnesota. Formed in 1867, it is the second-oldest police department in Minnesot ...

in 2018. Hanson's bill passed with bipartisan support and was signed by Governor Walz. Hanson has advocated the legalization of marijuana in Minnesota, arguing it should be done by legislation, not a constitutional referendum. She has said that regulating marijuana would benefit public health and public safety. Hanson authored legislation to repeal a gag order on the study for a

Dan Patch Dan Patch (April 29, 1896 – July 11, 1916) was a noted American Standardbred pacer. At a time when harness racing was one of the largest sports in the nation, Dan Patch was a major celebrity. He was undefeated in open competition, and was so ...

commuter rail line that would link

Northfield, Minnesota Northfield is a city in Dakota and Rice counties in the State of Minnesota. It is mostly in Rice County, with a small portion in Dakota County. The population was 20,790 at the 2020 census. History Northfield was platted in 1856 by John W. N ...

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

. She said that the line, which would run through

Savage, Minnesota Savage is a suburban city south-southwest of downtown Minneapolis in Scott County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city is on the south bank of the Minnesota River in a region commonly called ''South of the River,'' comprising the southern ...

, could improve public transportation in her district. In February 2022, in response to high gas prices, she joined other DFL legislators advocating for a temporary repeal of the state gas tax. Hanson 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.

Electoral history

Personal life

Hanson lives in

Burnsville, Minnesota Burnsville () is a city south of downtown Minneapolis in Dakota County, Minnesota. The city lies on a bluff overlooking the south bank of the Minnesota River upstream from its confluence with the Mississippi River. Burnsville and nearby subur ...

, and has two children.

References

External links

Official House of Representatives website

Official campaign website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hanson, Jessica Living people University of Northwestern – St. Paul alumni St. Catherine University alumni Metropolitan State University alumni Democratic Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives Women state legislators in Minnesota 21st-century American legislators 21st-century American women politicians 1986 births 21st-century Minnesota politicians