New Minnesota laws going into effect August 1

DULUTH, MN. (Northern News Now) - With a week left in July, Minnesotans should be aware of new law changes coming on August 1.

Several new laws that came out of this year’s legislative session are about to become a reality.

The biggest change to come out of the session was the law to make recreational marijuana legal.

Marijuana:

Minnesotans will be allowed to possess cannabis and certain cannabis-related convictions will be expunged.

21 or older can possess or publicly transport two ounces of cannabis flower, and up to eight grams of cannabis concentrates.
21 or older can possess up to two pounds of cannabis flower in their home.
Limits on edible cannabis product possession are 800 milligrams of THC.
Prohibits possession of opened cannabis products in a motor vehicle, similar to the existing “open bottle” law

Misdemeanor cannabis convictions will begin to be expunged.

Records will not be destroyed but will be removed from public view and will not appear in criminal background checks.
A Cannabis Expungement Board will examine more serious cannabis convictions on a case-by-case basis.
Board will determine whether a person’s felony cannabis conviction should be expunged or if they should be resentenced to a lesser offense.

Public Safety:

Require all private purchases of pistols and semi-automatic military-style assault weapons to be subject to background checks.
Minnesota Rehabilitation and Reinvestment Act: Requires the Department of Corrections to develop a personalized rehabilitation plan for every inmate with at least a year left to serve their sentence.
Prohibits peace officers from joining or supporting hate or extremist groups.
Reimburses firefighters and emergency workers for purchasing soft body armor.
Strengthens laws prohibiting surreptitious observation or photographing that invades a person’s privacy.
Requires landlords to disclose all non-optional fees in the lease agreement.

Catalytic Converter Thefts:

The new law aims to make selling stolen catalytic converters to scrap metal dealers more difficult.

Prohibits the possession of a detached catalytic converter with a “few narrow exceptions.”
Potential felony charge for a person possessing an illegally acquired detached catalytic converter.
Scrap metal dealers cannot buy a catalytic converter not attached to a vehicle unless it has identifying markings that can connect it to that certain vehicle.
Courts required to include the costs of replacing a catalytic converter as part of any restitution ordered in a criminal case.

Worker Safety:

The new law establishes worker safety requirements in warehouses.

Under the law, employers are required to provide each warehouse worker with a written description of any quotas, including details about how their work is measured and any action that might result if they fail to meet those quotas.

The requirements are aimed at helping employees at companies like Amazon.

Bicyclists:

Under this new law, Minnesota bicyclists will be allowed to roll through stop signs as long as they do it with caution and skill.

The law states that “a bicycle operator who approaches a stop sign must slow to a speed that allows for stopping before entering the intersection or the nearest crosswalk. If there is not a vehicle in the vicinity, the operator may make a turn or proceed through the intersection without stopping.”

The law also designates the Mississippi River Trail Bikeway and the Jim Oberstar Bikeway as state bicycle routes.

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