Gov. Walz proposes legalizing marijuana and spending $2.3 billion on health and public safety

Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan unveiled a sweeping package of health and public safety proposals Wednesday that would cost nearly $2.3 billion over three years.

Walz and Flanagan’s supplemental budget recommendations include a slew of policies the governor says will lower crime rates and improve health outcomes. They include creating grants for preventive policing, legalizing marijuana for adults and establishing a public health insurance option.

“This is a comprehensive, modern approach to public safety that was built with every neighborhood in mind,” Walz said in a news release.

With the 2022 legislative session just days away, Walz and legislative leaders this week have been rolling out their funding wish lists and gearing up for tough negotiations over how to spend the state’s projected $7.7 billion budget surplus. Walz’s full slate of recommendations, spanning infrastructure to public safety, total more than $12 billion over three years.

Read more: https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/gov-walz-proposes-legalizing-marijuana-and-spending-2-3-billion-on-health-and-public-safety/