Jessica Hanson (born September 13, 1986) is an American politician serving in the

Minnesota House of Representatives The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the U.S. state of Minnesota's Minnesota Legislature, legislature. It operates in conjunction with the Minnesota Senate, the state's upper chamber, to write and pass legislation, whic ...

since 2021. A member of the

Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Minnesota ( ) is a state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the south, and No ...

(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 stat ...

metropolitan area, which includes the cities of Burnsville and

Savage Savage may refer to: * Savage (pejorative term), a derogatory term to describe a member of a people the speaker regards as primitive and uncivilized Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Bill Savage, in the 2000 AD ''Invasion!'' ...

and parts of

Dakota Dakota may refer to: * Dakota people, a sub-tribe of the Sioux ** Dakota language, their language Dakota may also refer to: Places United States * Dakota, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Dakota, Illinois, a town * Dakota, Minnesota ...

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, Sas ...

Counties.

Early life, education and career

Hanson was born and raised in

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

. 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 Metropolitan State University (Metro State) is a public university in the Minneapolis–St. Paul, Minnesota metropolitan area. It is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.

. 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 sho ...

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

marijuana legalization The legality of cannabis for medical and recreational use varies by country, in terms of its possession, distribution, and cultivation, and (in regards to medical) how it can be consumed and what medical conditions it can be used for. The ...

Minnesota House of Representatives

Hanson was first elected to district 56A of the

2020 The year 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 even ...

after one-term DFL incumbent Hunter Cantrell announced he would not seek reelection. Hanson defeated former Republican state representative and state auditor candidate Pam Myhra by 3.3 percentage points in the general election. Hanson challenged the 2020 election results, but a judge dismissed the case for the appellant's failure to state a claim and a lack of subject-matter jurisdiction. Hanson has been reelected twice since redistricting, winning in district 55A by 6.1 points in

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

and 6.8 points in

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

. 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 Minnesota ...

in 2018. Hanson's bill passed with bipartisan support and was signed by Governor Walz. Hanson has advocated the

legalization of marijuana The legality of cannabis for medical and recreational use varies by country, in terms of its possession, distribution, and cultivation, and (in regards to medical) how it can be consumed and what medical conditions it can be used for. The ...

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 Pace (horse gait), 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 compet ...

commuter rail line that would link

Northfield, Minnesota Northfield is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, Dakota and Rice County, Minnesota, Rice counties in the U.S. state, state of Minnesota. It is mostly in Rice County, with a small portion in Dakota County. The population was 20,790 at the 2020 U ...

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

. 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 south ...

, 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. 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.

Electoral history

Personal life

Hanson lives in

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

, 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 women politicians 1986 births 21st-century members of the Minnesota Legislature Politicians from Burnsville, Minnesota