Hennepin County Board candidate and current Minnesota Rep. Heather Edelson is co-sponsoring legislation that would ban the sale of gas-powered lawn and gardening tools in Minnesota.
Currently running in a special election for the District 6 seat on the Hennepin County Board, Edelson faces conservative newcomer Marisa Simonetti.
Serving in her third-term as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, Edelson signed on as a co-author of HF 1715 in the early days of Minnesota’s 93rd Legislative Session. Under that proposed law, the sale of new gas-powered lawn mowers, leaf blowers, hedge clippers, chainsaws, and other “law and garden equipment” would be banned in Minnesota on and after Jan. 1, 2025.
Additionally, Edelson co-authored a similar piece of legislation, HF 1716, that would ban the sale of new gas-powered ice resurfacing machines such as Zambonis. That proposed law would also take effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
After their introduction, both bills were referred to the House Commerce Committee but did not advance any further.
Alpha News reached out to Rep. Edelson to ask why she co-sponsored both bills and whether she still supports a ban on these gas-powered products. However, Edelson did not respond to either question prior to publication.
The District 6 seat of the Hennepin County Board includes Edina, Minnetonka, Hopkins, parts of Eden Prairie, Wayzata, Orono, Shorewood, Deephaven, and several other Lake Minnetonka communities.
The special election for the seat is set to occur on May 14.
In addition to legislation-related questions, Alpha News asked Edelson about her thoughts regarding the ongoing legal case involving Minnesota State Trooper Ryan Londregan.
The Londregan case has generated significant media coverage and controversy. Public officials and Minnesota citizens have strongly criticized how Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty has handled the criminal case against the state trooper.
Much of the controversy has surrounded Moriarty’s decision to pursue charges against Londregan despite objections from law enforcement experts who say the state trooper acted in accordance with his training, protected his partner, and did not commit a crime on the night Ricky Cobb II died.
Given the media attention surrounding the case, and the way the Hennepin County Attorney has handled the matter, Moriarty’s impending prosecution of Trooper Londregan remains a prominent issue in Hennepin County.
Just days ago, Hennepin County commissioners voted 5-1 to give Moriarty the ability to “approve and sign” outside counsel to assist in prosecuting Trooper Londregan.
Rep. Edelson’s opponent in the race for District 6, Marisa Simonetti, has publicly expressed her support for Trooper Londregan and recently criticized the vote by the Hennepin County Board.
Edelson did not respond to a media inquiry which asked about her thoughts on the Londregan case and the Hennepin County Board’s recent vote.
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
