Editing Openai/695ea31c-4338-8004-877b-ef20ef197615 (section)

=== Assistant: The MinnPost story on May 26, 2023 that was big enough for Barack Obama to tweet about was the wrap-up of the Minnesota… ===
The MinnPost story on May 26, 2023 that was big enough for Barack Obama to tweet about was the wrap-up of the Minnesota Legislature’s 2023 session — a session that passed a heavy slate of new laws and record-level spending, and was framed as a clear example that “elections have consequences.” Former President Obama used Minnesota’s legislative actions as a positive case study in why voting matters and highlighted the policy changes coming out of that session. X (formerly Twitter)<ref>{{cite web|title=X (formerly Twitter)|url=https://x.com/BarackObama/status/1662120328275828739?lang=en|publisher=X (formerly Twitter)|access-date=2026-01-08}}</ref>

Here’s the core of what happened:
* Republicans had taken control of neither chamber — Democrats (DFL) won the State Senate by a razor-thin margin earlier that year, giving them full control of both houses and the governor’s office. FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul<ref>{{cite web|title=FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul|url=https://www.fox9.com/news/barack-obama-tweeted-about-minnesota-citing-reason-why-you-should-vote|publisher=FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul|access-date=2026-01-08}}</ref>
* With that control, Minnesota’s 2023 Legislature passed a large set of new policies and budget moves — including measures on abortion rights, gun safety, ballot access, child poverty, and other issues. X (formerly Twitter)<ref>{{cite web|title=X (formerly Twitter)|url=https://x.com/BarackObama/status/1662120328275828739?lang=en|publisher=X (formerly Twitter)|access-date=2026-01-08}}</ref>
* Obama’s tweet referenced a MinnPost recap of that session, calling it affirming that elections matter and pointing to what was accomplished in Minnesota. X (formerly Twitter)<ref>{{cite web|title=X (formerly Twitter)|url=https://x.com/BarackObama/status/1662120328275828739?lang=en|publisher=X (formerly Twitter)|access-date=2026-01-08}}</ref>

He said, roughly, “If you need a reminder that elections have consequences, check out what’s happening in Minnesota,” linking to the MinnPost piece. X (formerly Twitter)<ref>{{cite web|title=X (formerly Twitter)|url=https://twitter.com/KariDziedzic/status/1662144844465160196|publisher=X (formerly Twitter)|access-date=2026-01-08}}</ref>

So the MinnPost article that caught Obama’s attention was the “Transformational and also bonkers” legislative session summary, describing historic spending and policy changes by Minnesota’s state government after Democrats gained full control during the 2023 session. X (formerly Twitter)<ref>{{cite web|title=X (formerly Twitter)|url=https://x.com/BarackObama/status/1662120328275828739?lang=en|publisher=X (formerly Twitter)|access-date=2026-01-08}}</ref>

If you want, I can pull up a summary of the MinnPost article’s key legislative highlights.