Happy hour is coming to Minnesota nursing homes
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
The hottest happy hour in the Twin Cities this weekend might be at your neighborhood nursing home.
Driving the cheers: A new Minnesota law clarifying that nursing homes and other assisted living facilities can serve beer and wine during social events without a liquor license kicks in on Aug. 1.
What they're saying: "Happy hour is our connection, laughter, sharing stories from our lives. It brings friends together and helps make everyday moments special," Anita LeBrun, a Champlin senior who lobbied for the bipartisan law, told reporters at a recent signing ceremony.
The big picture: The "Grandparents Happy Hour" measure is part of a slate of measures taking effect this weekend.
- The statutes cleared the narrowly divided Legislature earlier this year.
Zoom in: Here are some more notable new laws to have on your radar:
🔎 State agencies have more power to freeze payments to suspected fraudsters under a package of reforms that also extends the statute of limitations for prosecuting cases.
- A separate provision seeks to crack down on "ghost students" enrolling in state colleges and universities.
🥚 Food banks can accept — and give away — cartons of donated eggs even after the "quality assurance date" has passed.
- Between the lines: Eggs are still safe to eat at that point, and supporters say the change will help keep food bank shelves stocked while reducing food waste.
₿ "Crypto ATMs" are now banned under a law prompted by concerns about scams targeting seniors.
⬆️ The legal age to purchase kratom — a widely available substance that health officials warn can have opioid-like effects — increases from 18 to 21.
🪖 Minnesota veterans who missed out on graduating high school because they were serving in the Korean or Vietnam wars can request a diploma from their former district.
🚔 The penalty for impersonating a police officer is increasing, under a package of public safety changes prompted by last summer's fatal attacks targeting state lawmakers.
⚖️ Worth noting: As we reported earlier this week, Minnesota's prediction markets ban was paused by the courts before it could take effect on Saturday.
- Another law banning "nudification" apps and websites that use AI to turn photos into sexually explicit images and videos without consent is also facing a legal challenge.
📜 Go Deeper with a list of more new laws, via the Minnesota House Public Information Service.