10th Avenue Bridge in Minneapolis dedicated to former Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic
The 10th Avenue Bridge in downtown Minneapolis was dedicated Wednesday to Kari Dziedzic, the former Senate Majority Leader who died last year after a battle with cancer.
Dziedzic served in the Minnesota Senate from 2012 to 2024, representing northeast Minneapolis, Cedar-Riverside and Dinkytown.
A Minneapolis native, the Democrat guided her colleagues through a 2023 legislative session where, with a one-seat majority, she helped pass legislation to codify abortion rights, secure school meals for Minnesota students, expand voting rights for prior felons and legalize recreational marijuana. She also worked with Republicans to pass legislation to fund infrastructure projects.
The 10th Avenue Bridge runs parallel to the Interstate 35W bridge across the Mississippi River. Many of her colleagues said it was fitting to name a bridge in Dziedzic's honor, because she was often a bridge in bringing people together.
"She was the strongest leader that we've ever head, someone that I called a friend, someone that I trusted, and as we are standing here on this bridge, it's not about being a structure of steal and concrete. It's about how she lived and what she lived, the way she bridged communities across party lines and the way she brought people together. This is why we're here today," said state Rep. Mohamud Noor.
Dziedzic was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2023. She stepped down as the Minnesota Senate Majority Leader in early 2024 when she learned her cancer returned.
Dziedzic's personal health struggles prompted a policy proposal: Health insurance should cover wigs for cancer patients. Her bill requires insurance coverage with a doctor's prescription for wigs up to $1,000 per year.
She was 62 years old when she died. The Minnesota Senate unanimously passed a measure earlier this year to dedicate the 10th Avenue Bridge as the Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic Memorial Bridge.