Wednesday 2/20
It’s another busy week for Minnesota legislators. There are some important bills on the docket today including the following:
*Adding an equal rights amendment (ERA) to the MN constitution via the ballot in 2020.
*HF4 -a bill that would prevent drug price increases (I’m looking at you insulin) and give MN’s Attorney General the power to put a stop to drug companies who try to gouge consumers.
*HF 983- Ranked Choice Voting!
*Adding an equal rights amendment (ERA) to the MN constitution via the ballot in 2020.
*HF4 -a bill that would prevent drug price increases (I’m looking at you insulin) and give MN’s Attorney General the power to put a stop to drug companies who try to gouge consumers.
*HF 983- Ranked Choice Voting!
Tomorrow, Republicans are going to try to abolish Minnesota’s current office of IT (Internet Technology) and reorganize them under a commissioner approved by the Senate.
Find more information about these bills and many others by checking out Indivisible Minnesota Legislative Action. https://mailchi.mp/…/indivisible-minnesota-legislative-acti…
Minnesota’s Election Security Funding
You know what’s missing from Minnesota’s legislative agenda? SF93- a bill that would provide funding for election security. Minnesota was one of 21 states whose election system was targeted by hackers in 2016, yet we are the only state that has not accessed election security funding approved by Congress through the Help America Vote Act. This money would help update Minnesota’s aging Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS), and help train election officials, among other things.
You know what’s missing from Minnesota’s legislative agenda? SF93- a bill that would provide funding for election security. Minnesota was one of 21 states whose election system was targeted by hackers in 2016, yet we are the only state that has not accessed election security funding approved by Congress through the Help America Vote Act. This money would help update Minnesota’s aging Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS), and help train election officials, among other things.
Currently, the Republican-controlled Senate will only allow for a fraction ($1.5 million) of the approximately $6.6 million allotted to be released to the Secretary of State. Why? Seems like a good question to ask our own Senators or Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer, the chairwoman of the State Government Finance and Policy and Elections Committee. Sen. Kiffmeyer was a former MN Secretary of State. She also is a member of ALEC, a lobbying group for big corporations.
In light of the past election experiences in other states like Florida, Georgia, North Dakota and North Carolina, we Minnesotans need to push hard to ensure that EVERY eligible voter in Minnesota gets the opportunity to cast a ballot.
Like Secretary of State Steve Simon said, “Every day that we wait, and every day that we delay, and every day that we don’t have the resources intended for us by Congress is a day ... that we are putting the integrity of our election system and every voter’s vote at risk.”
Call your own Senator (especially if he/she is a Republican) and call Sen. Kiffmeyer today. Tell them you want Sec. Simon to have all the money with no restrictions.
Like Secretary of State Steve Simon said, “Every day that we wait, and every day that we delay, and every day that we don’t have the resources intended for us by Congress is a day ... that we are putting the integrity of our election system and every voter’s vote at risk.”
Call your own Senator (especially if he/she is a Republican) and call Sen. Kiffmeyer today. Tell them you want Sec. Simon to have all the money with no restrictions.
http://www.startribune.com/federal-election-security-fun…/…/
https://www.vox.com/…/midterm-election-results-voting-right…
https://www.cnn.com/…/north-carolina-9th-distric…/index.html
https://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/What_is_ALEC%3F
https://www.vox.com/…/midterm-election-results-voting-right…
https://www.cnn.com/…/north-carolina-9th-distric…/index.html
https://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/What_is_ALEC%3F
State Government Finance and Policy and Elections Committee https://www.senate.mn/committees/committee_bio.php…
Do it for the Bramble Cay melomys
The Bramble Cay melomys, a small, unassuming rodent, was officially declared extinct. These little guys are the first animals whose extinction is due to climate change and rising sea levels. Beyond that, the loss of the Bramble Cay melomys is an example of doing too little too late. Scientists had planned on starting a captive breeding program but the poor island-living melomys (melomyses? melomi? What’s the plural of melomys?) were washed away by a big wave before the program was started.
https://www.theguardian.com/…/bramble-cay-melomys-australia…
The Bramble Cay melomys, a small, unassuming rodent, was officially declared extinct. These little guys are the first animals whose extinction is due to climate change and rising sea levels. Beyond that, the loss of the Bramble Cay melomys is an example of doing too little too late. Scientists had planned on starting a captive breeding program but the poor island-living melomys (melomyses? melomi? What’s the plural of melomys?) were washed away by a big wave before the program was started.
https://www.theguardian.com/…/bramble-cay-melomys-australia…
Let’s use the plight of the Bramble Cay melomys as a cautionary tale for our own precious fauna. Did you know that Trump’s border wall will threaten 93 endangered species including jaguars, ocelots, Mexican gray wolves and cactus ferruginous pygmy owls? Many threatened species have designated critical habitat on the border between the U. S. and Mexico. Building that wall could be the “big wave” that pushes these animals into extinction.
https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/…/A_Wall_in_the_Wild.pdf
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/…/how-trump-us-mexico-b…/
https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/…/A_Wall_in_the_Wild.pdf
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/…/how-trump-us-mexico-b…/
The National Butterfly Center that was directly in the path of Trump’s bulldozers had hoped to be spared, but Trump’s declaration of his “national emergency” may change that.
http://www.abajournal.com/…/trump-declares-national-emergen…
https://thehill.com/…/430117-federal-judge-dismisses-lawsui…
http://www.abajournal.com/…/trump-declares-national-emergen…
https://thehill.com/…/430117-federal-judge-dismisses-lawsui…
Let’s be clear, Trump’s wall is the national emergency. We must stand up for the animals who have no voice. Call your members of Congress and Attorney General Ellison (who has sued Trump, thank you very much) and demand that they speak for the animals at the border.
Donate to the National Butterfly Center here: https://www.gofundme.com/protect-the-national-butterfly-cen…
Gov. Walz’s Budget Proposal
Governor Walz announced his budget proposal. Learn more about it here: https://www.mprnews.org/…/gov-tim-walz-poised-to-propose-bu…
Governor Walz announced his budget proposal. Learn more about it here: https://www.mprnews.org/…/gov-tim-walz-poised-to-propose-bu…
Unity is the key to success
Bernie Sanders announced that he will run for president again. Already, the comment sections are a-buzz with varying opinions on his decision to run. There are many, many people running for president already. I suspect more will join in as the months go by.
As we see policy debate shape up in the Democratic primary, remember that the Republican Party doesn't believe that climate change, inequality, gun violence, structural racism, and the collapse of democracy are real problems, so they don't even propose solutions.
We may all have our favorite candidate and that’s okay! But one thing is for sure, they are ALL a better choice than Trump. Let’s promise now to be kind to one another. When the primaries are over, let’s commit to supporting the Democratic candidate, whoever it turns out to be.
Here’s a great article if you don’t mind a few (a lot) of swear words. (Thanks for this one, H. T.)
https://modernliberals.press/2019/02/19/i-will-vote-bernie/
Bernie Sanders announced that he will run for president again. Already, the comment sections are a-buzz with varying opinions on his decision to run. There are many, many people running for president already. I suspect more will join in as the months go by.
As we see policy debate shape up in the Democratic primary, remember that the Republican Party doesn't believe that climate change, inequality, gun violence, structural racism, and the collapse of democracy are real problems, so they don't even propose solutions.
We may all have our favorite candidate and that’s okay! But one thing is for sure, they are ALL a better choice than Trump. Let’s promise now to be kind to one another. When the primaries are over, let’s commit to supporting the Democratic candidate, whoever it turns out to be.
Here’s a great article if you don’t mind a few (a lot) of swear words. (Thanks for this one, H. T.)
https://modernliberals.press/2019/02/19/i-will-vote-bernie/
Check out Majority Leader Steny Hoyer’s schedule for the House of Representatives https://www.majorityleader.gov/floor-res…/the-weekly-leader…
Klobuchar-202-224-3244
Smith (202) 224-5641
House of Representative switchboard: (202) 224-3121
MN Legislators: https://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/legislators
Resistbot: https://resistbot.io/
Governor Walz https://mn.gov/governor/
Smith (202) 224-5641
House of Representative switchboard: (202) 224-3121
MN Legislators: https://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/legislators
Resistbot: https://resistbot.io/
Governor Walz https://mn.gov/governor/
No comments:
Post a Comment