Monday 4/29

1. I could use a break from the primary campaign.  We don't live in Saint Paul anymore, but it, and other cities have elections in 2019!  They are important, but they can be harder to figure out, without political parties: "So far, identity politics and social issues appear to be recurring themes, even for positions that routinely decide such parochial matters as whether a property owner should be assessed for an uncut lawn or icy sidewalk."

https://www.twincities.com/2019/02/08/in-st-paul-19-candidates-have-declared-for-7-city-council-seats-in-fall-election/

So why don’t people vote locally? Two main reasons.

"One is a lack of consolidated elections... The other reason is because many of these contests are, by law, nonpartisan."

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-04-29/why-no-one-votes-in-local-elections

2. Keep an eye on this.

"New rules issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in February significantly tighten eligibility requirements, barring staff at clinics that receive the taxpayer-funded grants from providing referrals to abortion providers. The new regulations, now under legal challenge, also require “clear financial and physical separation” between clinics that receive Title X funds and clinics that perform abortions.

Federal law already prohibits federal taxpayer money from being used for most abortions. But Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar has described the changes as “foundational reforms” that will “bring integrity to the program” by ensuring “taxpayer money is not being used to, directly or indirectly, fund abortion.”"

http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-clinics-fight-trump-rule-restricting-funds-for-abortion-referrals/509194402/

3. Democratic presidential contenders are taking strong stands on obstruction of justice in the Mueller report.

"Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., argued Sunday that special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia interference could implicate President Trump in obstruction of justice, even as she remains hesitant to call for Trump's impeachment."

https://www.nbcnews.com/card/klobuchar-mueller-report-looks-obstruction-justice-n999256

""I believe Congress should take the steps towards impeachment. But I want to say this, because it doesn't end there," the California senator said on a CNN-hosted town hall Monday. "I'm also a realist. ... I have also witnessed folks in the United States Congress, and in particular in the GOP, who have been presented with many reasons to push back against this president and they have not.""

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/04/22/kamala-harris-impeachment-donald-trump-1287206

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/