The Power of Many - Minnesota

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Wednesday 2/13 Call to Action

Wednesday 2/13
Local Fare
If you are not following Indivisible Minnesota Legislative Action, you should. They are on top of what’s going down in local government; a task I find particularly daunting.
https://mailchi.mp/…/imla-action-alert-update-missing-and-m…

Today at the Capitol there will be hearings on, prohibiting the shameful practice of conversion therapy, restoring voting rights for felons, providing free public transportation on Election Day, Net Neutrality for Minnesota, and establishing standards for sick leave. Pay a visit or contact legislators, especially if your own House member is on the committee.

Governor Walz and Enbridge Line 3
Gov. Walz announced yesterday that his administration will continue the appeal started by Gov. Dayton of Enbridge Energy’s proposal to build an oil pipeline across northern Minnesota. The pipeline’s route would go directly through Ojibwe treaty territory and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan has been working hard to advocate for the people and the land that would be affected.

Read more about it here, https://www.mprnews.org/…/02/12/line-3-pipeline-walz-decisi…, then call and thank Walz and Flanagan if you are so inclined.

Do you live in Minnesota’s second congressional district? There is a lot going on here! MN02’s new congresswoman, Angie Craig is working her buns off for her constituents. It has been such a refreshing change from the last two years. If you would like to follow Rep. Craig, and many other things that are happening in this district, I highly recommend CD2Action (https://cd2action.com). This website is a one-stop shop for everything you need to be in the know. There is good stuff there for everyone, even if you are not lucky enough to call MN02 your home.

Another Government Shutdown?
Congress has until Friday to figure out a funding package before another government shutdown happens. There have been rumors that there is a potential deal on the table. The deal will include $1.375b for border barriers (55 new miles of bollard fencing) and an overall cap on detention beds drops from 49,057 to 40,520. Let’s hope we can get Congress to pass it and Trump to sign it before the talking heads from Fox News convince him to do otherwise.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/16275638-2ed9-11e9-813a-0a…

https://indivisible.org/…/trumps-latest-temper-tantrum-and-…

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/

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Will 2020 Be a Royal Rumble? - Between the Scenes | The Daily Show

“If you don’t believe someone is fit to be president, they don’t become fit because they beat you.…

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Will 2020 Be a Royal Rumble? - Between the Scenes | The Daily Show

“If you don’t believe someone is fit to be president, they don’t become fit because they beat you.…

Monday, February 11, 2019

Monday 2/11 Call to Action

It's Monday. Amy Klobuchar is running for president.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/amy-klobuchar-2020-democratic-nomination-kickoff/

One thing you can do to help her make a splash is to make a small donation.

"Grass-roots giving is seen as so important in 2020 that the Democratic National Committee has included it as part of its presidential debate qualification rules."

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/09/us/politics/2020-democrats-campaign-funding.html

"The collapse of the talks over hammering out a border security package and paying for a barrier leave lawmakers in the same place they’ve been for months. Among the issues Democratic negotiators are focused on is Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests of undocumented immigrants already in the U.S., not just crossing the border. They also insist they want a cap on detention beds to force ICE to prioritize which undocumented immigrants it targets within the U.S., and they say that without it, the agency will increase deportation raids in local communities without valid reason."

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/02/10/government-shutdown-talks-hit-snag-1160924

Here is some information (Thanks Indivisible Minnesota Legislative Action) on restoring voting rights to felons.

Call to Action X2 - Restoration of Voting Rights
2/11/2019

HF40 and companion bill SF856 would allow those convicted of a felony to vote after they were released from prison. We know that the House is very supportive of restoring the vote, however, the Senate is not. C2A #1 is a notice of an upcoming hearing for HF 40 that will likely pass out of the committee, but the real important C2A is #2, putting pressure on the Senate to get this bill a hearing!

C2A #1: Show your support by attending the hearing for HF40 on Wednesday the 13th in the Subcommittee on Elections at 9:45am. If you can’t make the hearing, go ahead and call the Chair to express your support (or your rep. if they are on the committee).

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/

Friday, February 8, 2019

Friday 2/8 Call to Action

Friday 2/8
Today is my kids’ 7th “snow day” in two weeks. Just saying.
Holy Moly. There is so much going on in the news. It kind of boggles my mind.

Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker Testifying Today
After threatening to refuse testimony, acting Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker will finally go before the House Judiciary Committee today. This is a great example of the consequences of voting. If the Democrats did not control the House, there is no chance that House Republicans would even think of inviting Whitaker to answer questions. If fact, the House GOP is currently trying to rush the confirmation of William Barr for Attorney General so Whitaker can get out of Dodge. I wonder what skeletons are hiding in Whitaker’s closet. Maybe we will find out today…
https://www.cnn.com/…/matthew-whitaker-subpoena-…/index.html

Green New Deal
Yesterday, Senator Ed Markey and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced their new Green New Deal resolution. This plan calls for achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, creating green jobs, and fighting for clean air and water for ALL communities. The Green New Deal is a non-binding resolution, so it does not create laws in and of itself. But hopefully it will create a framework for new green bills to be passed in the future (In 2020, after we have worked our butts off to get a Democratic majority in the Senate as well as the House. Oh and a new president too.)
Learn more about the Green New Deal here: https://www.npr.org/…/rep-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-releases…

Also yesterday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the House members for the new Select Panel on Climate Change. The panel will be led by Representative Kathy Castor and their top priority will be raising the public’s awareness of the climate crisis. https://www.politico.com/…/pelosi-climate-change-panel-1154…

Again, yesterday, Senator Tom Udall and Representative Deb Haaland and a handful of other House members reintroduced legislation designed to protect America’s national monuments against the Trump administration’s attempts to use them for personal gain. The America’s Natural Treasures of Immeasurable Quality Unite, Inspire, and Together Improve the Economies of States (ANTIQUITIES) Act of 2019 reinforces Congress’ clear intent in the Antiquities Act of 1906: only Congress has the authority to modify a national monument designation. If you like your national parks free from oil wells, this bill is for you. Check it out here: https://haaland.house.gov/…/udall-haaland-introduce-antiqui…

Give your members of Congress a call and encourage them to support these new environmental initiatives.

Ohio City to Stop Observing Columbus Day, Make Election Day Holiday Instead
Sandusky Ohio has decided to swap their Columbus Day holiday for Election Day. The new law will give all municipal workers the first Tuesday in November off so they can more easily participate in their civic duty to vote. This sounds like a great idea for Minnesota too. Call your Minnesota legislators and/or Governor Walz today and let them know you support making Election Day a holiday in Minnesota.
https://thehill.com/…/428808-ohio-city-to-stop-observing-co…

Jeff Bezos Stands up to The National Enquirer
I have mixed feeling about Jeff Bezos, the chief executive of Amazon, but I have to give him kudos for standing up to the National Enquirer’s (NE) attempt to extort and blackmail him. American Media Inc. (AMI), the parent company of the NE threatened to publish naughty pictures of Bezos unless he stopped his investigation of the tabloid.

This whole story is juicy enough to be published in a tabloid. It’s worth a read if you have the time.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/f501d20c-2b2d-11e9-b2fc-72…

Here’s Bezos’ open letter that includes the letters from AMI: https://medium.com/@je…/no-thank-you-mr-pecker-146e3922310f…

Journalist Ronan Farrow has also been blackmailed by AMI. Read about that here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/ronan-farrow-says-he-was…/…

Check out Majority Leader Steny Hoyer’s schedule for the House of Representatives https://www.majorityleader.gov/floor-res…/the-weekly-leader…

CROOKSANDLIARS.COM

AOC Exposes Lack Of Ethics In Politics, Especially President

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez played a "game" with witnesses at the House Oversight hearing yesterday, demonstrating how dark money and corporate influence play in politics.

Thursday, February 7, 2019

Thursday 2/7 Call to Action

Thursday 2/7

Today would be a good day to contact Governor Walz with your thoughts about the Enbridge Energy 3 Line pipeline. The Minnesota Courts as of yesterday is starting a 20-day deadline for Gov. Walz’s administration to resurrect the appeal or drop it. I’m sure they are getting a lot of noise from those in support of it.

https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/government-and-politics/4567456-court-starts-countdown-walz-decide-line-3-pipeline-construction

It would be great if the public had more time to offer their input and concerns over mining companies pursuing rich reserves along the BWCA edge, and the pollution that will cause.

“To be clear, the proposed Twin Metals mine would not lie within the BWCA. But details that have been made available suggest that a critical component of its operations — its ore-processing facility — could be located 0.38 of a mile from the shoreline of Birch Lake, whose waters flow into the BWCA. This facility is where rock would be milled and go through a process to separate out metal. Similar mines use a flotation process to do this, which involves water that must then be discharged. The short path for any pollutants to get from this proposed facility to Birch Lake is troubling — and why careful scrutiny is needed even though it is still years away from becoming reality and may not clear the regulatory hurdles.”

http://www.startribune.com/add-time-for-public-input-on-twin-metals-project/505386882/

Midwest farmers are filing for bankruptcies that this country hasn’t seen in nearly a decade.

“Low commodity prices have been gouging U.S. farmers’ bottom lines for years now, exacerbated by increasing agricultural competition from Russia and Brazil. President Trump’s trade disputes, meanwhile, are adding salt to the wounds, as tariffs drive down prices and decrease profit for farmers.”

https://www.axios.com/farmer-bankruptcies-decade-high-midwest-f85721f6-4478-4e5b-b49d-7df88010d7cc.html

This is not okay. “Senate Republicans are poised to advance a resolution next week to drastically reduce the amount of time it takes to confirm hundreds of President Trump's nominees as Republicans mull going "nuclear" to muscle through the change.”

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/428804-senate-gop-introduces-proposal-to-speed-up-trump-nominees

Meet the United Black Legislative Caucus. I know they will do great things for this state.

https://blogs.mprnews.org/capitol-view/2019/02/six-mn-lawmakers-form-black-caucus/

Keep those indictments coming! “Paul Erickson, the American political operative and boyfriend of admitted Russian agent Maria Butina, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in South Dakota on charges of wire fraud and money laundering.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/paul-erickson-russian-agent-maria-butinas-boyfriend-indicted-for-fraud

Take a look at what is happening in out State Government. Today a Senate Committee will vote on a bill to release money for election security. We want to make sure that SF93 is passed.

https://mailchi.mp/8b766eb3b4f6/indivisible-minnesota-legislative-action-alert-feb-4-update

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/

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Wednesday 2/6 Call to Action

SOTU
The State of The Union happened last night. The New York Times fact-checked Trump’s speech. If you can stomach it, read it here: https://www.nytimes.com/…/fact-check-state-of-the-union.htm…

Now you get to cleanse your palate with Stacey Abrams’ Democratic Response. Nice work! https://www.msnbc.com/…/abrams-america-stronger-by-presence…

Stu Lourey
Unfortunately, Stu Lourey did not win the special election in SD 11. This means that the Minnesota Senate Republicans will have a two seat majority. What’s the takeaway from last night’s defeat? We cannot be complacent if we want to see more change happen in 2020. Now is the time to start organizing and planning for a second blue wave. Let’s make sure we have qualified Democratic candidates running in every senate district. Let’s get out in our communities and engage our neighbors. The work needs to start now.
http://www.startribune.com/jason-rarick-and-stu-lourey-l…/…/

Get off on the right foot by attending the MN x MN Conference on February 24th. “Are you looking for a way to take action for a cause? Are you interested in learning how our government works? Do you want to understand how current legislation will affect your life and your community? Or do you just want to connect with others who share your issues and concerns? Attend the MNxMN 2019: Beyond the Vote Conference and learn how you can make a difference.” Registration is open now. https://www.mnxmn.org/

Amy Klobuchar’s BIG Announcement.
Senator Klobuchar is making a big announcement on February 10th. Hmm, I wonder what that announcement could be? RSVP and join Sen. Klobuchar at Boom Island Park in Minneapolis to support her as she steps into the presidential arena. https://amy-klobuchar.com/…

I am tickled to see so many women running for elected positions! Studies show that countries with more women in government have healthier populations.
https://www.businessinsider.com/more-women-in-government-th…

Trump’s Wall is Destroying Habitat
Do you like butterflies? I do. Pollinators in general are suffering due to changes in climate, pesticides and habitat destruction. The beloved Monarch butterfly is on the brink of extinction. The numbers of Monarchs that reached Mexico this winter dropped to staggeringly low numbers. The Trump administration doesn’t care. Despite the fact that we are losing these precious pollinators and despite the fact that border walls don’t work, Trump has started to build a partial wall that runs through the National Butterfly Center in Mission, Texas. (https://www.nationalbutterflycenter.org/)

I don’t think we talk enough about the devastating effects Trump’s border wall will have on wildlife. This particular wall will destroy the butterfly sanctuary. It’s disgusting. Today, I’m going to call my members of Congress and tell them that I stand for pollinators. No border wall at the National Butterfly Center!
https://medium.com/…/between-the-river-the-wall-wild-creatu…
https://apnews.com/e653d5a305114835bb399e480ac44ab8
https://www.earth.com/…/monarch-butterfly-populations-all-…/

We can also donate to help support the efforts to protect the center:https://www.gofundme.com/protect-the-national-butterfly-cen…

At home, you can help pollinators by planting milkweed and other native plants. Let the Blue Thumb program help you get started. http://www.blue-thumb.org/

Trump to nominate David Bernhardt, a former lobbyist, as the next Interior secretary
Ryan Zinke was a crummy Interior secretary. It sounds like David Bernhardt is no better. The best way to fix this nonsense it elect better representatives in 2020.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/trump-nominate-david-ber…/…

Check out Majority Leader Steny Hoyer’s schedule for the House of Representatives https://www.majorityleader.gov/floor-res…/the-weekly-leader…

YOUTUBE.COM

Dolly Parton - Love Is Like A Butterfly - Live

Tuesday 2/5 Call to Action

uesday 2/5 Call to Action

Local Legislation
Check out what on the menu at the Capitol this week. https://www.leg.state.mn.us/cal?type=week

Equal Rights for Minnesotans
Democratic legislators would like to add the following question to the ballot in 2020: “Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to provide that equality under the law must not be abridged or denied on account of gender?” The bill, H.F. 13 would allow Minnesotans to vote on equal rights for all. The bill is expected to pass the House, but since GOP members are against it (because of abortion), it is expected to stall in the Senate. Sigh. Read more about the bill and call your state legislators to tell them what you think. https://www.minnpost.com/…/efforts-to-get-era-bill-through…/

Expanding Access to The Ballot
Democratic legislators along with MN Secretary of State Steve Simon have proposed a package designed to increase voter turnout in Minnesota. The plan would include granting voting rights to felons released from prison, automatic voter registration, funding for election security, and vote by mail. Read more about it and encourage your own legislators to support these ideas.
http://www.startribune.com/democrats-push-proposals-to-e…/…/

Today is the special election to fill Senate District 11’s seat. (Good luck, Stu Lourey!). The quick turn-around of this election has caused problems with mail-in ballots. Many in the district are not receiving their mail-in ballots in time to use them. Even Stu Lourey admits that he has not received the mail-in ballot he requested. In fact, more than 400 mail-in ballots arrived late for the primary election in January! That’s simply not acceptable. This is a problem that needs to be addressed by SOS Simon. Give him a call and let him know what you think. If you live in S.D 11 and you are worried that your mail-in ballot won’t arrive in time, you can always vote in person today.https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/…/4566011-senate-district…
SOS Simon’s contact information: https://www.sos.state.mn.us/about-the-o…/about-the-office/…/

Federal Business
H.R. 840, Veterans Access to Childcare Act
This week, the House of Representatives will be voting on The Veterans Access to Childcare Act. This bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide childcare assistance to eligible veterans who are receiving treatment at a VA healthcare facility. If you are willing to serve our country, it makes sense to me that the government would repay your sacrifice by watching your kids while you get the medical care you need. Read more about the bill and contact your members of Congress to support it.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/840
https://www.countable.us/…/hr840-116-to-amend-title-38-unit…

State of the Union Address
Trump will be making his State of The Union Address tonight at 8 pm. You know it’s going to be awful so why not skip it? Instead, make sure you tune in for Stacy Abrams’ response afterwards.
https://www.npr.org/…/stacey-abrams-voting-rights-activist-…

Check out Majority Leader Steny Hoyer’s schedule for the House of Representatives https://www.majorityleader.gov/floor-res…/the-weekly-leader…

LEG.STATE.MN.US

Combined Calendar - Minnesota Legislature

Minnesota Legislature Calendar. Session times, committee meetings

Monday, February 4, 2019

Monday 2/4 Call to Action

Monday 2/4 Call to Action

A couple quick national items:

"Over 3,000 additional active duty troops will be deployed to the southern US border to bolster security, joining the 2,300 troops already there, several defense officials tell CNN."

https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/31/politics/troops-southern-border/index.html

And: "The Trump administration said on Friday that it was suspending one of the last major nuclear arms control treaties with Russia, following five years of heated conversations over accusations by the United States that Moscow is violating the Reagan-era agreement."

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/01/us/politics/trump-inf-nuclear-treaty.html

Here is some information on Walz' rural Minnesota agenda, including education, local government aid and rural broadband.

https://www.apnews.com/e2a1b52e2cc449338e68f802f3c82820

There's a special election tomorrow, that could cause the Minnesota Senate to be either R+2 or R+1. "The outcome has the potential to further shift power dynamics at the State Capitol, where Republicans hold a one-seat majority in the Senate, shaping the rest of the session and the potential for Walz’s first term. The fate of some of the year’s biggest issues, including health care, gun laws and taxes, hangs in the balance.

“The one extra vote means a lot,” Rarick said as he made the rounds at a bingo night fundraiser in Sturgeon Lake on Thursday. “That’s one reason, as a Republican, I felt I needed to give my party the best shot at winning the race.”"

http://www.startribune.com/high-stakes-define-minnesota-senate-special-election-coming-up-tuesday/505277732/

There are still volunteer opportunities:

https://www.facebook.com/events/790402844670094/

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/