DFL-endorsed MN-GOV candidate Margaret Anderson Kelliher had a door knock in SD60 & SD61 today. How do I know? Cuz my lovely wife hosted it at our house.
BTW, yesterday they doorknocked SD62. In the rain. 37 people knocked on 1200 doors.
Today, closer to 60 are heading out. And the weather couldn't be nicer.
Rep. Keith Ellison, Henn. Co. Commissioner Gail Dorfman, Sen. Scott Dibble, Rep. Frank Hornstein, Rep. Jeff Hayden, Mpls School Bd member Jill Clark and SD60A DFL-endorsed candidate Marione Greene and all the volunteers are all out on my back patio right now pumping up the volunteers. It's weird to have people cheering in my backyard. Usually it's only the peanut shouting at my cat or the neighbors dog.
(I'd like to thank Sen. Dibble for his insights into the session that just completed. - promoted by The Big E)
The Minnesota legislature adjourned the 2009-2010 session on May 17. The major focus of our work was addressing an additional mid-cycle $1 billion deficit. Just 10 days before session was constitutionally required to end, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled the Governor's 2009 unallotment actions were illegal. This was an important victory upholding a fundamental aspect of our system, the balance of powers between the branches of government. However our budget balancing task was greatly complicated and tripled in one fell swoop.
It was solely up to the legislature to protect our core principles of compassion and opportunity. It was also solely up to the legislature conclude the session with some measure of civility. Minnesotans have long since made clear their impatience with total gridlock and mean-spirited partisanship. In light of the fact that only one party has been responsible for that dynamic, someone had to play the part of the grown up, leverage as much as possible to protect those most vulnerable, and take our case for change, especially in the executive branch, to the people. We can be especially proud of the fact that health care for the tens of thousands of people whom the Governor would completely disregard was protected.
Yesterday, occasional Minnesota Governor and 2012 Republican presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty vetoed a bill that would have saved school districts nearly a billion dollars. Pawlenty vetoed the health coverage pool bill. The bill would allow school districts to pool all of their teachers together and negotiate for the best insurance coverage and prices.
Sen. Scott Dibble (DFL-Mpls) had this to say in an email press release:
"This afternoon [yesterday], Governor Pawlenty vetoed legislation that would have established a new statewide health coverage pool for school district employees. In doing so, he ignored the work of his own finance department, which determined this bill would have saved Minnesota school districts nearly $1 billion over the next ten years.
I am extremely disappointed by the Governor's decision. School districts are now spending close to $1 billion a year just to provide health insurance to their employees. This bill would have significantly reduced those costs, ensuring more of our education dollars go where they're needed most: the classroom.
Dibble goes on to accuse Pawlenty of holding significant cost savings hostage to get his partisan pet projects passed:
Sen. Scott Dibble (DFL-Minneapolis), my Senator, and Rep. Larry Hosch (DFL-St. Joseph) have introduced a healthcare bill to save school districts money and guarantee high quality insurance to their employees. The bill is entitled School Employees Insurance Program (SEIP).
MMB Report: Health coverage pool for educators saves districts $93 million by 2013
Legislature moving forward with School Employee Health Insurance Pool bill
Lawmakers renewed a 2009 legislative proposal this week after a non-partisan Minnesota Management and Budget report estimated the legislation could save the state's school districts $10.6 million through 2011, and $82.7 million in 2012-2013. The total estimated savings to schools over the next decade are close to $1 billion.
Authored by State Senator Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis, and State Representative Larry Hosch, DFL-St. Joseph, the legislation would require all Minnesota school districts that are not currently self-insured to obtain health insurance coverage through a new School Employees Insurance Program (SEIP). Such a move would mitigate annual, unpredictable cost increases and improve the ability of districts to negotiate for lower-cost, better insurance plans.
"School districts are facing two major budget challenges right now: rising health care costs and reduced funding," Sen. Dibble said. "It's gotten to the point that a significant portion of any funding sent to school districts is obligated to offset rising health care costs - it's a destructive cycle, and this bill can help put an end to it. The report issued this week proves this bill would save school districts millions of dollars, which means millions of dollars that now can be directed where they're most needed: the classroom."
According to the MMB report, school districts in Minnesota spent $990.3 million on health care costs in 2008. Had the SEIP been in place in 2008, the report states those costs would have been reduced by $88 million, with health care expenditures totaling $902.7 million.
(press release email)
(Great coverage and comment from the community -- more of the same please! - promoted by Joe Bodell)
Over the last three days, I attended three hearings on sulfide mining and SF2349, a bill that would have strengthened Minnesota's "damage deposit" regulations on sulfide mining operations. After nearly 12 hours of testimony from the DNR, industry representatives, citizens, environmental groups, and elected officials, Sen. Carlson (D-Eagan) withdrew his bill without any recorded vote. This may seem like a defeat for environmental groups that have pushed for this bill for the last two sessions. However, the fact that a group of elected officials finally heard a perspective on sulfide mining that was not from an industry group or a supportive legislator was a victory in and of itself. After the fold - three things we know for sure about this debate after these hearings.
Sorry about the lack of any notice or anything, but I took last week off of pulling the dirt together and getting it all wet last week. I was playin' in the real dirt ... so I stayed dirty. I'm back at it, though. Extra dirty today.
A little dust up at Dusty Trice's twitter account. Seriously, if Dusty's a Republican, I'm short. And Grace Kelly is the actress back from the dead. I'm just sayin ...
I had the honor of attending a gathering with President and Michelle Obama at the White House on Monday, June 29, at an event marking the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, commonly cited as the modern beginning to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender equal rights movement, alongside about 250 other LGBT citizens, allies and families. I was especially encouraged to see so many young people there.
This was a unique opportunity to remember those who began fighting for equal rights so many years ago, and honor the work that has been done since that time. It also was an opportunity for members of the LGBT community to speak with President Obama about how much work is yet to be done, and how we would like to work together to ensure equal rights for everyone in our country.
Because it was important for the President to know the thoughts and feelings of those from across the country the about the state of our movement and the pace of change, I brought two letters with me. I personally delivered each to the President's Senior Advisor, David Axelrod.
Sen. Scott Dibble (DFL-Mpls) is still fuming mad about the session. You can read his opinion on the budget and unallotment here. I talked with him to fill in a little more about the session.
"I think he's squandered 8 years as Governor," Scott exclaimed. "What Governor wants to harm the University by dramatically underfunding it year after year. He's systematically underfunded our infrastructure. He only recently jumped on the Northstar [rail line] band wagon after opposing it for years. He vetoed the Central Corridor plan last year."
Scott didn't say it, but I will. a bridge fell down under Pawlenty's watch ... when he was more concerned with making sure they spent as little money as possible.
"What has he accomplished?" Scott asked rhetorically. He has accomplished nothing except to spread fear and divide Minnesotans for short-term political gains according to Scott.
Pawlenty can't even point to not raising taxes as an accomplishment.
Because Pawlenty has slashed Local Government Aid (LGA) year after year, cities and counties have been forced to raise property taxes through the roof to pay for basic things like police, fire and schools.
But the bullying bill exemplifies Pawlenty's duplicity and bad faith negotiations according to Scott. It exemplifies how the Governor "fundamentally doesn't care" about this state or the people in it who are suffering.
I've been following the controversy surrounding President-elect Barack Obama's choice of homophobic, right wing pastor Rick Warren to give the invocation at the inaugural. I've read interesting commentary both for and against. But most of all for someone who has been so careful and precise with his messaging, it seems to me this is the typical, tone-deaf stuff we've all come to expect.
Prop 8 sullied a historic election night for the GLBT community. How can the US be a shining beacon of hope when we pass this kind of crap?
Well ... Scott Dibble, my state Senator, wrote Obama a letter and got a few GLBT electeds to sign on:
The Minnesota Daily reports that Amy Klobuchar has alienated people attending a regional gay conference by refusing to sign a welcome statement to conference attendees.
But an unambiguous sea of white filled the pages allotted to Minnesota's U.S. Senators, who declined to send their greetings.
Organizers of the 15th annual Alphabet Soup Conference - named for the ever-changing array of acronyms assigned to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and allied groups - expected a snub from the state's socially conservative senior Sen. Norm Coleman, a Republican, said co-director Mike Grewe.
However, some queer supporters of Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a self-declared ally, expressed disappointment at her office's refusal to extend the typically generic, mostly symbolic salutation to visitors from across the nation.
"When she was voted into office, the people who voted for her were under the impression that she would be supportive of the GLBT community," said Grewe, an officer and former co-chairman of the University's Queer Student Cultural Center. "I honestly think that Amy Klobuchar is an ally, and part of being an ally means you make mistakes."
People should not assume that. People have to hold her accountable - and ask her hard questions at events that aren't gay only.
Sen. Scott Dibble (DFL-Mpls) is still fuming mad about the session. You can read his opinion on the budget and unallotment 
