“Where Are The Jobs Bills?”

“Where are the jobs bills?”, asks Minnesota House Minority Leader Paul Thissen as he criticizes a Republican backed bill focused on preventing childcare union dues for any future union from being automatically taken state payments.

Representative Thissen and other DFLers said hat the problem the bill addresses doesn’t even exist.

Representative Thissen points to a recent poll that shows the legislature’s approval rating in the teens compared to Governor Mark Dayton’s 50% approval rating.

House Majority Leader Matt Dean responds saying the union dues bill is a jobs bill as are the tort reform bills that have been sent to Governor Dayton’s desk.

The Governor is still deciding whether to sign those bills.

States Get Exemptions To “No Child Left Behind” Law

President Obama announces ten states have agreed to implement bold reforms around standards and accountability will receive flexibility from the most burdensome mandates of the federal education law known as No Child Left Behind.

The ten states approved for flexibility are Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.

Transcript of President Obama’s remarks about No Child Left Behind exemptions for 10 states … Continue Reading

Northside Economic Opportunity Network Boosts Business in North Minneapolis

“What people have historically done in our community is create their own opportunities. That’s who we are, that’s what we do,” said Kenya McKnight, a community finance specialist at the Northside Economic Opportunity Network (NEON). NEON works with small businesses and micro-businesses in North Minneapolis to help them achieve success.

North-side residents lack access to quality and local jobs, which is a huge problem. NEON fosters the north side’s entrepreneurial spirit to create more potential job opportunities. Take for example Shantae Holmes, owner of All Washed Up Laundromat on Penn Ave. in North Minneapolis. She recognized a need in her community which was lack of access to a clean, safe place to wash your clothes — a basic human need. That’s when she drew up a business plan and worked with NEON and its network of organizations to secure credit and loans to help her realize her goals of becoming a business owner.

DFL Caucus Goers Want Jobs and Personal Freedom

DFL caucus attendees in SD 42 (Eden Prairie and south half of Minnetonka) were focused on jobs, keeping the economy growing and saying no to the proposed and threatened state constitutional amendments limiting freedom, disenfranchising voters and attacking unions.

Most of the attention was on the so called Defense of Marriage Amendment that would constitutionally prohibit same sex marriages and the proposed Voter ID Amendment which would disenfranchise 200,000 Minnesota voters, Caucus turnout was less than 4 years ago, but the rooms were filled with enthusiasm.

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak remembers what it was like four years ago. … Continue Reading

Vouchers For College? MN Education Head Says Maybe

Vouchers for college? Minnesota’s Higher Education Director Larry Pogemiller says he’s open to the idea.

The former Senator made the comments during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Higher Education Committee after Senator John Carlson, a Republican, raised the question. Pogemiller, who is a Democrat, says he is open to thinking way outside the box.

For 30 years, Senator Pogemiller was the one asking the questions of appointees. Today, Former Senator Pogemiller said it was a little strange to sit “on the other side” of the table during his Senate confirmation hearing.

Pogemiller resigned his Senate seat when Governor Mark Dayton asked him to take the Higher Education position. Senate Republicans recently rejected Dayton’s choice for Public Utilities Commissioner Ellen Anderson, who also was a Senator who resigned her seat to take the job.

The committee voted unanimously to recommend Pogemiller be confirmed as Higher Education Director.

Full video of Pogemiller confirmation hearing: … Continue Reading

Banks Backing GOP Attempt To Suppress MN Votes

TakeAction Minnesota says bank executives from Wells Fargo, US Bank and TCF Bank are funneling money to Republican legislative candidates to secure a photo ID amendment on the state’s November 2012 ballot.

Executive Director Dan McGrath gives examples of how the money flows from the bank executives through various organizations to the candidates. McGrath says banks may have a broader agenda than voter photo ID, but they need to realize that is what they are funding.

Take Action MN Report on Voter Photo ID Funding

Charts on how the money flows and where it goes … Continue Reading

Religious Leaders Jam Senator’s Office On MN Voter Photo ID

Video by Nick Coleman
Senate Majority Leader David Senjem’s office doesn’t get many visits like this says his assistant Beth Kleinboehl. It’s not often that a half dozen religious leaders come calling with a cadre of television cameras in tow.

The cameras were there to watch the religious leaders present Senjem’s office with letters and petitions calling to keep the “voter photo ID” issue off the general election ballot.

The leaders, who come from many faiths, said the Republican backed proposed constitutional amendment would disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans, many who are too poor or too disabled to get a proper government ID. Earlier they had preached to the press about the dangers of the amendment which one religious leader called “a devilish enterprise”.

Senator Senjem was not at his office today, but will be back Wednesday when the legislative session resumes. His assistant said the Senator will respond.

Read the letter and petition that was delivered to Senator Senjem’s office … Continue Reading

Religious Leaders Oppose MN Voter Photo ID

Religious leaders of various faiths hold a press conference at the Minnesota State Capitol voicing their opposition to the proposed constitutional amendment requiring a photo ID for the purpose of voting.

Following the press conference, those assembled deliver a copy a letter opposing the amendment to House and Senate leadership and co-sponsors of the bill (video here). The letter has been signed by hundreds of interfaith leaders throughout Minnesota.

Video of full news conference: … Continue Reading

Rep Ellison, Minnesotans Speak Out Against Voter Photo ID

Congressman Keith Ellison wants Minnesotans to go to their precinct caucuses Tuesday night and demand that the right to vote does not carry the precondition of having a government issued photo ID.

Minnesota Republicans are backing a constitutional amendment that would require a photo ID to vote. While it sounds like a simple requirement, Ellison says it is a solution in search of a problem and is aimed at disenfranchising thousands of eligible voters.

Representative Ellison brought forth members of population groups that would be have their votes surpressed if the amendment were to pass. One of those was Mai Thor, a woman who was in a wheelchair. She said in the past few decades barriers to voting for the disabled had been reduced with the passage of the American with Disabilities Act and the Help America Vote act. … Continue Reading

Occupy MN Targets ALEC & Corporate Influence In Government

Occupy organizers say corporate money has too big of an influence on Minnesota’s government and there needs to be reforms.

Scott Hargarten of Occupy Minneapolis and Occupy MN says those reforms target the corporate influence that groups such as the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) .

Hargarten says corporations use ALEC “to coerce state governments into basically serving their interests” by passing model bills the corporations have drawn up.

“There’s not a single bill produced by ALEC that doesn’t explicitly serve their interests, whatever the actual language of the bill might be. It’s part of a design to increase their profits at the expense of the average person.” Hargarten told the press on Monday.

Occupy plans to unveil it’s plan for state government reform during a 4pm February 29th rally on the front steps on Minnesota’s state capitol building.

Before then, organizers are asking people to attend tomorrow’s Minnesota precinct caucuses and push for campaign finance reform. Hargarten says people should attend whatever party caucus they choose, Republican DFL or Green. As leverage with the DFL Occupy MN is urging people to vote for “uncommitted” instead of President Obama.

Video and partial transcript of Scott Hargarten of Occupy MN statement to the press … Continue Reading