If you’ve never attended a precinct caucus, please join us the evening of February 4. You’ll be able to experience grassroots politics as it happens.

Maybe you’ve recently moved to Minnesota from a state with a primary, maybe you’re a “born and bred” progressive Minnesotan who’s never attended a caucus, so you don’t know what to expect. Here’s a video telling you more:

Those of us active in Senate District 48 DFL volunteer to make the precinct caucuses happen. The evening of the caucuses, the people who consider themselves DFLers (Democrats in the other states in this country), meet to:

• elect officers to help organize their neighborhood (precinct),
• elect delegates to the Senate District 48 convention and
• help build the State DFL Party Platform by presenting resolutions to your neighbors for consideration. They’ll be voted on and those passing will be moved to the Senate District 48 convention.

We look forward to seeing you the evening of February 4.  Check back for more information the closer we get to Caucus Night. We’ll be posting more information as plans are formalized.

 

Democratic Farmer Labor Party · DFL · Eden Prairie · February 4 · grassroots politics · Minnetonka · precinct caucuses

Thank you for visiting our site. Senate District 48 DFL is made up of Southern Minnetonka and the majority of Eden Prairie. We bring together two vibrant communities with a diverse population. We believe it’s a great area to live and raise a family.

We also believe, as Sen. Wellstone said, “As free citizens in a political democracy we have a responsibility to be interested and involved in the affairs of the human community.” So, if you’re interested in learning more about what we believe in and are doing, please visit our site often.  If you’re interested in getting involved in helping to move our communities, state and country forward to a progressive future, please contact us. There are lots of ways you can get involved.  See you soon!

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In the Know

Minnesota DFL
Dec. 12, 2013

Events today

• 8 a.m. - The Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council meets.
• 10:15 a.m. – Gov. Dayton and Commissioner Katie Clark Sieben will hold a news conference in the Governor’s Reception Room to announce a new initiative to grow and create jobs.
• 11:15 a.m. - Winona homeowners ask Minnesota Court of Appeals to overturn home rental restrictions. Minnesota Judicial Center, Room 200, 25 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, St. Paul.
• 11:30 a.m. - State Sen. Scott Dibble and local leaders release report on job-creating opportunities in repairing Minnesota’s infrastructure. Room 181, State Capitol.
• 2 p.m. - Minneapolis City Council hosts public reception honoring Mayor R.T. Rybak and other departing elected city officials. City Hall Rotunda, Minneapolis.
• 4 p.m. - MnDOT Commissioner Charlie Zelle and Metropolitan Council Chair Sue Haigh host town hall meeting on transportation. Century College, 3300 Century Ave. N., Room 2315, White Bear Lake.
• 5:30 p.m. - Chris Tiedeman and Brian McClung host the annual Political Hack (& Friends) Happy Hour in the Garage at O’Gara’s Bar & Grill in St. Paul.
• 7 p.m. - The Tom Emmer for Congress campaign holds a Christmas party at its office in Otsego.

 
2014 election
AFSCME lobbyist Niland to head DFL campaign push, MinnPost

Legislature
Stensrud Makes Another Push to Represent District 48A, Patch
Representative Andrew Falk gains a baby daughter–and a 2014 Republican rival, Bluestream Prairie

Beth Fraser announced today that she is seeking the House seat for district 64B, currently held by Representative Michael Paymar who recently announced his retirement. Fraser lives in the Mac-Groveland neighborhood and has spent the last seven years working for Secretary of State Mark Ritchie. Morning Take

Congress
The National Republican Congressional Committee is plunking down about $17,000 on a radio ad to go after Democratic U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson. The spot, which will start airing today, opens with the sounds of the Twins winning the 1991 World Series. The ad says: “Nineteen ninety one. Twins win, Collin Peterson goes to Congress. A lot’s changed since then… The national debt’s exploded — more than four times what it was when the Twins won and Peterson went to Washington. After 22 years, Minnesota could use some relief from Collin Peterson’s spending.” Peterson, who has long won western Minnesota’s Seventh Congressional District by hefty margins, has also been known as a fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrat. Republicans have yet to dent that reputation, but the ad shows they plan to try hard to do so in the 2014 cycle. Star Tribune
 
2014 session
Dayton now looking for larger bonding bill, MPR
Dayton eyes $975 million in construction projects, Pioneer Press
Dayton plan for tax cuts divides Democrats, MPR
 
Agriculture
Forum editorial: Farm bill progress is hopeful, Grand Forks Herald
Farm bill remains dormant, MPR
 
Budget (federal)
House Republicans signal support for budget deal, Star Tribune
House to vote on budget deal, The Hill
Dems threaten budget deal over lack of benefits for unemployed, The Hill
Budget compromise comes to Capitol Hill with GOP help, MPR
 
Capitol complex
Dayton: New Senate office building is too expensive, MPR
 
Congressional delegation
Bachmann
Bachmann to O’Reilly: ’80 percent of media reporting is anti-conservative,’ Washington Post

Ellison
Ellison takes role in giving new life to liberals, Star Tribune

Kline
Congressman Kline, verklempt on Obamacare success, mn progressive project
Re: Kline – tiny spark? No, check that – it’s a fire! mnpACT!

Klobuchar
Klobuchar, Hoeven introduce bipartisan legislation to help spur innovation and competitiveness, ECM

Economy
More evidence suggests Minnesota manufacturing is on the mend, MinnPost
 
Education (early)
More Minnesota youngsters ready for kindergarten, MPR

Education (K-12)
Rochester school district faces $6.6 million deficit, Rochester Post Bulletin
 
Destination Medical Center (Mayo)
GOP lawmaker claims DMCC chairwoman has conflict of interest, Rochester Post Bulletin
GOP lawmaker claims conflict of interest for Dayton Chief of Staff Tina Smith; governor disagrees, MinnPost
 
GOP
Give me amendments or give me death, Slate
Right Wing fill in the blank, Minnesota 2020

Luke Hellier is leaving the Minnesota Senate Republican caucus to join the Public Affairs Company. Hellier, who just joined the Senate staff this summer as press secretary, after working for U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen, will leave at the end of the year. His departure is part of a continuing stream of staffing changes in the Senate GOP media staff. Leslie Rosedahl left a job at the Public Affairs Company in January to become the Senate Republicans’ public affairs director, but left the caucus this fall to work at Lockridge Grindahl Nauen. A month ago, the caucus named Bill Walsh, a longtime state and political operative, as its new director of public affairs. Star Tribune

Gina Countryman, who recently became executive director of the Minnesota Action Network, also recently registered as a lobbyist. The Minnesota Action Network, which had already featured involvement from former state Rep. Laura Brod and former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman, launched this year as an independent offshoot of the big spending American Action Network. Since MN Action works to influence opinion on legislation, Countryman, long a GOP operative, registered as a lobbyist. But she won’t be roaming the Capitol’s marble halls buttonholing lawmakers over bills, she said. Instead, the group plans to campaign outside the building on legislation, which still triggered a lobbyist registration requirement. Star Tribune

 
Local Government Aid
COMMENTARY: Communities are stronger because of LGA boost, Hutchinson Leader
 
Minimum wage
Rallying to ‘Raise the Wage,’ Grand Rapids Herald-Review

Mining
Counterpoint: No holes in PolyMet mine report, Star Tribune
 
Minnesota Orchestra
Ten legislators call for new leadership at Minnesota Orchestra, Star Tribune
Minnesota Orchestra: Board reports deficit of $1.1 million for fiscal year 2013, Star Tribune
Minnesota Orchestral Association stands pat on leadership, reports $1.1 million operating deficit, MinnPost

MNsure
Gov. Dayton frets over MNsure glitches, Star Tribune
MNsure worries keep governor awake at night, Star Tribune
Experts criticize security holes in MNsure, MPR
Dayton: MNsure issues need to be fixed, MPR
MNsure deadline looms as frustration builds; callers seeking help wait, Pioneer Press
MNsure’s extension of the enrollment deadline to Dec. 23 will help thousands of Minnesotans obtain coverage by Jan. 1, 2014, MNsure announced today. MNsure has also announced an extension of website operating hours from 6 a.m. to midnight Monday through Sunday starting today, and an expansion of Contact Center capacity. MNsure press release

Obamacare
Crunch time: Health-care sign-ups picked up in November but still far short as deadline nears, Star Tribune
Health coverage disparities emerging among states, Star Tribune
 
Unemployment benefits
Expiring unemployment program would hit 65,000 Minnesotans, MinnPost
 
Veterans
Care at Minneapolis Veterans Home gets new scrutiny, Star Tribune

Vikings stadium area development
Complaint seeks to delay stadium area development vote, MPR
Making ‘The Yard’ work for the city, Ryan Cos., the Vikings, and the public, MinnPost

daily brief · issues · news

From the TED Talks website:

Here’s a link to the original posting.

class warfare · economic inequality · eroding middle class · globalization · putocracy · super rich

Kids with preexisting conditions like asthma and diabetes would be the latest victims of Congressman  Erik Paulsen’s plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act, with 298,000 at risk of losing their coverage in Minnesota – sending us back to the days when insurance companies were free to deny coverage to sick kids, or charge them exorbitant premiums.

Since 2010, the Affordable Care Act has prohibited insurance companies from denying coverage to children with preexisting conditions, expanding guaranteed health care access to up to 17 million children, and beginning next year, companies will also be prohibited from charging these kids’ families more – unless Congressman Paulsen repeals the ACA, leaving millions of children without coverage or forcing their families to struggle with unaffordable premiums.

“There is no one more innocent or vulnerable than a child, especially a child with a preexisting condition, but Congressman Paulsen’s cruel repeal of the Affordable Care Act would put 298,000 children in Minnesota at risk of losing their health coverage,” said Emily Bittner of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Thank heavens 17 million kids with preexisting conditions can get guaranteed health care for the first time, but Congressman Paulsen’s repeal agenda would kick them to the curb, throwing families back into a broken system where insurance companies were free to deny their kids’ coverage, or to drive them into bankruptcy with exorbitant premiums for children with conditions like asthma and diabetes.”

Repeal Could Deny Coverage to 17 Million Children with Pre-Existing Conditions. “As many as 129 million non-elderly Americans have a pre-existing health condition that puts them at risk of being denied affordable coverage without health care overhaul, according to a government report. The estimate represents nearly half of Americans younger than 65, and 86 percent of people 55 to 64 […]The act already prohibits insurers from limiting lifetime coverage to a fixed dollar amount or denying coverage to a child younger than 19 because of a pre-existing condition. As many as 17 million children younger than 18 have a pre-existing condition, according to the report.” [ABC News, 1/18/11]

ACA · Affordable Care Act · cd3 · Congressman Paulsen · Erik Paulsen · Obamacare · Paulsen · preexisting conditions · Third Congressional District