In the Know

Minnesota DFL
Feb. 8, 2016
228 days before people can begin to vote by no excuse absentee ballot, Sept. 23
273 days until Election Day, Nov. 8
Events today

• 10 a.m. – MN Legal Aid and State TANF Taskforce Committee release report on Minnesota’s welfare program – Minnesota Legal Aid and State Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Taskforce Committee’s Jessica Webster hold news conference to release report on Minnesota’s Welfare-to-Program and follow up to the 2015 State TANF Taskforce Report. Webster also provides an update on Gov. Mark Dayton’s ‘actions and bipartisan legislation to raise Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) cash assistance for the first time since 1986. Room 181, State Office Building.
• 10 a.m. – The House Subcommittee on Licensing will review the Nurse Licensure Compact as well as music therapists requiring licenses. Room 5, State Office Building.
• 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. – Door knocks begin for Andrew Carlson, the DFL-endorsed candidates for the Feb. 9 special election in Dist. 50B. Meet at 4642 Heritage Hills Dr, Bloomington.
• 11 a.m. – Twin Cities food service workers highlight ‘need’ for ‘Earned Sick and Safe Time’ – Neighborhoods Organizing for Change Organizer Rod Adams, Wolfpack Promotionals owner Kagalee Brown and fast food workers organizing with Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha hold press conference to highlight the ‘need for Minneapolis and St. Paul to pass Earned Sick and Safe Time to support public health.’ Location: Sidewalk outside of Seven Corners Chipotle, 229 Cedar Ave, Minneapolis.
• 5 p.m. – Phone bank begins for Andrew Carlson, the DFL-endorsed candidates for the Feb. 9 special election in Dist. 50B. Education Minnesota, 7242 Metro Blvd, Ste 200, Edina.
• On the campaign trail: Everyone is in New Hampshire. Here is the rundown:
  • Sanders: Nashua, Manchester, Derry, Durham
  • Clinton: Manchester, Hudson
  • Trump: Londonderry, Manchester
  • Kasich: Plaistow, Windham, Merrimack, Manchester, Hooksett
  • Cruz: Barrington, Raymond, Manchester
  • Rubio: Nashua
  • Bush: Nashua, Portsmouth
  • Christie: Hudson, Hampstead, Manchester
  • Fiorina: Manchester, Concord
  • Gilmore: Manchester, Hudson 

Mark your calendars

• Feb. 9 – Worker Voice Regional Summit with US Secretary of Labor Tom Perez and local leaders 11 a.m., MLK Park Building, 4055 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis. Join United States Secretary of Labor Perez and local leaders for the first Regional Worker Voice Summit. Regional Summits are focused on bringing together seasoned and emerging leaders from across the country who are lifting up workers’ voices to be active participants in this conversation. Learn more and RSVP here.
• Feb. 9 – The New Hampshire primary.
• Feb. 9 – Senate District 35 special election. Roger Johnson is the DFL-endorsed candidate.
• Feb. 9 – Door knocks begin at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. for Andrew Carlson, the DFL-endorsed candidates for the Feb. 9 special election in Dist. 50B. Meet at 4642 Heritage Hills Dr, Bloomington. A phone bank will run form 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the DFL Office, Edina Community Center, Room 320, 5701 Normandale Rd, Edina.
• Feb. 9 – House District 50B special election. Andrew Carlson is the DFL-endorsed candidate.
• Feb. 9 – North Metro Chapter of the DFL Senior Caucus will meet at 11:30 at the Little Venetian Inn, Little Canada, to hear a presentation on the Compassionate Care legislation that is currently pending in the Minnesota legislature. Sen. Chris Eaton, the Senate bill author, and Dr. Rebecca Thoman will speak at the event.
• Feb. 11 – Democrats debate in Wisconsin, to air on PBS.
• Feb. 13 – Republicans debate in South Carolina on CBS.
• Feb. 25 – Secretary of State Steve Simon will host the “Secretary’s State on the State of Elections” at noon at the Wellstone Neighborhood House, St. Paul. After the speech, participants can attend one of two workshops, “What happens at a precinct caucus,” or “Building the next generation of poll workers.” For more information, click here.
• Feb. 26 – Republicans debate in Houston on NBC. The co-sponsors are Telemundo and National Review.
• Feb. 27 – The DFL African American Caucus will meet. Location TBD.
• March 6 – Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders will debate in Flint, Michigan.

Fundraisers

• Feb. 19 – Congressional District 5 DFL will host its Heart of the Party fundraiser. 7 p.m., 301 on Main, Minneapolis. There is free parking adjacent to the building in an open surface lot. Tickets are $35.
• Feb. 2X – The DFL Senate District 13, and in partnership with the College Democrats of the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University will host “An Evening with Secretary of State Steve Simon.” 6:30 p.m., Gorecki Conference Center on the campus of the College of St. Benedict. Space is limited, and tickets should be ordered in advance, by no later than Tuesday, Feb. 16.  Price is $30, with a special discounted price for students of $15.  If paid by check, please make payable to “DFL SD 13” and send to: Dennis Molitor, SD 13 Treasurer, 923 Parkview Lane, Sartell, MN 56377.  Or you may pay on-line by credit card, by clicking on this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-evening-with-secretary-of-state-steve-simon-tickets-21175533591
• Feb. 27 – SD36 DFL Fundraiser and Elections Pre-Caucus Rally. North Hennepin Community College, College of Business & Technology, Grand Hall, 7411 85th Ave N, Brooklyn Park. Participants will discuss the importance of Elections in Minnesota and your local Senate District. Keynote speakers are Minnesota Secretary of State,
• Steve Simon and Minnesota Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey. Suggested donation $20. All donations appreciated. Please RSVP with Reva Chamblis at  or call Reva at 763-657-1459.
• March 12 – Senate District 63 DFL hosts its annual Spaghetti Dinner. 5 p.m., Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church, 4120 17th Ave. S, Minneapolis.
• March 12 – The Senate District 16 DFL fundraiser will be held at Jackpot Junction, Morton. It kicks off at 5 p.m. and will feather a buffet meal, silent and live auctions and speakers. 

2016 election
Legislature
Stenglein to seek Senate District 10 seat, Echo Journal
Pieper seeks rematch against Davids, Rochester Post Bulletin
U.S. House
Competitive U.S. House races cost millions — does any of that money benefit the district? MinnPost
Gov. Mark Dayton and Lt. Gov. Tina Smith will endorse Angie Craig for Congress. morning take
President
The utter nastiness of Ted Cruz, Washington Post
Ex-NAACP head endorses Sanders, The Hill
In debate with Clinton, Sanders makes it clear: He’s a radical, MinnPost
Sanders joins Larry David on SNL, The Hill
Candidates look to comedy and late-night shows for new soap box, Star Tribune
John Kline backs Rubio for president, Bemidji Pioneer
Hillary’s secret weapon is Bernie’s colleagues, Mother Jones
The return of Jeb Bush, Slate
Marco Rubio doubles down on repetition in post-debate rally, vows not to change message,Washington Post
In Flint, Clinton casts herself as a problem-solver — and looks past N.H., Washington Post
What to expect in Minnesota prior to ‘Super Tuesday,’ Fox 9
Looking for a presidential parallel? Think 1968, Star Tribune
Ramping up town halls, debates puts spotlight on Democrats, Star Tribune
Madeline Albright and Gloria Steinman scold young women about supporting Bernie Sanders, Star Tribune
As Clinton-Sanders fight escalates, young women consider issues, symbolism, Star Tribune
Rubio’s debate speech is a broken record — with a broken message, MinnPost
Though conservatives theoretically abhor identity politics, many Rubio supporters freely cite his Cuban ethnicity, youth and affiliation with the swing state of Florida as the reasons they back him.Another reason Rubio himself offers up is that his humble roots will make it hard for Democrats to caricature him in the fall. “I’ve lived paycheck to paycheck,” he says. “I’ve had student loans.” Others invoked the Bill Buckley Rule, named after the founding editor of National Review, who said activists should get behind the most conservative candidate who can win. After eight years in the wilderness, many Republicans are willing to look the other way when it comes to Rubio’s inexperience and apostasies because they think he would post up best against Clinton. Washington Post

 
American Muslims
Yes, Minnesota Muslims do face hate and harassment, Star Tribune
Broadband
Broadband Funding in Minnesota and Crookston – Local officials: Funding boost would be sweet,Crookston Time

College debt
Sen. Klobuchar hosts forum on college affordability and student debt crisis, Northland News Center 
Cuba
A primer on Cuba: Many Minnesotans welcome a changing policy toward Cuba, Star Tribune
Debate
GOP debate winners and losers, The Hill
Governors on offensive in debate with campaigns on the line, The Hill
Christie, Rubio get personal in debate clash, The Hill
Trump booed for saying audience full of ‘donors and special interests,’ The Hill
Rubio under fire in GOP debate after rise in polls, Star Tribune
A bad night for front-runners and a good night for governors, Washington Post
Debate slip-up seems to halt Rubio’s momentum, Washington Post
NPR tallied talk time: Rubio, 18:14; Cruz, 17:34; Trump, 15:32; Christie, 12:53; Bush, 12:30; Kasich, 10:33; Carson, 8:46. Washington Post
Marco Rubio knew his strong third-place finish in Iowa would make him a big target in ABC’s Saturday night GOP debate — but whether he was overrehearsed or underprepared, it was worse than he’d imagined. From the debate’s outset, Chris Christie pestered Rubio. “You have not been involved in a consequential decision where you had to be held accountable,” he said. He opened up a brutal line of attack in suggesting that the Florida senator only knew how to turn a phrase rather than accomplish something. “Marco, the thing is this,” Christie said. “When you’re President of the United States, when you’re a governor of a state, the memorized 30-second speech where you talk about how great America is at the end of it doesn’t solve one problem for one person.” CNN
The share of Twitter conversation: Trump, 29 percent; Rubio, 18 percent; Cruz, 14 percent; Bush, 9 percent; Christie, 8 percent. Washington Post
Winners – Washington Post

• Donald Trump: Trump basically sunk into the background, with almost nobody going after him. It was as if all the candidates were conceding the state to him.
• Ted Cruz: Given he’s not expected to do well in New Hampshire, basically everyone gave him a pass. He was even more untouched than Trump; not even his regular immigration bouts with Rubio were rehashed.
• The Trump-Cruz bromance: Not only did these two not take much incoming fire; they even shared a moment that reminded us of a time they both got along, as Cruz suggested he would build a border wall and that he’d put Trump in charge of it.
• Chris Christie: He sure got his voice heard going after Rubio. The question, though, is did Christie help himself, or just hurt Rubio?

Losers (Washington Post)

• Marco Rubio: Where to start here? Rubio has been such a strong debater so far — and a steady hand on the campaign trail in general. And then he ran into Christie. The New Jersey governor hit Rubio for never having been a chief executive and for not having much to show for his time in the Senate. He seemed to knock Rubio off his game so much that Rubio wound up repeating a stock answer about President Obama — that Obama knows exactly what he’s doing in driving the country to the left — three times. It was conspicuous and very not-smooth.
• Ben Carson’s foreign policy talking points: When Carson was asked a question about Obamacare, he lamented the fact that he had not been included in an earlier back-and-forth over North Korea. It was so transparent. Carson has struggled because he has almost no foreign policy acumen, and he was trying to say he wanted to talk about this stuff now!

 
Education (E-12)
Minnesota state representatives working to improve early education, KVRR 
Guns
States taking action to keep guns out of abusers’ hands, MPR
Health care
Franken talks rural health care woes, Worthington Daily Globe
Horbal, Koryne
Political pioneer Koryne Horbal looks back, Star Tribune
Iowa
Iowa Democrats reviewing some caucus precinct results, Des Monies Register
The Iowa Democratic Party announced revised results after finding “reporting errors” in several precincts that worked in Hillary’s favor. “Clinton’s share of the delegates awarded was revised slightly downward, to 49.84 percent, while Sanders’s total was bumped up to 49.59 percent,” per Wagner. “The Sanders campaign is continuing to push for a broader review.” Washington Post
Labor
Nurses rally as negotiations open with Allina hospitals, Workday Minnesota
Madelia
Governor Mark Dayton visits Madelia to offer support, KEYC
Dayton promises to be there for Madelia, West Central Tribune
‘We’re not going to walk away,’ Dayton tells Madelia, Star Tribune
Medical marijuana
First six months of Minnesota’s medical marijuana program bring wonders, worries, Star Tribune
Mining
Range lawmakers want Twin Metals access approved, Bemidji Pioneer
Moose
Can our moose be saved? Star Tribune
New Hampshire
Independent voters play key role in New Hampshire primaries, The Hill
Do-or-die for struggling candidates in New Hampshire, The Hill
As Republicans debate, New Hampshire is Donald Trump’s to lose, Washington Post
At N.H. rally, Sanders says his ideas aren’t as ‘radical’ as Clinton camp suggests, Washington Post
Weary and subdued, a different Donald Trump appears in N.H., Washington Post
Why a vote for Bush could be a vote for Trump in the NH primary, MPR
Cruz spent yesterday trying to woo Rand Paul supporters in rural, western New Hampshire. He offered long riffs on eminent domain, something Donald Trump struggled to defend his support for during the Saturday debate. “Two hours later, at a crowded Mexican restaurant and bar in Keene, Cruz was asked no questions about eminent domain. But he took a question about how falling oil prices might affect the economy, and ran with it into a convoluted, libertarian-flavored epistle about money.” Washington Post
Labor
Security officers reach tentative contract with $15 minimum wage, Workday Minnesota
Retail janitors join union janitors in setting strike deadline, Workday Minnesota
North Branch teachers get support in contract talks, Workday Minnesota
Polls
Poll finds tightening GOP race in New Hampshire, The Hill
New Hampshire polls are all over the place. Just like normal. Washington Post
Poll: Trump’s lead in New Hampshire grows, while Sanders’ edge shrinks, CNN
Heading into the race’s final weekend, here’s where things stand in the WBUR New Hampshire poll released today:

Prison population
Decades of new laws caused Minnesota’s prison population spike, Star Tribune
Retirement
High life expectancy strains Minnesota pension systems, Star Tribune
Soccer stadium
Getting fans to new St. Paul soccer stadium without a car is focus of study, Star Tribune
McGuire: design for St. Paul soccer stadium site is coming soon — and it won’t have skyways,MinnPost
Transportation
Editorial: The outlook for roads, bridges, transit in Minnesota, Pioneer Press
Zika
Obama asking Congress for emergency funding to combat Zika, KSTP
Bug spray bound for Haiti to fight Zika virus turned away at MSP, Star Tribune

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