In the Know
Minnesota DFL
Feb. 24, 2016
212 days before people can begin to vote by no excuse absentee ballot, Sept. 23
257 days until Election Day, Nov. 8
6 days until DFL SD48 Caucus, Mar. 1
 
Events today

• 9 a.m. – DFL Chairman Ken Martin and GOP Chairman Keith Downey will hold a press conference to discuss the importance of attending precinct caucuses.
• 9 a.m. – The House Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Finance Committee meets, Room 5, State Office Building.
• Steering and Outreach Committee (DSOC) Chair Amy Klobuchar and other Senate Democrats will hold a forum with legal and constitutional scholars to review the Senate’s constitutional responsibility to act on the Supreme Court vacancy. Sen. Klobuchar will join other Democratic Senators in a discussion with legal experts about the impact a year-long vacancy will have on the integrity of our government and the dangerous precedent that would be set by refusing to act on the constitutional obligation to consider a nominee.
• Noon – House DFL Leader Paul Thissen will join students and faculty from Minnesota State University-Mankato at a roundtable to discuss the burdens resulting from student loan debt. The roundtable is one of several taking place this week giving lawmakers an opportunity to hear personal stories of how high tuition impacts not only students, but also their families. In addition, lawmakers will discuss proposals to reduce tuition and debt that they will be authoring for the upcoming 2016 legislative session.
• 1 p.m. – The Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement meets, Room 200, State Office Building.
• 1 p.m. – The House Public Safety and Crime Prevention Committee and Senate Committee on Judiciary meets, Room 1100, Minnesota Senate Building.
• 5:30 p.m. – Sen. Terri Bonoff will host a town hall meeting to discuss the 2016 Legislative Session. Plymouth City Hall, 3400 Plymouth Blvd., Plymouth.
• 6 p.m. – The House Select Committee on Affordable Child Care meets, Kandiyohi County Historical Society, 610 Hwy 71 Srv Rd, Willmar.

Precinct caucuses March 1

• 7 p.m. – Help spread the word that people can find their precinct caucus locations here.

Mark your calendars

• 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. 25 – Forum News Service will host a unique preview of the Minnesota legislative session. Gov. Mark Dayton, Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk, House Speaker Kurt Daudt, Senate Minority Leader David Hann and House Minority Leader Paul Thissen will sit at the same table to answer questions from Minnesota reporters. It will be live steamed by Senate Media Services at tinyurl.com/MNSenateVideo.
• Feb. 25 – Join the Senate District 61 DFL for a discussion about current issues in transportation policy, featuring:Sen. Scott Dibble; Rep. Frank Hornstein; Jessica Treat, executive director, Transit for Livable Communities; and Ethan Fawley, executive director, Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition. 7 – 8:30 p.m., Lynnhurst Park, 1345 E Minnehaha Pkwy, Minneapolis.
• Feb. 26 – Republicans debate in Houston on NBC. The co-sponsors are Telemundo and National Review.
• Feb. 27 – Some 800 people will gather at the RiverCentre for Gov. Mark Dayton’s “Water Summit: Our Water. Our Challenge. Our Future,” called to bring attention to the challenges facing ground and surface waters in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
• Feb. 27 – The Democratic primary in South Carolina.
• Feb. 27 – The DFL African American Caucus will meet, 10 a.m., 3240 Library Ln, Minneapolis.
• Feb. 27 – Precinct caucus training will take place in Rochester from 2 to 4 p.m. in the new DFL Headquarters. It is located in the ground floor of the 1500 building on 1st Ave NE, behind Silver Lake shopping center. There is a DFL sign in the window and a separate entrance. Everyone is welcome to attend.
• March 5 – 2016 DFL Elected Officials Convocation, 10 a.m., DFL Headquarters, 255 Plato Blvd E., St. Paul. The convocation will elect representatives to various roles in the party: five persons from each Congressional District to serve as delegates to the State DFL Convention; 10 persons to serve as delegates to the State DFL Central Committee for a two-year term; three persons to serve as directors on the State DFL Executive Committee for a two-year term; and six persons who are DFL endorsed, elected members of the Minnesota House of Representatives or State Senate, State Constitutional Officers, or members of the U.S. Congress to serve as members of the State Platform, Issues, and Legislative Affairs Committee for a two-year term.
• March 6 – Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders will debate in Flint, Michigan at 7 p.m. on CNN.
• April 30 – CD 2 DFL Convention, 10:30 a.m., Shakopee West Junior High School, 200 10th Ave. E, Shakopee.
• April 30 – CD 7 DFL Convention, 1 p.m., Courtyard Marriott Hotel, 1080 28th Ave. S, Moorhead.
• May 7 – CD 5 DFL Convention, 10:30 a.m., South High School, 3131 S 19th Ave., Minneapolis.
• May 7 – CD 8 DFL Convention, 10 a.m., Duluth Holiday Inn, 200 W 1st St., Duluth.
• May 14 – CD 1 DFL Convention, 1 p.m., Worthington Event Center, 1447 Prairie Dr., Worthington.
• May 14 – CD 3 DFL Convention, 10:30 a.m., Osseo Senior High School, 317 2nd Ave. NW, Osseo.
• May 21 – CD 6 DFL Convention, noon, St. Cloud Apollo High School, 1000 44th Ave. N, St. Cloud.
• May 22 – CD 4 DFL Convention, noon, Carpenters Union Hall, 700 Olive St., St. Paul.

Fundraisers

• 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 .
• 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
South St. Paul’s Claflin makes House 54A bid, South Washington County Bulletin

U.S. House
Provocateur-turned-politician Jason Lewis finding that past comments can haunt the present, MinnPost

President
Why aren’t people declaring the GOP race over — and Trump the winner? MPR
Donald Trump is on course to win the 1,237 delegates he needs to be the GOP nominee, Washington Post
Rubio campaign snaps up top Koch adviser, Washington Post
Winner-take-all contests may work to Donald Trump’s benefit, The Hill
Cruz outraises Rubio in Super Tuesday states, USA Today
After a Nevada stumble, Ted Cruz looks home to Texas, Washington Post
Shouts of ‘liar’ are taking their toll on Ted Cruz’s campaign, Washington Post

Preparing for Super Tuesday, Rubio is focusing heavily on the vote-rich metropolitan areas around Denver, Atlanta, Nashville, Little Rock, Birmingham and Boston. Virginia also votes next week, and Rubio backers believe he can outperform Cruz and Trump in places like Fairfax, Arlington and Leesburg. Even if he loses the popular vote in these states to front-runner Donald Trump, Rubio might still emerge with a lot of delegates – and momentum – going into the higher-stakes, winner-take-all races that begin on March 15. Washington Post
 
Capitol
Dayton gives mixed review to Capitol art plan, MPR
Controversial paintings may be relocated in Minnesota Capitol, Pioneer Press
 
Environment
Dayton names 8 to new MPCA advisory committee, MPR
 
GOP
Republican voters are rejecting not just Jeb Bush, but the whole Bush legacy, Washington Post
Donald Trump may be right when he takes credit for growing the Republican Party, Washington Post
 
Labor
Report: Teamsters pension fund cuts would affect 14,800 in Minnesota, Star Tribune
St. Paul Chamber pushes back on mandatory sick leave plans, MPR
 
Mining
Dayton seeks benefits for more laid-off Iron Range workers, KSTP
 
Minnesota
Super Tuesday comes to Minnesota, Perham Focus
Houston County GOP, DFL: A bipartisan call to caucus, LaCrosse Tribune
Rep. Erik Paulsen joins Minnesota GOP bandwagon, endorses Rubio, Star Tribune
Rubio makes Minneapolis stop, Star Tribune
Marco Rubio brings campaign to Minneapolis, WCCO
Marco Rubio rallies Minnesota voters, KARE
Marco Rubio holds pre-Super Tuesday rally in Minneapolis, Fox 9
Marco Rubio in Minnesota: Jokes, policy and a rowdy crowd, Pioneer Press
Stassen-Berger: Want to win at politics? Know the rules, Pioneer Press

Nevada
Trump wins Nevada caucuses, The Hill
Trump notches another win as Rubio bids to elbow past Cruz, Star Tribune
Winners and losers of Nevada’s Republican caucuses, The Hill
 
North Star Policy Institute
North Star Policy Institute is a non-profit think-tank that provides original research and communications capacity to advance public awareness and discussion of public policy.
 
Polls
Trump tops native son Kasich among Ohio Republicans, Quinnipiac University poll finds; Clinton leads sanders by 15 points, Quinnipiac University
Cruz leads Trump by eight points in UT/TT poll, Texas Tribune
Sanders leads big in West Virginia poll, Washington Post
 
Precinct caucuses
The 5 things you’ll want to know if you’re thinking about caucusing in Minnesota, MinnPost
 
Remittances
Ellison, Emmer hail new Somali law to keep remittances from terrorist groups, MPR
 
Republican National Convention
Republican delegate scorecard for Feb. 23, 2016, The Cook Political Report
 
Soccer stadium
Minnesota United would build MLS stadium and give it to city, Pioneer Press
 
South Carolina
Clinton looks for big victory in SC, The Hill
 
Transportation
GOP transportation plan doesn’t add up, Worthington Daily Globe

United States Supreme Court
GOP senators: No hearing, no vote for Obama’s court pick, Star Tribune
Looming Supreme Court nomination fight is Government Shutdown 2.0, Star Tribune
Republicans resolutely slam door on Obama court nominee, The Hill

Universal health care
Sanders health plan renews debate on universal coverage, MPR
 
Wisconsin
Wisconsin legislator on Minnesota school comparison: ‘Vile,’ Pioneer Press

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