In the Know

Minnesota DFL
Sept. 24, 2014
 
Events today

• 8:30 a.m. – Sen. Franken will meet with Nuns on the Bus, a group of Catholic nuns committed to fighting for social and economic justice. Sen. Franken will highlight the work he has done on workforce training and his fight to raise the federal minimum wage.
• 2:30 p.m. – Gov. Dayton and Lieutenant Governor Candidate Tina Smith will be on the Iron Range. They will attend a lunch with labor leaders before touring Joy Global in Virginia. Joy Global is a Fortune 1000 Company and leading global supplier of advanced mining equipment.
• Rep. Heidi Heitkamp is in town to host a fundraising  luncheon at Halunen & Associates with Rep. Betty McCollum, former Rep. Bill Luther and others for North Dakota candidate for House George Sinner.

 
Mark your calendars and spread the word!
Early voting is open! www.mnvotes.org

41 days until the Nov. 4 general election

Want to volunteer to elect DFLers? Visit http://www.dfl.org/gotv/
 
2014 election
Voters at local candidate forums not sticking to the script, MinnPost
Absentee voting already underway in Olmsted County, Rochester Post Bulletin
Candidates for Minnesota offices, political groups provide peek at campaign finances, Star Tribune
DFL has $1.1 million in the bank, Star Tribune
GOP uses terror threat against Dems in campaign, Pioneer Press

Today, the state will release the latest campaign finance figures for Minnesota statewide candidates, PACs and parties. (The release will not include federal figures.) A few things to look for: How do the GOP-leaning interest groups match up against the DFL interest groups? Who is giving big cash to interest groups and party organizations? Are there any newly powerful spending groups on either side? Has any major national money flowed into state parties or causes? Track it all on the Hot Dish blog and in Thursday’s newspaper.Star Tribune

Legislature
The 20 races that will decide who controls the Minnesota House of Representatives, MinnPost

The Minnesota House DFL Caucus announced it had raised $933,822 since the last fundraising report, excluding in-kind contributions, bringing the total raised for the election cycle to nearly $3.75 million with more than $1.5 million cash on hand with six weeks to go. Minnesota House DFL Caucus

Secretary of State
Severson wants to streamline voting process, Brainerd Daily Dispatch

In this video, Joan Growe, Minnesota Secretary of State from 1975 to 1999 introduces Steve Simon, candidate for Minnesota Secretary of State at the 2014 DFL Convention. Steve Simon talks about the qualities that Minnesotans are looking for in their next Secretary of State. Leia Simon talks about her husband and his personal qualities that will make him a great Secretary of State. Simon for Secretary of State

Governor
Dayton has nearly $1.7M war chest for election, MPR
Johnson has $866,000 for campaign for governor, MPR
GOP governor hopeful delivers Mankato pitch, Mankato Free Press
Dayton leads in governor’s race cash; Johnson raised more recently, Star Tribune
Dayton holds big cash advantage in governor’s race, MinnPost
Dayton maintains big money lead over Johnson, politics mn

The Mark Dayton for a Better Minnesota campaign filed its fourth financial report of the year. The report shows that between July 22 and September 16 the campaign raised $521,077.28 and received another 534,071.77 from the public subsidy for total receipts of $1,055,148.  During this period the campaign spent $217,772 leaving it with $1,685,490.55 cash on hand as of September 16. Dayton campaign

U.S. House
Will John Kline respond to Mike McFadden ‘oops’ commercial, MN Political Roundtable
Peterson speaks at Beltrami DFL dinner, Bemidji Pioneer
TRUTH TEST: Did Nolan vote against funding to fight terrorism? KSTP

Last week, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee released an ad in the Eighth Congressional District that went after Republican Stewart Mills wealth and hair. This week, the National Republican Congressional Committee released one going after Democratic U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan on Guantanamo Bay and military funding. Both ads have shades of truth and shades of untruth. There is sure to be more shaded messages to come – outside groups have already spent $3.8 million on the Eighth and there is more to come. Star Tribune

U.S. Senate
Franken and McFadden spar over student loan debt plan, MPR
Why McFadden’s over-the-counter birth-control idea is not actually good for women, MinnPost
Franken, McFadden tailor messages to college students, Star Tribune
McFadden plans to burn workers under age 55, mn progressive project
 
Community Action of Minneapolis
Hayden responds to audit allegations, MPR
Questions raised for years about Community Action’s spending, MPR
Sen. Hayden resigns from Community Action board; GOP calls for inquiry, Star Tribune
Nonprofit’s board failed the taxpayers, Star Tribune
3 resignations at Community Action of Minneapolis, but CEO silent, Fox 9
 
Congressional delegation
Bachmann
Bachmann hits the road as she prepares to leave Congress, Star Tribune

Franken
Franken: Reservations on arming rebels in Syria, WCCO

Klobuchar and Franken
Minnesota senators want answers about Marine’s death, Star Tribune
 
Minnesota Campaign Finance Board
Minnesota Campaign Board gives social media advice, WCCO
 
MNsure
MNsure accused of placing people on Medicaid who don’t qualify, KSTP
 
Property taxes
Delivering dollars: 2014 homeowner property tax report, Minnesota 2020

Transportation
Gov. Dayton to N.D. Gov. Dalrymple: Keep those oil shipments safe, MinnPost
Why so much oil from the fracking boom is moving by high-risk rail, not pipeline, MinnPost

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