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"The future does not belong to those who sit on the sidelines." — Senator Paul Wellstone
TAG | HD48B
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Doug Loon non-partisan? Nope, not so much.
Posted by SD48 DFL Communications Team in Jenifer Loon
The spouse of HD48B representative, Jenifer Loon, has a new position per Adam Belz in the June 30, 2015, StarTribune. Please take the time to read the full article. See if your head spins, too.
We’ve included some numbers to link you to those “what the what” statements that jumped out at us.
- The Chamber cites the issues of importance that are strong Democratic issues: transportation and immigration
- Loon gives no credit to what the DFL legislature and Gov. Dayton have done to strengthen the economy, gives lip service to “improvement” with no details (improvement like in Wisconsin?)
- The Chamber and Loon worked to move the House to GOP controlled and he says the next step is changing the Minnesota Senate to GOP control
- Before working for the U.S. Chamber, he was a GOP Congressional staffer
- He calls the Chamber non-partisan.
“The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce announced Monday that its new president will be Douglas Loon, a longtime Midwest regional executive for the U.S. Chamber.
He will fill the vacancy left by the death last July of David Olson, who led the state’s largest business lobby for nearly a quarter century.
“A perfect choice. He’s smart. He has a good reputation with both sides of the aisle. He knows Minnesota well,” said Charlie Weaver, executive director of the Minnesota Business Partnership. “He’ll be well received at the Capitol.”
Loon, 50, grew up in South Dakota, worked in Washington for a Pennsylvania senator and has been based in Minnesota since 1998. His wife, Jenifer Loon, is a Republican state representative from Eden Prairie.
Douglas Loon will take the post in September and spend the fall months touring the state and preparing for next year’s legislative session.
The Chamber and its mostly Republican allies are coming off a strong year in which the GOP took the Minnesota House and logged a solid performance in the 2015 legislative session.
(1) Taxes and transportation were left unresolved and will be a battleground in 2016. The chamber also lists immigration reform and education as key issues, as the state struggles to deal with an aging workforce and the shifting demographics of its younger population.
Chamber members and leaders seethed over a 2013 tax hike on the wealthiest Minnesotans and a rise in the minimum wage. But the state’s economy has remained among the nation’s healthiest and unemployment has fallen to its lowest level since 2006.
“We know that Minnesota is a great place to start, build and grow a business,” Loon said. “It is not strictly the government that has built that. That is built by the private marketplace and their resiliency and ability to compete.”
Last week, the annual ranking by CNBC of the business environment in states — which named Minnesota the best state for business — provided a new moment for Democrats and Republicans to square off over what they believe is driving the state’s success.
(2) In an interview, Loon said CNBC’s accolade doesn’t mean the state can’t improve and pointed to the TV network’s finding of high taxes as a disadvantage for Minnesota businesses.
(3) The Minnesota Chamber, which represents more than 2,300 companies across the state, helped Republicans take control of the Minnesota House in 2014, and Loon said the next step is to win the Senate.
‘If you look at just the political landscape, that’s going to be a place where everybody’s going to put focus,’ he said. ‘I would describe it as protect and advance, protect the working pro-business majority that they enjoy and continue to expand it. We’re going to be looking for friends where we can find them, and on each issue you build coalitions of the willing.’
(5) But he also called the chamber a “nonpartisan organization” and said “pro-business” is not code for Republican. He rejected the notion that his appointment gives fuel to critics who say the chamber is just a fundraising and lobbying arm of the state GOP.
‘They may try to paint me with that broad brush, but the reality is I work for a nonpartisan organization now, and I expect to operate in a nonpartisan way at the chamber,” Loon said.
(4) After serving as legislative director for Sen. Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, early in his career, Loon has been at the U.S. Chamber since 1995 and based in – Minnesota since 1998.
He manages the national chamber’s seven regional offices that handle political and grass roots outreach. He also manages the U.S. Chamber’s Midwest region, which includes Minnesota.
One of Loon’s strengths is his experience working with local chambers and trade groups and the businesses that make up their backbone.
“I think he can relate well to small businesses that are the chamber’s bread-and-butter,” Weaver said.
Bill Blazar, who served as interim president and did not apply for the chamber’s president position, will guide Loon through the transition while returning to his previous role as senior vice president of public affairs and business development.”
You can read the full post here.
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February, 2015, Newsletter
Posted by SD48 DFL Communications Team in David Hann, e-Newsletter, Joan Howe-Pullis, News
2015 is off and runningWe hope that you and yours had a safe and happy holiday season. We’re moving into 2015 and preparing for the elections that will happen in 2016. We hope you’ll join us on this journey. New Year — 2 Chances to Support DFL Efforts
If you’re working on your taxes, don’t forget to go to the State Elections Campaign Fund portion on the front of the form. Fill it in with “12”, and the State will give $5 to the fund that supports our state candidates. This won’t affect your refund, so, please take the time to do this. You Can Again Contribution $50 and receive a full refund With the Political Contribution Refund program, voters are able to contributed up to $50 annually to candidates or party units and receive a full refund from the State of Minnesota. Just visit our contribution page and make a secure, online contribution now. We’ll process your contribution, generate the necessary paperwork and send it to you right away. Just send it in to the State of Minnesota (you’ll get all the instructions you need with your receipt), and in 4 to 6 weeks you’ll get a check for the amount of your contribution up to $50 per voter. Update from Rep. Selcer
We have spent a good amount of time on overviews in committee, as we have another large Freshman class to assist in getting up to speed. We have just begun to hear bills in committee, and passed disaster relief off the House floor. . I am working on authoring and co-authoring a number of bills, including being the chief author of legislation to bond for the SW LRT, and will keep you apprised as more legislation rolls out. You have seen in the media accounts of the Governor’s budget, as well as bills being brought forward by the Senate DFL majority and the House GOP majority. There is an emphasis on education and transportation this session, and I hope that you will continue to share your thoughts and questions with me on these and other issues of importance to you as we move forward. As always, thank you for the honor of being your voice in St. Paul. 2015 Senate District 48 ConventionWere you elected a delegate at your 2014 precinct caucus? If so, you are also a delegate for our 2015 convention. The details are still coming together, but we do have the date, time and location: Where: Glen Lake Activity Center, 14350 Excelsior Blvd, Minnetonka, MN When: Thursday, May 14, 2015, 7:00 to 8:30 pm. |
Update from State Senate Candidate Laurie McKendry
I’ll be going door-to-door in our district as soon as the weather permits and hope I’ll catch you home. If I miss you, or if you’d like to let me know your thoughts now, please visit my website and complete the survey? I believe before you listen to politicians’ promises, shouldn’t they listen to you first? Update from Joan Howe-Pullis
Win a Container of Driveway Patch with Your Photo
We have announced a photo contest where the winner will take home a container of driveway patch. You can find the details here. Our Annual Grow with Us Plant Sale is Coming Soon
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Our State Senator and the GOP-controlled State House have countered Gov. Dayton’s transportation plan with one that’s so dinky it will repair 1 bridge in our state.
2015 Minnesota PCR · Grow with Us · HD48A · HD48B · House District 48A · House District 48B · Joan Howe-Pullis · Laurie McKendry · PCR · political contribution refund program · Rep. Selcer · sd48 · Senate District 48 · Yvonne Selcer
Tuesday, January 6, 2015, the Minnesota Legislature convened for this year’s session.
During this session, our elected representatives will develop Minnesota’s two-year budget that will then go to Gov. Mark Dayton for his signature into law.
If there are issues they’re considering that you care about, participate in the process and let your legislators know what you think. Here’s how:
To find out how to contact State Senator David Hann (SD48, R) click here.
To find out how to contact State Representative Yvonne Selcer (HD48A, D) click here.
To find out how to contact State Representative Jenifer Loon, (HD48B, R) click here.
To keep up with what’s happening in St. Paul, you can view for the Session Daily news here.
To follow bills there the legislative process, visit this site.
2015 Minnesota Legislature · David Hann · HD48A · HD48B · Jenifer Loon · sd48 · Yvonne Selcer
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A Huge SD48 DFL Thank You to Joan Howe-Pullis
Posted by SD48 DFL Communications Team in Joan Howe-Pullis, News, Our Candidates & Elected Officials
A big thank you to our House District 48B candidate, Joan Howe-Pullis. Joan began her run for office in June. She developed a strong team of volunteers, who worked for her throughout the months leading up to Election Day.
We weren’t able to make change happen this cycle on the B-side of our district, but that doesn’t diminish any of the effort Joan and her team brought to the race. Joan and her volunteers knocked over 10,000 doors in just a bit over 5 months. That’s dedication to finding out what’s important to the people of Eden Prairie.
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Supports Wickstrom, Nelson, Howe-Pullis, referendum
Posted by SD48 DFL Communications Team in Joan Howe-Pullis, Letters to the Editor, News, Our Candidates & Elected Officials
Eden Prairie is a great place to live, work, raise a family and retire. We have great schools, parks and city services that are envied throughout the region and beyond. Our city services and features can be attributed to the leadership and commitment to excellence that our current mayor and City Council members guide. Sherry Butcher Wickstrom has been a wise voice focused on the future sustainability of our city with an eye to innovation. Sherry is effective and brings passion to her decision-making. Kathy Nelson has a long history with listening to the concerns of citizens and finding resolutions to problems. Both Sherry and Kathy deserve your vote.
Mayor Nancy Tyra-Lukens has earned the respect of so many for her excellence in leadership for our community on so many leading edge issues. Nancy, Sherry and Kathy have a proven history of being wise stewards of our environment and in particular our tax dollars. Without any doubts each deserves your vote on Nov. 4.
And in House District 48B Joan Howe-Pullis has earned my vote to serve our community by listening and representing all people in our community not based on party but on what is right. We need to seek common ground to create better solutions for all. Joan will listen and work hard for everyone.
Our schools must have your Yes votes on both questions, to meet the future educational needs of our students and the future property values of this community. If these questions do not pass our schools and children will be impacted. Once programs are cut it takes years to restore and remember there is no rewind button for childhood. In the words of John F. Kennedy, “Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future.” Please vote Yes on both questions.
Carol Bomben
Eden Prairie
Eden Prairie News, October 30, 2014