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America Votes - Minnesota
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Minnesota update: Legislatures accepting pay while state government remains shutdown
On Monday, the 11th day of the Minnesota government shutdown, the Minneapolis Star Tribune released a list of 138 legislatures who are still being paid while over 22,000 state workers are furloughed. Governor Mark Dayton along with 62 other legislatures have declined their pay until the budget talks are settled and the rest of the government gets back to work. Unfortunately, despite Dayton's efforts to push a compromise, the GOP in Minnesota is not budging from their plans for the budget. Dayton is now instead embarking on a road trip across the state to take "his case for the budget plan directly to the voters."
Dayton is ready to resume budget talks in Minnesota
After five days of the shutdown in Minnesota, Governor Mark Dayton is ready to sit down with the GOP in the state legislature to come to a compromise on the budget. During the shutdown, government workers have been furloughed and many programs have come to a halt. In the pending compromise Dayton speaks of, Politico reports that he "sounded resigned to an income tax hike for millionaires not being in the final package, but he said that both sides will need to find ways to increase state revenue."
Meanwhile, while public employees are out of work, Former Minnesota governor and Republican presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty released an ad where he uses the shutdown of the government as a positive event, highlighting "his record of holding the line on spending in a liberal state, contrasting that with the approach of his successor."
Pawlenty appears in the ad to be proud of the $5 billion deficit the state is now struggling with, which will hopefully be remedied soon when more talks on the budget resume.
Minnesota Government Shuts Down After Budget Talks Fail
For the second time in six years, the Minnesota
Government is shutting down due to the inability for Governor Dayton and the
Republican legislature to agree on a budget to deal with the state’s $5 billion
deficit. Public employees will be out of work while the shut down continues,
and have instead flocked to the capitol to hold vigils until there is an
agreement reached. “I will continue — tonight, tomorrow, and however long it takes — to find a fair and
balance compromise,” Dayton said at the end of his speech at last night’s
vigil. “I welcome Republicans to join with me – my door is always open. I
believe the people of Minnesota are with me. I ask them to join me in
standing up for our State’s future.”
Recount Fight Continues in Minnesota
Republican Tom Emmer has vowed to continue the recount fight in the race for Governor in Minnesota, POLITICO reports today.
As the hand recount continues, Emmer remains over 9,000 votes behind Democratic candidate Mark Dayton. While both campaign have challenged a number of ballots in the hand recount, Dayton's campaign is withdrawing many of their challenges in order to move the process along.
AV Partners in the News
According to Politico, EMILYs List is working to turn out women voters in support of female incumbents across the nation. Meanwhile, the Daily Kos sat down with Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune. And the Minnesota AFL-CIO's state convention took on a political tone in advance of the midterm elections.
A few America Votes partners have been in the news over the last 24 hours.
Alexander Burns writes for Politico about how EMILYs List is targeting female "surge" voters this cycle, especially in districts represented by their endorsed incumbents. According to a recent poll commissioned by EMILYs List, health care and abortion rights remain very important to these surge voters, and the pro-choice group is seizing on these issues in their GOTV efforts. Such GOTV efforts have already proven successful, as evidenced by Team EMILY! - a grassroots initiative that helped power EMILYs List endorsed candidate Ann McLane Custer to a 40 point win in the Democratic primary for NH-2.
At the Daily Kos, Mark Sumner interviewed Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune about the future of the environmental movement over the next few years. Brune discusses a path to reduced dependency on coal and oil (even if Republicans make gains this year), mountaintop removal mining, auto fuel efficiency and much more.
Last but not least, the Minnesota AFL-CIO held its state convention and a key focus was rallying attendees to support DFL candidates, especially gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton. Sen. Al Franken also urged labor to vote this November, and Tarryl Clark, the DFL candidate opposing Rep. Michelle Bachmann received a standing ovation. The convention was perhaps best summarized by AFL-CIO national secretary-treasurer who urged attendees to "roll up your sleeves"
Alliance for a Better Minnesota Releases Five Television Ads Attacking Tom Emmer
Alliance for a Better Minnesota has released five television ads attacking Tom Emmer.
Check them out here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSER5HZHCWU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9gdd82DX5c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oFrj3l1RkA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBlf1iIxuJU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt8Wu25qsQo
Progressives on the Rise in Minnesota
A new poll from the Minneapolis Star Tribune puts all three Democratic candidates ahead of presumptive Republican nominee Tom Emmer in the race to replace Tim Pawlenty as governor.
A new poll from the Minneapolis Star Tribune
puts all three Democratic candidates ahead of presumptive Republican
nominee Tom Emmer in the race to replace Tim Pawlenty as governor. By a 40-30-13 margin, former US Senator Mark Dayton holds the most commanding lead over Emmer and Independence Party candidate Tom Horner. Democratic-Farm Labor and EMILYs List endorsed candidate Margaret Anderson-Kelliher holds a 38-29-13 lead, while Matt Etenza holds a 36-31-15 lead.
The poll comes as Louis Jacobson writes for Stateline.org that despite 2010 being the toughest election year for Democrats since 1994, the DFL has a chance to take back the governor’s mansion for the first time since 1986.
Effects of Citizens United at the Forefront in Minnesota
Want to know the effect that Citizens United has had on elections this year? Look no further than the Minnesota gubernatorial race.
On one hand, Democratic-Farm Labor endorsed candidate Margaret Anderson Kelliher has raised $981K for the entire year thus far. On the other hand, MN Forward, a conservative “pro-business conduit” created by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce has raised more than $1M in less than one month. How did MN Forward raise so much money? On the backs of 13 corporations including Kraft Foods, Target, and Best Buy.
As Pat Doyle writes in a feature for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, although the companies have told employees they are not endorsing or opposing specific candidates, their contributions have allowed MN Forward to spend $195,000 in ads support of GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer.