It is with deep sadness that St. Paul Greens have seen our city become an armed camp during the past week. The presence of the RNC gave St. Paul an opportunity to set a shining example of a community where diversity of opinion and freedom of expression are welcomed and where civil disobedience is handled firmly but with restraint. The result would have been trust and respect for law officers and a long step toward realizing our vision of St. Paul as one of the world's greenest cities.

Instead we have seen a virtual army of anonymous, heavily armored and armed troopers take control of our streets. We have seen how helpless and compliant our local authorities are in the face of such a quasi-military occupation. And we have experienced a sense of violation as our homes and meeting places have been invaded on the flimsiest of excuses, our roads and bridges closed to traffic without warning, and our jails packed with people who were rounded up brutally and indiscriminately. Some are angry young protesters, some are journalists who were seeking to do their jobs, and some are citizens who simply ventured to ask questions.

We were told it would not be this way. We feel misled and betrayed. We ask that our city council and county commissioners authorize an independent investigation along the lines suggested in Minneapolis by council members Cam Gordon (Green, Ward 2: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/ward2/) and Gary Schiff (Dem., Ward 9)

Thanks to hard work by volunteers and lots of signatures of regular Minnesotans, the Secretary of State has accepted our petition to put Cynthia McKinney and Rosa Clemente on the ballot in November. To read more about the Green Party nominated candidates for president and vice president, check out our candidates page.

Greens have been among those targeted for harassment and intimidation by police in a wave of pre-emptive actions taken before the Republican National Convention in St. Paul.

On Saturday police surrounded the home of Michael Whelan, a long-time Green Party supporter, whose Arise Bookstore at one time housed the party's office. He was host to a group of independent journalists. The police broke down doors and subjected occupants to house arrest. "You figure this would be going on in South Africa, or Russia, not in St. Paul," Whelan said. "St. Paul is nice."

The previous night, police had invaded a meeting space in St. Paul rented by the anarchist RNC Welcoming Committee. They seized equipment and subjected some fifty people to handcuffing and search. Next day Monica Bicking, a leading member of the organization, was jailed along with three friends, and her home in Minneapolis was boarded up for alleged violation of city codes.

Meanwhile, the group's nonviolence consultant and trainer, Betsy Raasch-Gilman, expecting arrest, took "sanctuary" at the meetinghouse of Twin Cities Friends (Quakers). As of this morning Bicking had been released, but those arrested with her and several others remain in custody. Both Bicking and Raasch-Gilman are daughters of former Green Party candidates and present spokespeople.

According to Minnesota poet and writer Richard Broderick, who is a member of the Green Party and has also been one of its candidates, "The erosion of civil liberties and constitutionally guaranteed rights in this country makes all the eloquent calls we heard from Denver for unity and restoring the American Dream little more than hollow rhetoric."

Despite the efforts at intimidation orchestrated by federal authorities and carried out by DFL administrations in both Hennepin and Ramsey counties, Minnesota Greens have united to bring their VP candidate, Rosa Clemente, to the Twin Cities. She addressed the antiwar marchers in St. Paul today and tonight appeared with the National Truth Commission on Poverty. She will be participating in the Poor People's march from Mears Park tomorrow.

On Tuesday, August 26th, supporters of Cynthia McKinney delivered over 2,700 petition signatures to gain ballot access for the candidate and her running mate Rosa Clemente. A minimum of 2,000 certified signatures is required by the state of Minnesota in order to gain ballot access in the November 4th general election.

The Green Party of Minnesota held its biennial convention over the weekend of June 7th and 8th in Mankato. The two main items on the agenda were selection of national delegates and endorsement of a U.S. Senate candidate.

Going into the convention, it was clear the front-runner for Green Party nomination for president, Cynthia McKinney, would receive a majority of Minnesota's twelve delegates to the national convention. Members had the opportunity to vote on the presidential endorsement at the local caucuses in March, through a mail-in ballot, or in person at the State Convention. When all the votes were counted, McKinney received eleven delegates, with one delegate representing the position that the Green Party should run no candidate.

The twelve delegates selected will be attending the Green Party National Convention in Chicago from July 10 through 13, where they will vote on the Presidential endorsement, on platform resolutions, and other issues. More information on the national convention can be found at www.gp.org.

McKinney is a former six-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives who has been known for her outspoken opposition to war and excessive military spending, and for her passionate support for the interests of people above profit. She has left the Democratic Party to join the Green Party which advocates what McKinney calls “radical common sense” policies that would result in real change in the United States. Her campaign website is at www.runcynthiarun.org. Three lesser-known candidates are also running for the Green Party endorsement. Though none received enough votes to earn a delegate from Minnesota, several speakers at the convention expressed appreciation for the sacrifices they have made to publicize important issues and support the Green Party.

The U.S. Senate endorsement contest was much closer. Michael Cavlan sought the party's endorsement, but was one vote shy of the 2/3 threshold needed to receive the party's endorsement. Therefore, the Green Party of Minnesota is not endorsing a U.S. Senate candidate in the 2008 election. Cavlan announced at the convention that he would run as an independent if he did not receive the endorsement.

Elections were also held for representatives on the State Central Committee and to the national party. Members debated and passed revisions to the party platform and by-laws.

The State Party is grateful to the Mankato local party for their efforts in hosting a productive and smooth-running State Convention.

Diane Peterson of the St. Paul Greens spearheaded a reform bill in the legislature that removed a barrier to her service as an election judge, and that of many other Minnesotans. She served as an election judge for the first time in 2004, when Greens had major party status. Election law allowed major party individuals to serve, but not others. When she learned that soon she would no longer be able to serve because the Greens were scheduled to lose their major status, she decided to change the discriminatory law. She approached her Republican House Representative and convinced him to introduce a bill to remedy the situation. She coordinated efforts with Rep. Meslow, Sen. Marty, the League of Women Voters, her city clerk, and a lobbyist for the League of Minnesota Cities. She reapproached her new state senator, a Democrat, and her new state rep, a Republican, late in 2006 to introduce new bills in the 2007 Legislature, which they did. She testified for the bill before two committees, and it almost passed into law.

But partisan politics stopped it, and her two legislators brought it back in 2008 for another try. Finally, on May 12, 2008, the governor signed the reform into law after it was rolled into another Legislator's bill. It was a multi-partisan effort, and Peterson claims some credit for it being a Green victory for better democracy. The new law allows Greens, and others, to apply beginning June 1, 2008. Judges may serve in any Minnesota community; they are not confined to their own neighborhood or city.

Peterson encourages Greens to celebrate this win for democracy by becoming an election judge (many more are needed for this big voter turnout year).

This is the second Green win for more democratic election law: Peterson reformed the way presidential candidates are listed on Minnesota ballots in a 2000 bill mandating that both first and last names appear, rather than just last names, which gave an advantage to major party candidates with high name recognition due to skewed media coverage.

At the Green Party's caucus on March 4th, Cynthia McKinney led the state's straw polling at 60% of the votes, with 56 out of 67 senate districts reporting. While the straw poll is non-binding, it is a good indication that Ms. McKinney will likely have a lot of support in the coming June convention, where Minnesota's 12 delegates to the national convention will be chosen.

Full results can be found on the MN Secretary of State's caucus result website.

The Green Party of Minnesota is seeking applicants for the position of party treasurer. The deadline for submissions is 1/18/08. The contract start date will be approximately 2/1/08. Please download and read the attached job description for more information.

We are pleased to invite you to join the Green Party of Minnesota this Saturday Jan. 5th for the Green Party Presidential Forum and Campaign Fair. Candidates kat swift and Jesse Johnson are confirmed attendees as of this writing (there may be more candidates) and there will be materials available on all 6 of the official Green Party Presidential Candidates, Draft Candidates and their campaigns. For more on the Candidates and Draft Candidates please visit the site of the GPUS Presidential Campaign Support Committee at http://www.gp.org/committees/pcsc/index.shtml

The forum and fair are being held from 5pm to 7pm in the event space behind the curtains in the northeast corner of the Midtown Global Market at 920 E. Lake Street in Minneapolis. Parking in the ramp next to the market on 10th Avenue is free for three hours with any purchase in the market. Don't forget to get your parking pass stamped if you are driving!

If you are biking, the Midtown Global Market is just off the Midtown Greenway. If you are busing, the Midtown Global Market is reachable by bus routes 5, 39 & 21 as well as others very close by.

We encourage folks to buy their dinner or a snack or beverages to eat and drink during the candidate and campaign presentations and question and answer period and support the many small local community businesses which comprise the global market by eating some of their great and unique food offerrings.

Many of you may know the Midtown Global Market as the old Sears building on Lake Street in South Minneapolis. For more on the market and directions please visit http://www.midtownglobalmarket.org/

There is no charge for attending but please be prepared to contribute to candidates or campaigns if you so feel inclined. Our guests will need to raise some additional funds to cover their travel expenses.

Please email davidstrand@mngreens.org if you are in need of ASL services or if you can provide ASL services or other language translation on an as needed basis.

Candidates at the fair will also be attending our state party meeting at Hamline University in St. Paul this Saturday.

The Green Party of Minnesota will hold its caucuses on March 4, the date designated by state law, even though the DFL, Republican and Independence parties have agreed to follow the national trend toward ever earlier caucuses and will hold theirs on February 5. Greens emphasize that they object on principle to the lengthening of campaigns for national office.

“If anything, the campaign season should be shortened rather than extended,” says Rhoda Gilman, party spokesperson. “Nine months of campaigning is unnecessary by any standard. It only increases the money needed to run for public office and assures even further that wealth will govern our elections.” Greens accept no money from corporations or PACs.

“As a minor party, we are not legally required to hold caucuses, but the caucus process is a key element of grassroots participation in political parties,” says Andy Exley, a member of the state Coordinating Committee. As at other party caucuses, Greens attending will discuss and vote on potential candidates and on resolutions. Greens do not need to choose delegates from the local caucus, because all Green Party members are eligible to attend and vote at the state endorsing convention in June. In addition, Green Party members who can not attend the state convention will be able to cast votes for President by mail-in ballot. Caucus resolutions will be forwarded to the platform committee and considered at the biennial meeting, which is usually held in conjunction with the endorsing convention.

Caucus locations will be listed on the Green Party Web site (www.mngreens.org) and also the Secretary of State's website when they have been finalized. All persons in agreement with Green Party values are invited to attend.