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 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.
Greens only have two more weeks to make their 2007 refundable gift to the Green Party, according to Green Party of Minnesota Finance Chair Nancy Brown.
The State of Minnesota’s Political Contribution Refund Program (PCRP) fully refunds up to $50 annually for an individual or $100 for a couple.
“This program was created to provide public financing for our political process, something many of us strongly support,” she says. “Yet most people are surprised to learn that this program exists.”
Green Minneapolis City Council member Cam Gordon has taken the lead on two initiatives to help expand access to fresh produce and other nutritious foods.
Both measures will help alleviate so-called “food deserts,” typically lower-income areas of the city where fresh produce and healthy foods are hard to find.
Green Party organizer and former candidate for governor Ken Pentel has begun making a series of bike trips to college campuses in Minnesota to organize students for the Green Party.
He made his first trip, to the University of Minnesota-Morris, in September and is visiting University of Minnesota-Duluth on October 15. He hopes to visit five more campuses both in and outside the metro area in November.
The Green Party of Minnesota deplores the police violence that erupted in connection with the Critical Mass bike ride on August 31, when 19 people were arrested. Many riders and even some bystanders were beaten and attacked with pepper spray and Tasers. These rides, held on the last Friday of each month, are normally a peaceful “celebration of bicycles,” according to Paul Kristapovich, a member of the Univ. of Minnesota Campus Greens. He often takes part in the rides and was among those arrested.
Publicly funded stadium moves forward despite opposition of most citizens
St. Paul, MN – August 30, 2007 – "Today is a day for rich corporations to celebrate the millions they'll make off the ballpark we're buying them," said Green Party of Minnesota Spokesperson Dave Bicking about the groundbreaking celebration for the new Twins stadium.
The Green Party is one of several citizen groups that have consistently opposed any public funding of the new Twins ballpark.
Minnesota Democrats Joined Republicans in Signing Away Civil Liberties
St. Paul, MN – August 15, 2007 – The Minnesota Green Party is calling the bi-partisan passage of a bill legalizing the Bush Administration's spying on Americans "a major setback for civil liberties and privacy rights." Three of Minnesota’s Democratic lawmakers joined Republicans to help push the measure through Congress before the August recess.
The Minneapolis City Council on July 19 unanimously approved six guiding principles to protect free speech and association during the 2008 Republican National Convention.
The principles were developed by the Free Speech Work Group, an initiative of Green City Council Member Cam Gordon in anticipation of the convention. The group includes the Mayor, city council members, representatives from civil liberties organizations, and others.
The Green Party of Minnesota offers its condolences and shares in the grief of the many personally affected by the I-35W bridge collapse tragedy on August 1st. We are especially grateful for the heroic efforts made by fellow citizens and rescue workers who assisted those directly affected.
It is unfortunate that it takes a tragedy such as this to generate a reaction to our failing infrastructure in this country. Ralph Nader, the 2000 presidential candidate for the Green Party, has been addressing this concern for more than a decade. On July 27, 1999 he wrote an article in the Los Angeles Times entitled "Perspective on Federal Spending." In it he stated: "The debate over how to allocate funds must include how best to improve our great shared assets." His proactive opinions on protecting our country and its infrastructure along with our democracy have continuously been shut out from the mainstream debate, while the majority of our federal taxes are spent on an illegal and severely destructive war.
Hopefully, out of the tears and grief will come the appropriate investigations and necessary funds to prevent future infrastructure tragedies. We also hope that replacement, where needed, will include building along more environmentally friendly lines.
