Bluestem Prairie

After robust mark-up, Minnesota House omnibus agriculture bill gains approval on 9-4 vote

We'll have another post this weekend about the A8 amendment, which require biofuel producers who receive payments under the Bioincentive Program to certify they won't use the funds on lobbyists, in a separate consideration we'll publish tomorrow. 

We'll also take a look at the  directions the committee took following the departure of former Chair Jeanne Poppe, DFL-Austin, who was defeated in last fall's election.

For now, here's Nate Gotlieb's Session Daily article, Despite disagreements, omnibus agriculture bill gains approval:

The omnibus agriculture finance and policy bill has been approved, despite disagreement on pesticides, biofuel, the Board of Animal Health, farmer-lender mediation and disposal of pesticide-coated seeds.

In a 9-4 vote Friday, the House Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee approved HF1524, sponsored by Rep. Mike Sundin (DFL-Esko), as amended, and referred it to the House Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. Samantha Vang (DFL-Brooklyn Center), who voted for it, said she appreciates the bill's support for emerging farmers.

Rep. Paul Anderson (R-Starbuck), who also voted for the bill, said he appreciates the funding included for a biofuels infrastructure financial-assistance program, though he wishes more money would have been allocated to it. He does not think the proposed increase to pesticide fees is warranted.

Nine amendments to the delete-all amendment were offered Friday, six of which were approved and four of which generated considerable committee discussion.

Sponsored by Rep. Dale Lueck (R-Aitkin), the A3 amendment, was voted down 7-5. It would have removed proposed changes to the composition of, and control of appointments on, the Board of Animal Health, which is tasked with protecting the state's domesticated animals.

Lueck does not believe the board's composition should be changed as it undergoes farmed deer and elk rulemaking and said the Legislature should retain influence over it. DFLers said the board needs reform.

The A5 amendment, sponsored by Rep. Nathan Nelson (R-Hinckley), was also voted down. It would have removed proposed changes to the University of Minnesota-run Farmer-Lender Mediation program, which allows indebted farmers to request the help of trained mediators in reaching agreements with creditors.

The bill would increase the maximum length of mediation from 60 to 90 days and increase from 90 to 120 days the period in which debts on farmers who have requested mediation cannot be enforced.

The A6 amendment, sponsored by Rep. John Burkel (R-Badger), was also voted down. It would have removed the proposed increase to pesticide fees and the proposed requirement that neonicotinoid-coated or treated seeds be disposed of in a manner consistent with directions on product labels.

Sponsored by Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL-South St. Paul), the A8 amendment, would require biofuel producers who receive payments under the Bioincentive Program to certify they won't use the funds on lobbyists.

The amendment, which was approved, would also require producers to meet new reporting requirements, providing information such as the number of jobs created, board member compensation and how payments are used.

Rep. Tim Miller (R-Prinsburg), who supported the amendment, said the Legislature should require more information from recipients of public funds. Lueck said the amendment singles out certain agricultural producers.

Its companion, SF958, is sponsored by Sen. Torrey Westrom (R-Elbow Lake) and received committee approval Wednesday. It awaits action by the Senate Finance Committee.

Here's the Minnesota House Information Services YouTube of the mark-up session:

Related posts:

• Cropaganda: Ag hears omnibus finance bill
• In ag omnibus bill, Minnesota is not quite so poised to lead an environmental breakthrough
• House enviro omnibus bill centers "the people, & the land, & the water & the wildlife of MN"
• Pollinator protection bills heard today in the Minnesota House Agriculture Committee at 1PM 
• MN House Republicans abjectly fail to protect pesticides from radical pollinator-hugging leftists
• Update: MNHouse GOP fails to replace pesticide industry interests over local control

Photo: Minnesota House Photography file photo, tightly cropped.

If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post. Those wishing to make a small ongoing monthly contribution should click on the  paypal subscription button.

Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email sally.jo.sorensen@gmail.com as recipient.

NEW: I'm now on Venmo for those who prefer to use this service: @Sally-Sorensen-6

After robust mark-up, Minnesota House omnibus agriculture bill gains approval on 9-4 vote

We'll have another post this weekend about the A8 amendment, which require biofuel producers who receive payments under the Bioincentive Program to certify they won't use the funds on lobbyists, in a separate consideration we'll publish tomorrow. 

We'll also take a look at the  directions the committee took following the departure of former Chair Jeanne Poppe, DFL-Austin, who was defeated in last fall's election.

For now, here's Nate Gotlieb's Session Daily article, Despite disagreements, omnibus agriculture bill gains approval:

The omnibus agriculture finance and policy bill has been approved, despite disagreement on pesticides, biofuel, the Board of Animal Health, farmer-lender mediation and disposal of pesticide-coated seeds.

In a 9-4 vote Friday, the House Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee approved HF1524, sponsored by Rep. Mike Sundin (DFL-Esko), as amended, and referred it to the House Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. Samantha Vang (DFL-Brooklyn Center), who voted for it, said she appreciates the bill's support for emerging farmers.

Rep. Paul Anderson (R-Starbuck), who also voted for the bill, said he appreciates the funding included for a biofuels infrastructure financial-assistance program, though he wishes more money would have been allocated to it. He does not think the proposed increase to pesticide fees is warranted.

Nine amendments to the delete-all amendment were offered Friday, six of which were approved and four of which generated considerable committee discussion.

Sponsored by Rep. Dale Lueck (R-Aitkin), the A3 amendment, was voted down 7-5. It would have removed proposed changes to the composition of, and control of appointments on, the Board of Animal Health, which is tasked with protecting the state's domesticated animals.

Lueck does not believe the board's composition should be changed as it undergoes farmed deer and elk rulemaking and said the Legislature should retain influence over it. DFLers said the board needs reform.

The A5 amendment, sponsored by Rep. Nathan Nelson (R-Hinckley), was also voted down. It would have removed proposed changes to the University of Minnesota-run Farmer-Lender Mediation program, which allows indebted farmers to request the help of trained mediators in reaching agreements with creditors.

The bill would increase the maximum length of mediation from 60 to 90 days and increase from 90 to 120 days the period in which debts on farmers who have requested mediation cannot be enforced.

The A6 amendment, sponsored by Rep. John Burkel (R-Badger), was also voted down. It would have removed the proposed increase to pesticide fees and the proposed requirement that neonicotinoid-coated or treated seeds be disposed of in a manner consistent with directions on product labels.

Sponsored by Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL-South St. Paul), the A8 amendment, would require biofuel producers who receive payments under the Bioincentive Program to certify they won't use the funds on lobbyists.

The amendment, which was approved, would also require producers to meet new reporting requirements, providing information such as the number of jobs created, board member compensation and how payments are used.

Rep. Tim Miller (R-Prinsburg), who supported the amendment, said the Legislature should require more information from recipients of public funds. Lueck said the amendment singles out certain agricultural producers.

Its companion, SF958, is sponsored by Sen. Torrey Westrom (R-Elbow Lake) and received committee approval Wednesday. It awaits action by the Senate Finance Committee.

Here's the Minnesota House Information Services YouTube of the mark-up session:

Related posts:

• Cropaganda: Ag hears omnibus finance bill
• In ag omnibus bill, Minnesota is not quite so poised to lead an environmental breakthrough
• House enviro omnibus bill centers "the people, & the land, & the water & the wildlife of MN"
• Pollinator protection bills heard today in the Minnesota House Agriculture Committee at 1PM 
• MN House Republicans abjectly fail to protect pesticides from radical pollinator-hugging leftists
• Update: MNHouse GOP fails to replace pesticide industry interests over local control

Photo: Minnesota House Photography file photo, tightly cropped.

If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post. Those wishing to make a small ongoing monthly contribution should click on the  paypal subscription button.

Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email sally.jo.sorensen@gmail.com as recipient.

NEW: I'm now on Venmo for those who prefer to use this service: @Sally-Sorensen-6

[VIDEO] Shakopee Town Hall discussion about state rep. Keeler's effort to establish MMIR office

Last month, we posted that the House Judiciary Finance & Civil Law Committee sends bill for MMIR office to Public Safety:

. . . The creation of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) Task Force by the Minnesota Legislature was a starting place--and the release of its report to the legislature in December 2020 was another step.

Friday morning, Moorhead DFL state representative Heather Keeler's bipartisan bill--HF2124--to establish the first mandate in the report's Call to Action (p. 13)--was heard in the House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee. The bill would create an office to coordinate efforts surrounding the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous relatives.

A first term lawmaker, Keeler is a citizen of the Yankton Sioux tribe.

After a short but robust discussion, which centered on data privacy, the bill passed 15-1 on a roll call vote .  . .

In a community conservation now available on YouTube, former state representative Brad Tabke hosts Keeler and Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Secretary/Treasurer Rebecca Crooks-Stratton, who served on the MMIW Task Force, discuss the bill:

Worth a watch. We agree with Keeler that it's important to hear native leaders discuss and lead on issues indigenous communities face. Her presense in the Minnesota Legislature in this, her first term, is a welcome one.

Image:  Shakopee Live Town Hall promotion.

If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post. Those wishing to make a small ongoing monthly contribution should click on the  paypal subscription button.

Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email sally.jo.sorensen@gmail.com as recipient.

NEW: I'm now on Venmo for those who prefer to use this service: @Sally-Sorensen-6

South Dakota Supreme Court to hear adult cannabis arguments on April 28, 2021

It's been a while since we've posted about the effort to defeat the will of voters in South Dakota about legal cannabis use.

Via the Associated Press, an update, Supreme Court to hear recreational marijuana case this month:

The South Dakota Supreme Court is expected to decide the fate of a voter-approved constitutional amendment legalizing recreational marijuana this spring.

The justices will hear oral arguments in a challenge to the amendment on April 28 at the state Capitol, the Argus Leader reported. Attorneys representing the organization South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws appealed a lower court ruling striking down the amendment.

The ballot measure garnered 54% support in the Nov. 3 election.

Two law enforcement officers, Highway Patrol Superintendent Col. Rick Miller and Pennington County Sheriff Kevin Thom, sued to block marijuana legalization by challenging its constitutionality.

Miller was effectively acting on behalf of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who had opposed the effort to legalize pot. His legal expenses are being covered by the state, authorized by Gov. Kristi Noem through an executive order.

The attorneys, representing South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws and several other marijuana advocates, argued that their opponents should face a high burden to prove that the state’s constitution was violated by the amendment.

In February, a Hughes County judge ruled the measure was unconstitutional because it violated a requirement that constitutional amendments be limited to a single topic. Judge Christina Klinger also said the amendment gave sole governing authority around marijuana to the SDDepartment of Revenue, not the Legislature.

A separate ballot measure legalizing medical marijuana only is set to take effect July 1.

We'll watch for news of the hearing.

Related posts:

• Legal team for marijuana amendment makes first arguments to Supreme Court (Associated Press
•  South Dakota News Watch: Cannabis legalization could boost Native American tribes' economies 
•  Argus Leader: SD Attorney General's office asks judge to dismiss anti-legal cannabis lawsuit 
• SD News Watch: Lawmakers off to slow start in regulating legal weed, but industry ramping up
•  Rapid City letter-to-editor writer objects to Governor Noem's anti-cannabis nanny state
• The peculiar knots of cannabis policy prompt GOP kinks in South Dakota and Minnesota

Photo: A cannabis greenhouse.

If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post. Those wishing to make a small ongoing monthly contribution should click on the  paypal subscription button.

Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email sally.jo.sorensen@gmail.com as recipient.

NEW: I'm now on Venmo for those who prefer to use this service: @Sally-Sorensen-6

Cropaganda: Ag hears omnibus finance bill

In House panel hears broader omnibus agriculture finance bill, Session Daily's Nate Gotlieb reports on the entire Minnesota House Agriculture Omnibus bill. Worth a read--and we embed the Minnesota House Information Service YouTube below.

Earlier Wednesday morning, we posted about the diminished possibility that Minnesota might pass groundbreaking policy In ag omnibus bill, Minnesota is not quite so poised to lead an environmental breakthrough.

Gotlieb reports:

Disagreement on pesticides

. . . But views diverge when it comes to pesticide proposals. Tim Waibel, president of the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, opposes the proposed increase on the pesticide sales tax.

In a letter, he also opposes requiring a warning label for seed treated with neonicotinoids. He said such seed is not used to produce ethanol in Minnesota and that adding it to a seed label could give the public the impression that it is.

Pollinator advocates want more stringent restrictions and are urging House members to include a proposed ban on chlorpyrifos and a proposal to increase fees on dicamba herbicides in the final bill.

We'll keep an eye open.

Here's the YouTube of the hearing:

Related posts:

• In ag omnibus bill, Minnesota is not quite so poised to lead an environmental breakthrough
• Pollinator protection bills heard today in the Minnesota House Agriculture Committee at 1PM
• Pollinator habitat? Some MN critical habitat license plate revenues could get new uses
• Conservation groups sue USFWS for refusing to designate rusty-patch bumblebee critical habitat 
• Session Daily: Pesticide scrutinized for affecting child brain development could be banned

Image: If the meme fits, post it.

If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post. Those wishing to make a small ongoing monthly contribution should click on the  paypal subscription button.

Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email sally.jo.sorensen@gmail.com as recipient.

NEW: I'm now on Venmo for those who prefer to use this service: @Sally-Sorensen-6

 

BAH: Southern Minnesota CWD investigation identifies new infection in Beltrami County

Another chapter in the story of Chronic Wasting Disease on Minnesota's cervid farms. From the Minnesota Board of Animal Health:

A 3-year-old white-tailed doe at a Beltrami County farm has been confirmed CWD positive by the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories. This 77-head herd was quarantined in October 2020 as part of the Board of Animal Health investigation of the previously reported Houston County CWD detection. The Beltrami County herd owner purchased 11 animals from the Winona County herd also identified in the investigation so these animals were considered CWD-exposed, which led to the quarantine.

“This detection is disheartening,” said Board of Animal Health Assistant Director, Dr. Linda Glaser. “Our investigation and tracing led us to find this positive animal. However, CWD continues to negatively impact Minnesota farmed cervid producers, and the tools we have to control this disease are so limited. The Board will work with the USDA to get this herd depopulated to stop any spread of disease from the herd.”

The Beltrami County owner requested federal indemnity for the CWD-exposed animals, which were appraised by the USDA in March. USDA officials reported three of the 11 exposed animals had recently died and they collected CWD samples from two of them for testing; one of those animals was the CWD positive doe. The third deer was too decomposed to collect a sample. All carcass remains were taken to the University of Minnesota for safe disposal.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, which manages the health of the wild deer population, will conduct precautionary surveillance in the area surrounding the Beltrami County farm to determine if nearby wild deer are infected with CWD. Surveillance will begin with this fall’s hunting season and last a minimum of three consecutive years. The DNR encourages Beltrami County residents to report observations of sick wild deer to their local wildlife office by calling 218-732-8452. A deer feeding ban will also be put in place in Beltrami and surrounding counties.

CWD is a disease of the deer and elk family caused by prions, which can damage brain and nerve tissue. The disease is most likely transmitted when infected deer and elk shed prions in saliva, feces, urine, and other fluids or tissues. CWD is not known to naturally occur in other animals. The disease is fatal in deer and elk, and there are no known treatments or vaccines. Consuming meat from a CWD positive animal is not advised.

On Twitter, state representative Jamie Becker-Finn, DFL-Roseville, author of much of Minnesota's recent CWD policy, responded:

From the press release: “CWD continues to negatively impact Minnesota farmed cervid producers”

No mention of deer hunters, tribal members, or taxpayers. Board of Animal Health is prioritizing the business of “farming” a wild animal at the expense of everyone else.

— Jamie Becker-Finn (@jbeckerfinn) April 7, 2021

It's hard not to agree..

Photo: Whitetail deer.

If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post. Those wishing to make a small ongoing monthly contribution should click on the  paypal subscription button.

Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email sally.jo.sorensen@gmail.com as recipient.

NEW: I'm now on Venmo for those who prefer to use this service: @Sally-Sorensen-6

In ag omnibus bill, Minnesota is not quite so poised to lead an environmental breakthrough

On Tuesday, Karin Winegar' hopeful commentary, Minnesota is poised to lead an environmental breakthrough; Pending bills would give communities local control over pesticides, safeguard protected wildlife areas and more, appeared on the Opinion page of the Star Tribune:

Now Minnesota stands on the cusp of passing some of the most enlightened legislation in the nation to protect human and ecosystem health. With a handful of bills slated to be heard in the Legislature, we may have reached a critical mass of scientific documentation, legislative smarts and public understanding that could result in a state that is cleaner, safer and healthier for people, pets and vital pollinators.

The pending bills give communities local control over pesticides (HF 718), set rules for pesticide-coated corn and soy seed to avoid contamination (HF 766), prohibit neonicotinoid systemic pesticides (aka "neonics") and chlorpyrifos (insecticide) in protected wildlife areas (HF 1210), impose a statewide ban on chlorpyrifos (HF 670) and increase pollinator-lethal insecticide fees with revenue allocated to pollinator research (HF 408).

Unfortunately, most of the Minnesota House bills she praised by number are nowhere to be found in HF1524, the omnibus ag bill, nor the DE amendment that will replace it. The Minnesota House Agriculture Finance and Policy will begin the walk through of the omnibus language at 1:00 p.m. today.

Two bills praised by Winegar are folded into HF1076, the House Environment and Natural Resources omnibus: HF718 (Samantha Vang) and HF1210 (Sydney Jordan). 

Now, parts of Environmental and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Chair Rick Hansen's HF 766 appear to have made it into the Ag Omnibus, so Minnesotans may be able to breathe easier, knowing that left-over neonic-coated corn and soybean seeds aren't being used for making ethanol and such.

Why was the S. St. Paul DFLer and environmental stalwart bringing that to the table? Read the Xerces Society article, Ethanol Plant Causes Severe Pesticide Contamination in Nebraska, for background.

Speaking of bringing concerns to the table, there's a swarm of written testimony online at the Ag Committee's website.

Some examples: our friends in Montevideo write in CURE written testimony that they support the inclusion of the measures Winegar reviewed, though they don't cite her article.The Pollinator Friendly Alliance spells out its support for including the bills as well, in a letter with supporting references. The Minnesota Hobby Beekeepers want HF 408 in the bill, according to their letter.

There's more. Go read them. The agenda notes that these individuals are scheduled for public testimony:

• Lori D. Cox, Owner/Operator, Roots Return Heritage Farm, LLC
  Allison O’Toole, CEO, Second Harvest Heartland
  Sarah Foltz Jordan, Senior Pollinator Conservation Specialist, Xerces Society
  Tim Rudnicki, MN Biofuels Assn.
  Stu Lourey, MN Farmers Union

We can expect that Minnesota Department of Agriculture staff (and possibly Commissioner Thom Petersen) will be available in the Zoom hearing to answer questions committee members may raise.

Readers can watch the hearing at 1:00 p.m. via HTV 1.

Related posts:

• House enviro omnibus bill centers "the people, & the land, & the water & the wildlife of MN"
• Pollinator protection bills heard today in the Minnesota House Agriculture Committee at 1PM 
• MN House Republicans abjectly fail to protect pesticides from radical pollinator-hugging leftists
•  Update: MNHouse GOP fails to replace pesticide industry interests over local control

Photo: A tractor spraying celery, via "Drift Happens" at Marcia Farm Country Kitchen. We used a picture from California so as to not point our little fingers at anyone in Minnesota.

If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post. Those wishing to make a small ongoing monthly contribution should click on the  paypal subscription button.

Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email sally.jo.sorensen@gmail.com as recipient.

NEW: I'm now on Venmo for those who prefer to use this service: @Sally-Sorensen-6

House enviro omnibus bill centers "the people, & the land, & the water & the wildlife of MN"

We watched the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee's walk through of the delete-all amendment to HF1076 this afternoon. 

Short skinny: the DFL committee members were pleased with the scope of the bill, the Republican Minority Lead and the more outspoken Republican Committee members were very unhappy with the size of the bill, and Chair Rick Hansen, DFL-South St. Paul was gracious to legislative and agency staff, as well as colleagues, regardless of party.

Here's the Minnesota House Information Service's YouTube of the hearing:

Reporting for Session Daily, Nate Gotlieb reported in Invasive species, diseases prioritized in omnibus environment and natural resources bill:

Minnesota could spend millions of dollars in the next biennium to slow the spread of invasive species and implement new restrictions on deer and elk farms to protect the state's deer herd from chronic wasting disease.

The provisions are among dozens included in the omnibus environment and natural resources bill, given its first hearing Tuesday by the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee.

Nonpartisan staff detailed the delete-all amendment to HF1076, sponsored by Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL-South St. Paul). The committee plans to act on the bill Thursday.

Its companion, SF959, is sponsored by Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen (R-Alexandria) and awaits action by the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Finance Committee.

DFLers say the bill would effectively deal with invasive species and CWD, help pollinators, and address climate change and air and water pollution.

"This bill does a wonderful job of centering the people, and the land, and the water and the wildlife of Minnesota," said Rep. Kelly Morrison (DFL-Deephaven).

The bill would allocate $1.7 billion to state programs, departments and agencies in the next biennium, including about $960 million to the Department of Natural Resources. About $373.3 million of the spending would come from the General Fund.

 [MORE: View the spreadsheet]

Republicans say the bill is too broad and would hurt their constituents.

It would require deer and elk farms to have two layers of perimeter fencing, a move that could limit escapes but has been opposed by industry groups. Farmed deer have been a prominent source of CWD, which is always fatal and can survive for years in the environment, and advocates say the extra layer of fencing could stop the spread.

The bill would also ban the use of a group of "forever" chemicals called perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in food packaging and create new water-quality standards to regulate them.

Additionally, it would require the Pollution Control Agency to consider cumulative pollution levels in an "environmental justice area" before issuing permits and would allow cities to ban certain pesticides.

Other notable provisions would:

• create carbon-sequestration goals;
• void the state's remaining commercial turtle harvesting licenses;
• increase a triennial fee charged to boat owners for invasive species management;
• require the PCA to hold public hearings before finalizing agreements with facilities in which the agency is seeking more than $25,000;
• dedicate funds raised from the sale of critical habitat license plates to specific uses, depending on which animal a plate features; and
• require counties with at least one soil and water conservation district to impose an additional fee of $25 per transaction on the recording of mortgage and deed registrations to fund the districts.

***

What's in the bill?

The following are selected bills that have been incorporated in part or in whole into the omnibus environment and natural resources omnibus bill:

• HF30 (Hansen)
• HF32 (Elkins)
• HF45 (Ecklund)
• HF76 (Becker-Finn)
• HF78 (Wazlawik)
• HF79 (Wazlawik)
• HF133 (Becker-Finn)
• HF151 (Hansen)
• HF168 (Lee)
• HF171 (Hansen)
• HF214 (Lippert)
• HF228 (Acomb)
• HF248 (Wazlawik)
• HF387 (Vang)
• HF503 (Lee)
• HF644 (Lee)
• HF695 (Becker-Finn)
• HF700 (Lippert)
• HF934 (Lippert)
• HF718 (Vang)
• HF733 (Hansen)
• HF836 (Richardson)
• HF932 (Fischer)
• HF935 (Lippert)
• HF988 (Marquart)
• HF990 (Marquart)
• HF1076 (Hansen)
• HF1165 (Wazlawik)
• HF1195 (Ecklund)
• HF1233 (Christensen)
• HF1210 (Jordan)
• HF1237 (Hansen)
• HF1250 (Becker-Finn)
• HF1260 (Ecklund)
• HF1294 (Hansen)
• HF1426 (Jordan)
• HF1489 (Hansen)
• HF1491 (Hansen)
• HF1505 (Sandstede)
• HF1562 (Hansen)
• HF1563 (Hansen)
• HF1621 (Boe)
• HF1727 (Ecklund)
• HF1733 (Hansen)
• HF1799 (Masin)
• HF1877 (Hansen)
• HF1896 (Morrison)
• HF1989 (Huot)
• HF2285 (Keeler)
• HF2331 (Morrison)

We're happy to see such a plump bill--and hope measures like ending Minnesota's commercial turtle harvest make it to the Governor's desk.

Photo: A baby turtle centered on a palm.

If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post. Those wishing to make a small ongoing monthly contribution should click on the  paypal subscription button.

Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email sally.jo.sorensen@gmail.com as recipient.

NEW: I'm now on Venmo for those who prefer to use this service: @Sally-Sorensen-6

 

Daudt & Neu Brindley's voter suppression club, the RSLC, scores $50,000 from Facebook

Two top Minnesota House Republican leaders, Minority Leader Kurt Daudt and Deputy Minority Leader Anne Neu Brindley, are part of the RSLC Election Integrity Commission.

At Popular Information on Monday, Judd Legum reported Facebook pledged to suspend political donations, then quietly funneled $50,000 to GOP group pushing voter suppression laws.

That would be the RSLC.

Some back story. On March 4, we reported in Minority Leader Daudt & Deputy Anne Neu Brindley on RSLC Election Integrity Commission:

HR1, the "For the People Act" passed on Wednesday on a 220-210 roll call vote. Read more in Alana Wise's report in House Approves Major Election Reform And Voting Rights Bill.

Those Minnesotans who consider such legislation to be a threat to "election integrity" can look to Minnesota House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, and Deputy Minority Leader Anne Neu Brindley, R-North Branch, who are working with a national group to make sure it's hard to vote across the country.

In RSLC Election Integrity Commission Adds Leading State Officials, we learned on Monday:

Following the recent announcement of its effort to aid in restoring the American people’s confidence in the integrity of their free and fair elections, the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) today released additional secretaries of state and state legislators who are serving on its Commission on Election Integrity. The RSLC is convening these leading policymakers in order to share and discuss voter-centric current laws and future reforms that make it easier to vote and harder to cheat.

“Restoring the public’s trust in our democracy may be a national debate right now, but the Constitution makes clear that improvements to our election laws need to be enacted by state leaders,” said RSLC President Dee Duncan. “We have assembled a group of strong leaders who offer a variety of perspectives on the best policies to make it easier to vote and harder to cheat, and we look forward to continuing to serve as a hub of communication for them as they guide their colleagues across the country on how to tailor critical reforms to their respective states. While state Democrats defer to the radical federal legislative changes being pushed by liberals in Washington that will do irreparable damage to our elections, state Republicans are leading on this issue and are focused on producing commonsense results for the American people.”

In the list: Minnesota House Deputy Republican Leader Anne Neu Brindley and Minnesota House Republican Leader Kurt Daudt.

From Legum's article today:

On January 11, Facebook announced that "following last week's awful violence" it was suspending donations from its political committee "for at least the current quarter, while we review our policies." . . .

But campaign finance records obtained by Popular Information reveal that, 44 days later, Facebook donated $50,000 to the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC). Facebook routed the donation through a fundraising vehicle that the RSLC set up in Virginia, a state with lax campaign finance laws that allows unlimited direct corporate contributions. . . .

The primary goal of the RSLC is to elect Republicans to state legislatures and other state-level offices across the country. In 2021, Republican state legislators introduced 361 bills to restrict voting in 47 states, according to the latest report by the Brennan Center. (By February 19, just prior to Facebook's donation, the Brennan Center had identified 253 such bills.)

 

In addition to supporting the election of legislators that are pushing measures to restrict voting, the RSLC is directly encouraging state officials to make voting more difficult. The group supported a version of the Georgia voting legislation that was even harsher than the measure that ultimately became law. The RSLC supported ending no-excuse absentee voting in Georgia and completely banning drop boxes. . . .

 

On February 17, the RSLC launched its "Commission on Voting Integrity." Although the RSLC claims its purpose is to make it "easier to vote and harder to cheat," the explicit goal of the Commission is to roll back changes to voting procedures put in place during the pandemic to make voting easier. "Democrats in 2020 used the pandemic to alter election laws in their favor — now they want to make those changes permanent," the Commission website says. The RSLC warns that unless new restrictions are put in place to make it "harder to cheat" then "Democrats will dominate elections for years to come."

The Commission endorses purging voter lists, new ID requirements, ensuring every voter is "thoroughly monitored by outside observers." 

Any doubt about the purpose of the Commission was resolved when the RSLC named Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill (R) as co-chair. Merrill spoke at a "Stop the Steal" rally for Trump supporters. He also publicly supported efforts by Republicans in Congress to reject the results of the Electoral College vote and overturn the election. Merrill also propagated specific falsehoods, including the claim that there were a large number of fraudulent ballots cast in Michigan. 

Another member of the Commission is Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R). Shirkey, who also sits to the RSLC executive committee, claimed that "too many dead people" voted in Michigan, long after the claim was debunked by state officials. Shirkey also claimed that the January 6 riot was a "hoax" that didn't involve "Trump people." Shirkey apologized but then was caught on a hot mic saying he didn't actually "take back" anything. 

There are many other members of the Commission on Voting Integrity and the larger RSLC organization that hold similar views. Facebook's large contribution to the RSLC appears in conflict not only with its January 11 statement pledging to suspend all political contributions but its more recent statement in support of voting rights. 

"We support making voting as accessible and broad-based as possible and oppose efforts to make it harder for people to vote," Roy Austin, VP and deputy general counsel for civil rights, said in a statement last week. But Facebook's $50,000 contribution to the RSLC will support an organization working to make it harder to vote. 

In response to a request for comment, Facebook told Popular Information that the $50,000 donation to the RSLC was "standard practice" and represented "membership dues" to the Republican Lieutenant Governors Association (RLGA).1 The donation, Facebook said, "reflects the fact there’s an election happening in Virginia, with a lieutenant gubernatorial race on the ballot, this year." The RLGA, however, is not an actual organization but a caucus that is operated by the RSLC. 

There is nothing that prevents the RSLC from using Facebook's funds for any purpose. Even if the RSLC represented that Facebook's donation would only support the RLGA, it would have no practical effect. Facebook says that its money was not "used in the passage of voting legislation in Georgia." But it sent money to an organization that worked in Georgia to pass an even more extreme version of the bill that became law.  . . .

There's more at Popular Information. Check it out.

But voters' rights aren't the only thing the RSLC is undercutting. Writing for Alpha News in February, Tom Gockowski reported in Daudt-aligned group spent more against GOP lawmaker than any individual Democrat:

A Republican committee spent more money against a conservative lawmaker than any individual Democrat during the 2020 election cycle, campaign finance records show.

The Minnesota Jobs Coalition, which has an affiliated independent expenditure committee called the Minnesota Jobs Coalition Legislative Fund, spent $11,760 against GOP-endorsed state Rep. Jeremy Munson, R-Lake Crystal, during the 2020 election, according to its year-end report.

That’s more than the group spent against any individual Democrat last year. In most cases, the Jobs Coalition spent about $6,200 against Democratic lawmakers. . . .

The group received $115,000 from the Republican State Leadership Committee and $24,000 from the Pro Jobs Majority PAC, an independent expenditure committee affiliated with the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.

The Jobs Coalition also spent $4,940 against Republican Rep. Erik Mortensen, R-Shakopee. Mortensen defeated Democrat Brad Tabke in the November election and is now advocating for the impeachment of Gov. Tim Walz.

The Alpha New reporter doesn't mention that Daudt was appointed to the RSLC in February 2014, according to MPR's Catherine Richaert's report, Rep. Daudt appointed to national GOP committee.

Details, details. 

We'll have more on some of the spats between Republican members of the Minnesota House, expressions of which are turning up at some of the less-travelled corners of Minnesota's political landscape.

Given the frequent complaints of censorship of posts by Facebook by conservative Minnesota activists, we're curiosity to see how funding for RSLC by the social media corporation will be received.

Image: The Money Barn.

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Rage against the cash machine? MNGOP raised $202,126 online; WinRed for-profit fundraising tool snagged $103,607 of that haul

We were a bit slowed down by Friday's second dose of the Dolly Shot, a.k.a Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, but have bounced back. This post is a quick nod to Huffington Post article all readers should check out, whether or not they've been following the follies in the race for Republican Party of Minnesota state chair.

In GOP Firm Tied To Trump-Endorsed WinRed Fundraiser Tool At Center Of Minnesota Dispute, S.V. Date reports:

Republican consultants with links to the Donald Trump-endorsed WinRed fundraising platform have sparked an angry dispute within the Minnesota GOP, which saw fully half of its online donations flow to the suburban Virginia firm.

Of the $202,126 raised by the Minnesota Republican Party online, $103,607 went to WinRed, with most or all of it passed on to IMGE LLC, based in Alexandria, Virginia, even though that company had little to do with much of the money raised, according to an email from Max Rymer, a Republican National Committee member from Minnesota.

“Since October of 2019, the Republican Party of Minnesota has given over 50% of their online donations to something marked as ‘WinRed Credit Card Processing Fees’ ― even if the vendors did not earn that commission through fundraising efforts,” Rymer wrote in a note to state GOP officials, which was posted to Facebook on March 23 by a party activist. “This included large dollar online givers, who in some cases had 100% of their donations taken.”

He described how state party chairwoman Jennifer Carnahan, after listening to his questions on Feb. 15 about the contract with IMGE, then went to RNC chair Ronna McDaniel to accuse Rymer of trying to “destroy” WinRed. Rymer wrote that he was startled to get a call two days later from McDaniel and RNC lawyer Richard Walters. “I received this call while getting my children out of the bath and, to be honest, these were the last two people I ever expected to hear from,” he wrote. . . . .

. . . unlike the not-for-profit ActBlue, WinRed from its inception in 2019 has been a for-profit entity, with the recipients of those profits shrouded from public view. Corporate records in Virginia list Lansing as president. The New York Times reported last year that 60% of WinRed’s profits went to Revv, the credit-card payment processing company Lansing founded in 2014, while he was with the National Republican Congressional Committee, and then continued to run while he worked at the RNC. The remainder goes to Data Trust, a private firm created by Republicans to create and maintain a voter database. . . .

Pop some corn and go read the whole piece at Huffpost.

Photo: Minnesota Republican Party chair Jennifer Carnahan, shown here at a Sept. 18 rally for President Donald Trump at the Bemidji Regional Airport, has accused a fellow Minnesota Republican of trying to harm a new GOP fundraising platform. Photo by Stephen Maturen, Getty Images, via Huffpost.

If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post. Those wishing to make a small ongoing monthly contribution should click on the  paypal subscription button.

Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email sally.jo.sorensen@gmail.com as recipient.

NEW: I'm now on Venmo for those who prefer to use this service: @Sally-Sorensen-6