While Bluestem was coping with a power outage Wednesday evening, a kind Minnesota House staffer emailed Minnesota House Committee Rosters for 2023-24 Legislative Session.
The presence of two first-term Republicans, Red Wing's Pam Altendorf and Mission Township/Crow Wing Count's Ben Davis on the Minnesota House Elections Finance & Policy committee caused Bluestem to send up a prayer thanking the Lord for the leadership of Chair Mike Freiberg and Vice-Chair Emma Greenman on the committee.
Both Altendorf and Davis consorted with one of the worst of election deniers, Rick Weible; Davis was a leader in Crow Wing County conspiracists the Web of Deception series author Stephen Montemayor covered in A County Confronts Conspiracies: Group of Crow Wing County residents seek new audit of already certified vote.
Let's review the evidence about the new committee members in alphabetical order.
We posted about Altendorf in Crockett and crew share curious definition of "common sense" at Pine Island rally:
An article published on April 13 in the Post Bulletin, Republican tide rises across rural Minnesota, tells a somewhat more detailed back story. Brian Todd reported:
Like many conservatives who have gotten active over the past few years, [Kimberly Timm 's] upset over the mask mandates in schools.
She attended an event sponsored by the MN Patriots, a grassroots group that grew out of Cannon Falls and Goodhue, where the speaker talked about liberals taking over school boards. That talk served as a catalyst to push Timm toward the right, to where she'd begun to feel like she belonged.
. . . Those fed up conservatives are finding one another and forming groups. Timm, who open enrolls her children at Pine Island Public Schools, helped found a group called Pine Island Parents Strong in response to mask mandates.
And in Goodhue, Pam Altendorf began meeting with a few friends then joining with a similar group from Cannon Falls to form MN Patriots. . . .
The group has an email list of 300 people, and can regularly draw 50-100 people for a meeting when a speaker is brought in to talk about conservative issues. In September, the group hosted Dr. Scott Jensen, now a GOP candidate for governor, with more than 200 in attendance.
When state Sen. Mike Goggin announced he was not running for re-election, and state Rep. Barb Haley said she was running for Goggin's seat, Altendorf was encouraged to run for Haley's House district. . . .
As the screenshot at the top of this post illustrates, Altendorf's campaign Facebook page posted about an event MN Patriots' hosted. Clicking on the "more," we read:
MN-Patriots.com group that I helped co-found has prioritized Election Integrity this last year!
We are a group of grassroots, common, every-day citizens just like all of you! We have guest speakers to help educate ourselves on important issues and then we volunteer our time to help make positive improvements in our communities!!!!EVERYONE can help!Be INFORMED!!!Get INVOLVED!!!!Take a STAND!!!!JOIN US next Tuesday and find out what YOU can do to help!!!
Be a part of demanding fair elections in Minnesota
As for Davis, Bluestem's readers first met him in our December 14 post, Westrom wouldn't talk to local reporter about why he attended sketchy election fraud event:
Crow Wing County skeptics
There's Pastor Ben Davis of Remnant Ministry Center in Brainerd. He was part of the crowd [that] seeks 2020 election audit in Crow Wing County, as Chelsea Perkins reported for the dispatch at the end of October.
Crow Wing County voters overwhelming supported endorsed Republican federal and state candidates in the 2020 election, but these folks have their suspicions.
The event was listed on Eventbrite by the Crow Wing County Election Integrity Team.
When Davis received the Republican endorsement for his seat, we posted in Ben Davis, Master of Ceremonies for Dec 2021 'Searching For Truth' event, GOP endorsed in 6A:
. . . At Restore Mn-- a "Christ-centered educational hub creating a united network of God-fearing, America-loving patriots who know it is time to take God-directed action and become the informed, authoritative leadership in every sphere of their local communities" that seems to be run by Dale and Sue Witherington, with the help of former state senator Dan Hall--the Admin notes a special role for Davis in Capt. Seth Keshel Presents November 2020 Election Fraud Information:
There were well over 400 Patriots who came to Brainerd on Thursday evening, December 9, to hear Capt Seth Keshel share a very interesting overview of the fraudulent elections last November 3rd along with specifics of Minnesota’s impossible numbers for Joe Biden.
Seth’s talk followed Rick Weible and Sue Shogren of Midwest Swamp Watch, who also focused on many of Minnesota’s sketchy election practices from the Secretary of State down through the county ballot boards and county certifications. The Master of Ceremonies was Pastor Ben Davis, the leader of the Crow Wing County Community Action Team.
Being naturally curious, we clicked on the link for the Crow Wing County Community Action Team. Here's what we read:
Just prior to and especially since the elections of 2020, concerned patriotic Americans have been asking, “What is going on and what can we do?” Restore Minnesota offers a Community Action Team (CAT) to you and your home community wherever you live so you, the “We the People,” can take ownership of the leadership positions in your “backyards”.
Where is it important for you to lead? Your School Boards? City Councils? County Commissions? Business organizations? Where else is it important for you to have a voice? Perhaps organizing and facilitating a RestoreMN CAT is what your community needs.
Use the Form Below to Contact Us to learn more about starting a RestoreMN CAT even if you don’t live in Minnesota!
Foundations of a CAT
Community Action Teams (CATs) operate on the following:
- A firm acknowledgment of the truth “Jesus Christ is Lord.” (Philippians 2:11)
- A clear understanding that Jesus instructs His followers to bring into their communities the life and culture of heaven. (Matthew 6:9-10; Philippians 3:20; 2 Corinthians 5:20; Ephesians 2:10)
- A clear strategy from Jesus. (Matthew 28:18-20)
- A model from which to implement the strategy.
Well, who's to argue with that--though we are reminded of The Debate Over Religious Tests that led to the Article VI of the Constitution, which stipulated that “no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.”
Perhaps there's it's pre-screening work around. Or maybe the Founding Fathers only hoped to void "a state constitutional provision which required a notary public, as a condition of perfecting his appointment, to declare his belief in the existence of God," as we read at Congress's Annotated Constitution.
It's worth taking a look back at Smith's boon companion as he's appeared on our pages. We noted in 2018 that Witherington's Wed. morning MN Prayer Caucus bible study in State Office Building might not be for everyone. In 2020, there was State director of MN Legislative Prayer Caucus wants to see Ilhan Omar & others hanged.
He later claimed he was just joking. . . .
Perhaps it's unfair to judge these incoming lawmakers by the company they keep--though when they're the folks inviting the likes of Rick Weible into their communities, probably not.
We'll be keeping an eye on this committee. Hanska's Paul Torkelson, the Republican lead, should have his hands full.
Related posts
- SD Searchlight: Incoming Secretary of State looks to hand-count ballots, audit each election
- Crockett and crew share curious definition of "common sense" at Pine Island rally
- Ben Davis, Master of Ceremonies for Dec 2021 'Searching For Truth' event, GOP endorsed in 6A
- Westrom wouldn't talk to local reporter about why he attended sketchy election fraud event
Screengrab: Altendorf's group, MN Patriots, brought election denier Rick Weible into her community. From Facebook.
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