Precinct work is the one of the key activities of Senate District 49. Thanks to a generous donation, each year we will recognize the person who provides exemplary contributions to SD49 with his/her precinct activity work. Anyone who is not on the Executive Committee is eligible for the award.

Anyone is eligible to submit a nomination for someone deserving recognition for their precinct volunteer work. The nomination period is December 1st through December 31st for 2019 contributions. Anyone may provide a nomination by filling in the nomination form and emailing it to [email protected] or mailing it to the SD49 GOP at 9201 E. Bloomington Fwy, Suite G, Bloomington MN 55420-3413. Submissions should be mailed or e-mailed by December 31st, 2019.

The SD49 Executive Committee will review the nominations and select the precinct volunteer of the year based on the nomination and selection criteria. The winner will be announced and the award presented at the SD49 Convention (March 21, 2020 at Bethany church).

The selection criteria are based on the level of effort, effectiveness, and results of outreach to voters and community by door knocking, lit dropping, phone calling, sign placement, and event hosting/organizing.

CLICK HERE to view, save or print the nomination form (PDF). OR

CLICK HERE to save an editable version (docx format)

Kendall Qualls and Lacy Johnson excited the audience at Senate District 49’s annual fundraiser on November 22. Both are running as Republican candidates for Congress in 2020 against freshmen DFL incumbents. As moderator Max Rymer pointed out, these candidates offer fresh perspectives, private sector experience, and personal life stories that will make them very compelling to voters.

Lacy Johnson (seated on the right) is seeking the Republican endorsement to run in Congressional District 5 against Rep. Ilhan Omar. He has lived and raised a family in north Minneapolis for 40 years. He worked in computer engineering before going into business to bring technological jobs to his district.

Kendall Qualls (seated on the left) is running in Congressional District 3 against Rep. Dean Phillips. Early on in his life, he experienced the divorce of his parents and witnessed the street/drug culture in Harlem as an elementary student. His adolescent years were spent in a trailer park in Oklahoma. Qualls worked to pay his way through college and served five years as an officer in the Army. He personally saw while serving on the Demilitarized Zone in Korea what a difference Freedom can make to the prosperity of a people. Out of the Army, he pursued a career first in sales and marketing of health care products, then switched over to medical devices.

Why are they running?

Lacy Johnson decided to run to offer his conservative values as a counter to the mindset fostered in his friends and neighbors in north Minneapolis by the Democrats who have been in power for a long time. It is a mindset that looks to government programs and not personal responsibility to solve local and personal problems. Lacy says that if something hasn’t worked for decades, it is time for a change.

Kendall Qualls wants to bring his life experiences to bear in Washington DC. He also believes that the narrative that America is a racist country needs to change. He has received help along the way from people black and white, rich and poor, male and female. We certainly have bad actors in our culture, but they do not define our country. He is not going to let people get away with continuing a negative narrative about the USA.

Applications to serve on the Bloomington Charter Commission will be accepted through 4 p.m. on December 6.

Applications to serve on the Local Board of Appeal and/or on the Housing and Redevelopment Authority Commission will be accepted through 4 p.m. on December 13.

Applications may be obtained by calling Bloomington Civic Plaza at 952-563-8782, or you may apply online at blm.mn/board-app. Information about Bloomington boards and commissions is available at blm.mn/boards.

In a news release dated October 30, Dario Anselmo declared his candidacy for the Hennepin County District 6 Commissioner seat. District 6 includes Edina, Hopkins a portion of Eden Prairie, and much of the Lake Minnetonka area. Anselmo served in the Minnesota legislature from House District 49A from 2016 to 2018.

“Like his unique brand of politics, Dario Anselmo doesn’t fit a typical mold,” states his campaign website.. “Tech startup founder, pilot for Tom Petty’s band, music club owner, and community leader are just a few of the experiences that have prepared Dario for this office.”

Dario Anselmo’s approach to politics is to put his “purple” message into action. His stated intent is to “bring red and blue together to focus on solutions for the people, not partisan politics.”

Read more about Dario Anselmo and his thoughts on his campaign website and on his Facebook page .

Jeff Jiang officially announced his candidacy for the Minnesota Senate in District 48 on October 27. Jiang is a first-generation American who has lived in Eden Prairie for 22 years.

Jiang got his graduate degree in political science from the University of Minnesota. His graduation in 2001 coincided with the devastating September 11 attacks on our country. “As I witnessed the American people unite against terrorism and fear, I experienced the greatness of this nation in a profound way and knew I wanted to become part of this great country and people”.

In front of an enthusiastic crowd, Jiang promised to be a “voice for unity, freedoms and opportunities”. He said that his district and the state are “ready for leadership that can get us united, include everyone and seek solutions through respectful dialogue.”

Learn more about Jeff Jiang by visiting his website and his Facebook page .

As we turn our attention to the 2020 elections, we note that three people well known to us in Senate District 49 already have campaigns officially underway.

First to announce was Brad Aho, a member of the Eden Prairie city council for 16 years, when he declared his candidacy for Hennepin County Commissioner in District 6. District 6 includes Edina, Hopkins a portion of Eden Prairie, and much of the Lake Minnetonka area.

Brad Aho made his intentions clear back on September 30 on the Twin Cities New Talk radio station. Back in February, he was the featured speaker at our February dinner program. He spoke then about how Eden Prairie was dealing with the need for affordable housing and the consequence of higher density.

Brad points to his long experience on the Eden Prairie city council as solid preparation for serving as a Hennepin County Commissioner. “I've worked with residents and city staff to increase efficiency and effectiveness to keep our property taxes affordable for residents and businesses all while continuing to improve city services. The city has received numerous awards, including the Best City in the Nation to live and retire, the Digital Cities Award for the innovative use of technology, and is financially sound with a AAA bond rating.”

Information on Brad Aho’s candidacy can be found on his website  and his Facebook page .

The Bloomington City Council will hold a public meeting Monday evening, November 18, at 7 PM to hear public comments on proposed rate increases for trash and recycling. The hikes will amount to as much as 14% on the bi-monthly trash bill and 10% on the monthly “curbside clean-up” fee.

These proposed 2020 increases are coming at the same time as increases in the water and waste water rates and property tax rates. All of which are running much higher than the rate of inflation and just after municipal elections.

If these increases strike you as a bit steep, you no longer have your vote as leverage. Now, your recourse is to show up at City Hall Monday night at 7 PM and let your voice be heard. The city council meeting agenda lists the public comment period as following the Consent Business. Whether you can attend or not, you might want to have a conversation with your Council representative, prior to the meeting. Here is the link to their contact information .

Regarding the status of the court cases being argued on behalf of the citizens’ group called “Hands Off Our Cans”: the last oral arguments in front of the Minnesota Supreme Court occurred in June. While the Supreme Court is under no firm requirement to hand down a decision within a set time period, one typically is released within five months. For that reason, a decision is expected to be released shortly.

As we look toward the 2020 state and National elections, here are a few key dates for your calendars.

NOW – Begin considering whether you have the interest and financial resources to attend the Republican National Convention, which will be held in Charlotte, NC August 24-27, with travel days Aug 23 & 28. A delegate or alternate would need to be prepared to spend $3000 – $5000 for the week, and likely will have some expenses as they seek election. Those who want to run for election as delegate/alternate (36 of each, 3 per CD and 12 Statewide) must submit their declaration of intent packet by February 29, 2020 (rules agreement, self-nomination form, agree to 2 reference-checks). CLICK HERE to view or download the packet which may be turned in at any time before February 29.  December update- MN GOP says: Early packet submissions are much appreciated, so the required reference-checks can be started, and workload spread out.  The packet includes details regarding the convention costs and the timing of financial commitments as well as a contact for more information.

If you’re curious about the logo, you may read more about it at the national GOP site, HERE

NOW – Encourage voter registration. The state does not require training on how to conduct voter registration drives, and does not have age, background, or notification restrictions. However, MN GOP is encouraging all to attend training to ensure awareness of the basic rules/laws around the effort.

“If only we’d known how to get help for them” is the sad phrase Bloomington police hear from family and friends as they respond to about 10 deaths by suicide each year. The Bloomington Police Department is rolling out a program called Crisis Or Violent Extremist Reporting (C.O.V.E.R) to provide a quick resource.

One goal of the new anonymous tip-line (952-563-HOPE (4673)) is to give family, friends and neighbors a simple single phone number as a way to raise their concerns regarding a community member.

“If we can intervene early enough to prevent even one suicide, this program’s worth the effort”, said Deputy Police Chief Mike Hartley as he and Chief of Police Jeff Potts were interviewed by SD49 GOP Newsletter writers.

The tip-line is intended to be a simplified one-call local number for all situations. It may be used to ask for Police / social-worker expert help for any situation when it’s thought that a person may cause harm to themselves or others. The goal is not to arrest the individual who is suicidal or threatening, but rather to intervene early and prevent a “crisis” situation. The Police hope this will help both their officers and community members say “We did everything we could”.

Calling 952-563-HOPE may also be used to anonymously report concerns that someone may be planning / threatening an attack on others – from a family member or an ex-romantic partner to a school, a public event, or a shopping area. With Bloomington home to the Mall of America, visited by millions yearly, the Bloomington Police want to be proactive in deterring terrorist/mass-attack threats.

Anonymous tip lines can be abused. Chief Potts is well aware of “swatting”, the prank calls to police reporting a situation that falsely mobilizes a SWAT team simply to harass another community member.

Fittingly, on election day Nov. 5, the MN Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments regarding release of public voter data.

The case is Minnesota Voters Alliance (MVA) v. Secretary of State (SOS) Steve Simon and the hearing will be Tuesday, November 5, 2019, at 9:00 a.m., in the 2nd-floor courtroom at the State Capitol Building, 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55155.

MVA v. Simon is a landmark case involving the Secretary’s refusal to provide the public with full voting information on every voter (as the law requires), so the public can effectively evaluate the Secretary of State’s performance and assess the true amount of ineligible voting that continues to occur in our elections.

So far, four judges have reviewed the case. Most recently, on April 15, 2019, a panel of the Minnesota Court of Appeals upheld the Ramsey County District Court decision and ruled 3-0 in favor of MVA, that election records in the Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS) are public data and must be released by Secretary of State Steve Simon.

The MVA seeks the same ruling won previously, namely, that the Secretary must stop hiding critical, public data on elections and turn the data over to the public. Secretary Simon's arguments are the same logical contortions and strained assertions that have failed in the lower courts.