At the State Central meeting on December 3, former Senate District 49 co-chair and House District 49B candidate Barbara Sutter was elected Minnesota Republican Party Secretary in a special election.  Replacing Ryan Love, who relocated to Florida for employment, Sutter’s term will run until April 2017.  All the state party executive officers will be up for election in April.

The SD49 delegation at the State Central meeting grew to 12 members, as all eight (8) alternates that attended the meeting were able to vote through cross-seating within CD 3.  In attendance were Greg Beam, Nancy Carlson, Lew and Sandra Coffey, Bill Glahn, Grant Johnson, Carol Kerr, Bob Maginnis, Vince Riehm, Randy Sutter, Lynn Swon, and Don Teigen.  Barbara Sutter voted as a member of the State Executive Committee, and Barbara Maginnis voted as a delegate of the Republican Seniors affiliate group.

Applications are due January 31 for those willing to serve as a volunteer on one of 11 Edina Boards and Commissions.  Interviews will be conducted in February and most appointments are for 3 years and start in March. The list of open seats and an application form are online at the City of Edina website - Click Here

The Boards and Commissions are described in more detail at links from that city webpage and include:

            Arts and Culture Commission       Board of Appeal and Equalization  

            Community Health Commission   Construction Board of Appeals  

            Edina Housing Foundation           Energy and Environment Commission  

            Heritage Preservation Board        Human Rights and Relations Commission  

            Park Board                                   Planning Commission  

            Transportation Commission

We urge you to research the boards and commissions and to apply to serve on one that particularly interests you.  Bring your common-sense conservative values to the running of the city of Edina.  Then, let us know how things go.  We would welcome short articles about your experience.  Help encourage more Republicans to join with you! 

Senate District 49’s sixth annual “Fall Conversation” once again presented some great wine tasting options and a panel discussion that took the promise of the new Republican legislature head on.

Over forty people turned out for the event at the Edina Country Club on Thursday evening, November 17.  The ideas presented by the panel members were appropriately challenging. 

The panel members brought their own perspectives, coming from different backgrounds within the Twin Cities.  Mitch Berg is an outspoken political pundit and conservative radio talk show host on AM1280.  Rep. Jerry Hertaus was recently re-elected to his third term as the representative to the Minnesota House from District 33A with 68% of the vote.  Peter Nelson is Vice President and Senior Policy Fellow at the Center of the American Experiment.

SD 49’s own Bill Glahn was the panel moderator, and he broke the ice very quickly. 

Print this.  Share with friends and neighbors.  It is perfectly legal to bring this to the polls with you, but please do not leave it at the polls.

Print this.  Share with friends and neighbors.  It is perfectly legal to bring this to the polls with you, but please do not leave it at the polls.

Erik Paulsen received a strong endorsement from Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R, WI) on Wednesday, November 2.  Appearing outside the Congressional District 3 Victory Office, Ryan told an enthusiastic crowd that Paulsen was a hard-working member of the House Ways and Means Committee, and that it was essential that he be re-elected to continue his work.

Speaker Ryan held a copy of “A Better Way,” the GOP agenda for action to restore confidence and get America back on track.  It has specific plans for restoring Constitutional rule of law, growing the economy, fixing health care, strengthening security, reducing poverty, and reforming taxes.  Ryan credited Paulsen as being instrumental in putting this agenda together.

Photo : Erik Paulsen with Lisa and Greg Beam

The Republican Party of Minnesota issued a November 2 statement on Election Integrity.  And the Minnesota Voters Alliance continues to focus on closing loopholes in the voter registration process.

Republican Party of Minnesota statement: 

Minnesota has a long tradition of locally administered elections, and we trust and rely on the honesty and capable performance of our local election officials, poll workers and election judges.  And our scanner-based balloting technology provides the paper trail that gives voters confidence.

In spite of the confidence we place in our local election process in Minnesota, the overall political system is under scrutiny this year.

•           There is blatant advocacy for Hillary Clinton among the purportedly objective major networks and news outlets.

•           Email evidence shows that the Democrats' national primary process was rigged for Hillary Clinton by Democrat National Committee leaders.

•           The Democrat Party blatantly attempted to give the election outright to Hillary Clinton here in Minnesota by suing their own Secretary of State to remove Trump-Pence from our ballot.

•           Recent reports from other states show deceased people re-registering, and voting machines changing Republican votes to Democrat.

But the real issue in Minnesota? Loopholes in our voter registration process.

The October 25 dinner meeting room was filled as more than 60 people listened intently to Rep. Matt Dean’s vivid, clear explanation of what led to the current health insurance crisis and the Republican strategy to resolve it.

The melt-down of the individual insurance marketplace for 2017 impacts more than 250,000 Minnesotans . 

Many in this group are facing:

• Only 1 insurance option
• Massive premium increases
• Doubled deductibles, and
• Narrowed clinic/hospital networks that exclude essential specialty care centers such as the Mayo Clinic and U of MN hospital.  

Despite monthly premiums of $1,400 - $1,700 per couple, and yearly deductibles of $ 6,500 per person ($13,100 per couple), people out-state may need to drive 100 miles to a covered clinic.  MNSure or independently purchased individual insurance will not cover treatment at MN’s premier destination medical facility, the Mayo Clinic, in 2017.

Photo at left: Rep Chad Anderson listens intently to Rep Matt Dean’s comments on MNSure

Any solution comes too late for Charlie Dunker, whose wife died in 2015.  A video documenting the MNsure failures that delayed her care can be seen at stopmnsure.org.  SD49 and SD50 Legislative candidates Rep Chad Anderson, Mike Lehmann, and Max Rymer joined Matt Dean in reporting what they have heard directly from voters with serious medical conditions who are experiencing higher costs and less access to care.

How did we get here?  Bad choices by those who implemented MNSure.

On Thursday, October 27, a group of Concerned Edinans -- primarily women -- stood with Pat Maahs at the Edina Community Center, where both the local Democratic and Republican parties have their offices, to call for new leadership for House District 49A. 

Maahs is a victim of sexual assault, and worked to pass a new law to clarify and strengthen Minnesota’s sexual assault laws. During the House of Representatives debate of the bill, Rep. Ron Erhardt, DFL-Edina, made a number of joking statements about sexual assault while Maahs was in the House gallery. Maahs spoke briefly at a news conference Thursday to share her story with the community, and call for new representation in Edina. 

“As residents of Edina, we were shocked to hear Pat’s story, and disgusted that our State Representative would make light of an issue like sexual assault,” said Molly Cronin. “We stand with Pat and believe Ron Erhardt’s actions don’t reflect our great city and have no place in public discourse. It’s time for a new representative who can be a positive voice for Edina, and not embarrass our community with inappropriate behavior.”

The Edina residents believe Erhardt's behavior has become increasingly unacceptable. In 2014, he told an interest group he would "blow their head off," and was condemned by colleagues on the House floor twice during the past two years session; once for a bizarre speech making light of the state's bird flu crisis, as well as the incident involving Ms. Maahs. 

A video of Representative Erhardt's behavior on the House floor is available.

Photo:

Molly Cronin (2^nd from left) thanks Pat Maahs (4^th from left) for coming and speaking out

Personal Care Attendant (“PCA”) Kris Greene and other PCAs supporting decertification of the SEIU-Healthcare Union were granted a hearing before Judge Robert Awsumb in Ramsey County District Court on Thursday, October 27, 2016.  They were represented by Attorney Douglas P. Seaton.

The Judge heard the Minnesota PCA’s Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order to force the Department of Human Services (“DHS”), the Bureau of Mediation Services (“BMS”) and Minnesota Management & Budget (“MMB”) to

(1) provide a current list of PCAs in the state bargaining unit;

(2) provide more time for Election Card Authorization collection; and

(3) suspend premature SEIU/State negotiations for a new contract.

These steps are essential so that PCAs can gain control over their lives again by pursuing the legal election process to decertify (remove) SEIU-Healthcare as the exclusive representative of more than 15,000 home-based PCAs in the “bargaining unit.”