Minutes of the January 13 2020 meeting
Indivisible Minutes for January 13, 2020
1. 90 Second Sharing:
2. Darlene asked members for Monticello residents to help with the caucus night on Feb. 25.
3. Shawne shared a map of Monticello now that the state has split it into two different precincts. P-1 gets 27 delegates and P-2 gets 25 delegates. The precinct was split by 94. We will have to find new precinct chairs to take over. They will all meet at Monticello Middle School for Feb. 25 Caucus.
4. Lani said SD29 will hold a debate party tomorrow Jan. 14 night in Buffalo at Sally Bair’s House 1681 Bishop Ave. NW Buffalo at 6:00 Chili provided, bring a food or drink to share.
5. Sue explained about the president telling counties to decide if they wanted to prohibit immigrants in family reunification efforts. Sterns County will hold a vigil/protest on Tues., Jan. 28 at 705 Courthouse Square, asking people to vote yes to accept family reunification. Wright County position on this matter is unknow.
6. Driver’s licenses have been denied again for new immigrants. The universal benefit of new immigrants having a license is safer driving on our roads and insurance coverage.
7. Renee Cardarelle is starting a new round of Critical Conversations in Buffalo at the UCC Church, 8 South 1st. Ave. Suite 200 10-noon starting on Feb. 15, Mar. 14 (Healthcare), Apr. 18 (National Policy and jobs, farms, and small businesses), May 16 (Housing and Homeless). The topic for the first meeting will be making sense of the rhetoric around our economy. Please try to attend. These topics will be repeated in Delano on Apr. 11, May 9, June 20, and July 11 at the 221 Common House.
8. Sue explained that Indivisible is starting a new support group based on Actions. In the past we have been a group focused on educating ourselves on the issues. Starting Monday, Feb. 3 people are invited to Huikko’s Grill and Bowling Center at 1207 MN-25 in Buffalo at 5:00 for supper and a discussion of actions for our Indivisible group. The group will meet every month to plan. Please come brainstorm with us.
9. Mark Nelson shared about PCR form saying you can donate $50 per person, $100 per couple each year to a local candidate running for office or a political party and get the money back from the state. You simply write a check to the candidate or party and they give you a form you mail to the state of MN. Within a short time, you receive a check from the MN State Treasury.
Presenters for the Night
10. Carol L. reported about voter registration from the League of Women voters. No need to give a reason why you want to vote early, just ask for a ballot starting Jan. 17. We have a statewide voter registration system on-line. Super Tuesday will be Tuesday, Mar. 3, our election day. When you vote, you will be asked which of the 4 MN party ballots you want (Republican, Democrat, or one of two Marijuana parties). Then you will sign that you are in general agreement with that party. Name, address, birthdate for a voter is public information.
Same day registration is allowed. Early ballots can be changed if needed and are not counted until after 8:00pm on election day when polls close.
11. Joe Rosh 29B running for House, history teacher, Teachers’ Union President, baseball coach, father of two girls, husband to a teacher in Buffalo. Joe needs donations and people can give a check for $50 and get it reimbursed from the state ($100 per couple). Joe has activated former students to help register young voters. He needs to flip 2000 voters to win the election using Sharon McGinty’s data when she ran last time.
A former student created a campaign video for him. It will be ready within a month with testimonials from folks about Joe. Go with Joe is his theme. Grandma’s for Joe, Marines for Joe, Teens for Joe, etc. In a month Joe will meet with local media sources for more coverage. Website is fully operational. He has blue t-shirts like rock bands have. 2020 Tour Go With Joe.
Joe asked for us to help with his name recognition, get his name around the local area. He will not run around talking about impeaching Trump; he will focus on local issues and concerns. He is looking for Buffalo residents to host parties in support for him in future months.
Joe is running against Marian O’Neill who lives in Maple Lake. Her primary interests seem to be anti-abortion and small business owners’ (she is one). Joe’s burning interests include ERA being added to the MN Constitution, school funding, environmental issues, mental health issues.
12. Lani and Shawne explained the Caucus Process (Feb. 25). They distributed a handout on the basics of the DFL Caucus (see attachment) and a form listing all the SD29 precinct locations and number of delegates per precinct (see attachment). The delegates signed up on Caucus night move on the Senate District 29 Unit Organizing Convention on April 4 in Monticello at the Monticello Community Center at 10 am. There they will vote to endorse local candidates for state offices and approve platform proposals as well as elect new delegates to move on the Congressional District 6 Convention where people will endorse either Ian Todd or Tawnja Zahradka for Congress.
13. Ardis asked that Lani write a letter to the editor template on Caucus Night information that local communities could submit to their local newspaper or place on-line.
14. Meeting adjourned at 8:30
15. Next Meeting Feb. 10, 2020