Senate District 49 Executives and Precinct Leaders met December 11 to get an overview of events coming up shortly after the start of 2018.  These important activities include caucus training, caucus conduct, the Delegate Nominating Committee meeting, and the SD49 convention. Senate District 49 Full Committee ratified a number of appointments to senate district leadership positions previously made by the Executive Committee.  The appointments were required to fill vacancies that had occurred since the last Full Committee meeting.  With local and state-wide races coming up, we want to fine-tune our organization and build our networks.

Following is a list of the vacancies and newly-ratified officers:

• Angie Hasek (Exec Committee 49A Vice Chair) moved out of the district.  Sean Boylan has been appointed.
• Judith McCabe (Edina P-17 Co-Chair) moved out of the district.  Nick Morgan has been appointed.
• Jay Corniea (Eden Prairie 08 Chair) moved out of the district.  Laura Hemler has been appointed.
• Susan Hollenbeck (Bloomington P-16 Co-Chair) wishes to step aside to become a precinct vice chair.  Mark Stoltz has been appointed.
• Susan Hollenbeck has been appointed to fill an open Bloomington P-16 vice chair position.
• Trish Burnison (Bloomington P-19 Co-Chair) wishes to step aside to become a precinct vice chair.  Michael Barg has been appointed.
• Trish Burnison has been appointed to fill an open Bloomington P-19 vice chair position.
• Joel Quinnell has been appointed to fill the open vice chair position in Edina P-17.
• Noah Harber has been appointed to fill the open vice chair position in Edina P-18.
• Mary Zetzman has been appointed to fill the vacancy of the open vice chair position in Edina P-19.

The Dayton Administration released the November forecast, showing a projected $188 million deficit due to lower-than-expected revenues based on assumptions about federal legislation and U.S. GDP and wage growth. The forecast also reflected $178 million in state spending on the federal Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), nearly all of which would be backfilled once CHIP is renewed at the federal level.

Read the presentation from MMB here.

Read the full forecast here.

Some overly-cautious assumptions negatively impacting November’s forecast: 

1) forecast assumes no federal tax bill will be enacted despite passage in both the House and Senate last week.

 2) forecast assumes 2.2% GDP growth in 2017 despite 3.1% growth in the second quarter and 3.3% growth in the third quarter.

Simply put: November’s forecast was obsolete on arrival. Both the governor and legislative leaders anticipate stronger, more accurate revenue estimates when the forecast is updated in February.

Governor Dayton told the media the projected deficit was speculative and not a result of specific actions by the legislature or the governor, but a change in economic projections. 

Read the GOP Leaders' response here.

Republican efforts to rein in spending, provide tax relief, and make critical investments in road and bridge infrastructure are proving to be financially responsible steps. In addition, as noted in the full forecast document, Minnesota's unemployment is at its lowest level in 17 years, and wages are growing. Our outlook is positive.

Six Republican candidates for MN Governor responded to several questions posed by the Minnesota business community at a forum hosted by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce on Friday, December 1. 

This article continues with a summary of the second half of the questions.

The candidates present at the forum were: 

Matt Dean, Minnesota State Representative (Dellwood). 

Keith Downey, former Chair of the MN GOP and former Minnesota State Representative (Edina). 

Jeff Johnson, Hennepin County Commissioner and former Minnesota State Representative (Plymouth)

David Osmek, Minnesota State Senator (Mound)

Phil Parrish, intelligence officer, Naval Reserve, and former principal of a school for students with emotional behavioral disorders in Austin, MN

Mary Giuliani Stephens, Mayor of Woodbury, MN

Question:  “Uniform Labor Standards” – there is a patchwork of rules and regulations at the local government level

Johnson:  I’m not a big fan of the pre-emption bill, except if it will avoid a negative impact across the state.

Osmek:  My concern is where local regulations affect businesses that work across jurisdictional lines, where local regulations impact businesses operating in other jurisdictions.

Parrish:  We need to get out of the way of businesses and leave them alone.

Dean:  Some of these labor laws are really exercises in raw power.  Where certain liberal agendas could not be implemented at the state level, they are being pushed at the local level.

Downey:  I am concerned with the precedent that would be set by pre-emption.  It may open up a can of worms.  Alternatively, small businesses may well leave these local jurisdictions.

Stephens:  I would work with state legislators for pre-emption to give businesses consistency and predictability.

Continue reading to see the candidates’ thoughts on help to outstate Minnesota, education, and water quality.

The Minnesota GOP held its winter State Central meeting in Brainerd, MN on Saturday, December 2.  Over 350 delegates, alternates, and observers met at Cragun’s Resort and Conference Center to hear U.S. representatives and state legislative leaders speak and MN GOP officers report. 

The highlight of the conference was to hear the Republican candidates for MN Governor talk about themselves and their platforms in a forum on Friday afternoon hosted by the MN Chamber of Commerce and in extended remarks on Saturday.  The delegates and seated alternates were then able to vote for their preferred candidate in a straw poll.

No candidate received a clear majority or came out with a significant lead.  Yet the results are important in identifying how party activists are leaning.

Six Republican candidates for MN Governor responded to several questions posed by the Minnesota business community at a forum hosted by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce on Friday, December 1.

The candidates at the forum were seated in the following order: 

• Matt Dean, Minnesota State Representative (Dellwood). 
• Keith Downey, former Chair of the MN GOP and former Minnesota State Representative (Edina). 
• Mary Giuliani Stephens, mayor of Woodbury, MN
• Jeff Johnson, Hennepin County Commissioner and former Minnesota State Representative (Plymouth)
• David Osmek, Minnesota State Senator (Mound)
• Phil Parrish, intelligence officer, Naval Reserve, and former principal of a school for students with emotional behavioral disorders in Austin, MN

The following are excerpts from the first half of the candidates’ remarks and answers.

Question:  “Why You?”

Dean:  We need a governor that understands we need both clean water and prosperity.

Downey:  People have the sense that government is coming at them, and not to help.   I believe the the people of Minnesota.

Stephens:  I have executive experience with balancing budgets.  I had a seat on the Woodbury Chamber of Commerce.  I know how to work with business.

Johnson:  I am running to take power away from government and return it to the people, to move from punishing people to serving them.

Osmek:  Compromise is not necessarily bad but we as a party have compromised too often too soon.

Parrish:  I am not a politician, but a teacher, a principal, a Navy intelligence officer.  I will cut the budget by getting rid of waste, fraud, and abuse.

On November 30, the Star Tribune reported that the Bloomington City Council is “expected to reject all housing development proposals” that were submitted for the development of 10 acres of the Hyland Greens golf course.  In June, the city had released a request for these proposals as part of a plan to sell this public land for private development.

The Sun Current article cited a news release as the source of information that the Bloomington City Council is “expected to revisit the issue again early next year and possibly request proposals for the golf course property ‘with new parameters.’” 

Few details have been shared with Bloomington residents.  Nothing has been said about what the new guidelines might be or what the reasons were for rejecting the proposals.  The formal vote of the City Council on the proposals is on the agenda for their meeting on December 4.  It has been placed on the “consent” agenda, meaning that public discussion will likely not be permitted on this agenda topic.

A large number of supporters from inside and outside of Senate District 49 participated in our annual Fall Conversation on November 17.  Close to 80 attendees enjoyed a great selection of wines, conversations with fellow Republicans, and a thoughtful and challenging panel discussion.  

In addition to MN GOP Secretary Barbara Sutter, we were honored to include special guest Janet Beihoffer, MN GOP National Committeewoman, among our attendees.

We particularly appreciated the additional donations made by several individuals who could not attend and by those that participated in the silent auction and raffle. Proceeds from the event will help fund local candidates in 2018.

Dan Condon, owner of United Liquors at 8915 Penn Avenue in Bloomington, presided over the wine tasting.  Pictured at right, he presented his selection of five fine wines for the holidays.  If you would like a list of these, please email [email protected]

Special thanks to Carol Kerr and Barbara Sutter for their work in organizing the Fall Conversation and for encouraging so many to attend.  Thanks also to the Edina Country Club for once again staging a memorable event.

Panel on Messaging an Inspiring Success

As a major part of the Fall Conversation, four thoughtful and articulate community leaders came together to share their thoughts on what Republican candidates need to do to get our message across.

The panelists (pictured r-l) were: 

• Rep Dario Anselmo, Representative of Minnesota House District 49A (Edina). 
• Amy Koch, Chair of the Minnesota Conservative Energy Forum and the former Senate Majority Leader. 
• Cam Winton, Director of Energy and Labor-Management Policy at the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and former Minneapolis mayoral candidate,
• Meredith Schultz, moderator, a rising leader at a national policy think tank.

Our panelists addressed five current topics:  minimum wage, renewable energy, education, criminal justice, and advice for Republican candidates.

$15 Minimum Wage

Winton:  When asked about the minimum wage, Republicans should stress their support for both “wage ladders” and “safety nets”.  We value free enterprise.  We hold that everyone should “climb that ladder.”  We recognize the importance of income safety nets.  However, the safety net is there to bounce people back onto the ladders, not permanently support them.

Koch:  Small business owners are the backbone of our economy.  They care deeply for their employees.  We need to stress that they also must work very hard to keep their doors open.  We need to support them in balancing these two concerns.  Some of the current minimum wage initiatives actually hurt the people that they are meant to help.

Anselmo:  The minimum wage laws are like performing surgery with a butter knife.  A better alternative is the Earned Income Tax Credit, which targets workers without penalizing small business owners.  We need to support means of expanding the credit.

If you drive, walk or live along France Avenue in Bloomington, you’ll want to consider attending the November 30 “neighborhood open house” hosted by the city.

SD49 GOP Newsletter reported on the preliminary plans for a 10-foot-wide, million dollars per mile, France Ave “trail” more than a year ago. 

Now that the city of Bloomington has received a funding grant from other tax sources for 80% of the costs, they are proceeding with the project.  Per the city’s Open House announcement:

“A neighborhood open house is scheduled for Thursday, November 30, 2017 from 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. at St. Stephen Lutheran Church at 8400 France Ave. in Bloomington.

If you are not currently a precinct officer but are interested in volunteering for a leadership position in your precinct or helping with the conduct of the caucuses and/or convention, please contact co-chairs Wayne Wenger (952-926-8627) or Randy Sutter (952-835-8917)

Senate District 49 precinct leaders will be getting an official notice shortly to attend a Full Committee meeting in early December.  The meeting will be held to elect Executive Committee and precinct officers to positions that have been vacated since the last Full Committee meeting.  We will also discuss the upcoming caucuses and conventions in 2018.

Please watch for the official call for this Full Committee meeting.  At a minimum, the precinct chairs and co-chairs are strongly urged to attend.