October Newsletter
The Resistance
Written By aLDEN bROWN
We do care if you shoot someone, Mr. President.
On Jan. 23, 2016, you boasted in Iowa that, “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose any voters.”
That is a felony, even if you are president.
July 25, 2019, you strong-armed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into digging up dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Holding up $391 million in foreign aid to a country struggling to maintain what is left of its country after Russia invaded Crimea is pretty convincing. It’s also a clear violation of the Constitution.
Now, you – the President – threaten the whistleblower who brought this to our attention.
Would you have him shot in the middle of Fifth Avenue?
It’s not a question asked in jest.
The House and Senate intelligence committees have negotiated with the whistleblower’s attorneys and Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire for more than a week as the President has amped up his rhetoric. The whistleblower’s attorney says he is willing to testify before Congress if he is safe.
Former FBI Director James Comey compared Donald Trump to mob bosses he had convicted as a federal prosecutor. Trump’s behavior continues to confirm that description.
He bullies, lies, and does crazy stuff that defies the imagination of most people who get up in the morning with real jobs and real rules. Most people don’t talk about shooting people or blackmailing your allies. We don’t normally see presidents pull their Secretary of State and Attorney General into crazy schemes to have foreign leaders dig up dirt on their opponents.
If this was a TV series, no one would believe it because it is so crazy stupid. First of all, who in their right mind would hire Rudy Giuliani as their attorney right now? That is enough of a reason to question Trump’s mental state.
It would almost be comical if not for the dead seriousness of the consequences.
Our Democracy has been at risk since Trump was elected. He clearly was not qualified and shows no interest in the Constitution. Impeachment is the only remedy.
Democrats appear to be fighting alone. Republicans appear cowed by their Don.
Resistance has been important from the beginning of this presidency. It is now critical if the Republic is to survive.
A Letter From Our Chair
For those who don’t know me, I am Jen Verhagen. I was born and raised in Holland, Michigan. I graduated from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Master of Liberal Studies in Organizational Leadership. I moved to Rochester in 2015. I was previously the Communications Officer of Senate District 26 DFL and President of the Young Democrats of Olmsted County. I am also involved with the Minnesota Young DFL as the VP of Southern Minnesota and the Chair of United Way’s Emerging Leaders in Giving.
The 5th Annual FDR Dinner is Sunday, October 27, 2019. It will be from 4:00-8:00 at the new VFW Hall at 2775 43rd Street NW, Rochester. Our keynote speaker will be Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan. It will be a great night of music, socializing, and energizing for 2020. I hope to see you there! Tickets are $50 and $25 of that is eligible for the 2019 Political Contribution Refund Program. Please purchase your tickets at https://secure.actblue.com/donate/fdrdinner2019.
I am excited for the upcoming events and hope to have your involvement. Whether it is donations of your time or money, running for office, reaching out to voters, helping plan the caucus and conventions, we need you!
I am happy to have the newsletter return and we will continue to increase our presence on social media and our new website, senatedistrict26dfl.com. Please reach out to me if you would like to connect.
Best,
Jen Verhagen, Chair of Senate District 26 DFL
Sd26mn.dfl@gmail.com
REPRESENTATIVE TINA LIEBLING WINS AWARDS
Tina Liebling, the DFL State Representative for House District 26A, has been named by NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota as its 2019 Legislator of the Year. The award recognizes a state legislator who made significant contributions during legislative session to protect reproductive freedom and abortion access.
Commenting on the selection, Maggie Meyer, Executive Director for NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota, stated, “Representative Liebling has been a champion for women’s rights since she joined the legislature, and showed extraordinary leadership during the 2019 session. She went toe-to-toe with anti-choice leaders as they worked to dismantle protections for reproductive freedom in Minnesota. As Chair of the Health and Human Services Finance Division, she championed a significant increase in family planning funding, moved to decrease Fake Women’s Health Centers’ resources, advocated for greater access to reproductive health care, and kept Senate abortion prohibitions out of conference bills. Representative Liebling is the type of leader we need in Minnesota politics, and we’re honored to uplift her inspiring and important work.”
Rep. Liebling will be recognized at NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota’s annual Power of Choice gala on October 10 at the Profile Event Center in Minneapolis.
Also, the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Association of Community Health Centers (MNACHC) “unanimously and enthusiastically” voted to give Representative Liebling the 2019 MNACHC Legislator of the Year Award. The award letter says “This award recognizes your support as an elected official for Minnesota’s 17 Community Health Centers – also known as Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) – during the 2019 legislative session and throughout your fifteen years serving at the Minnesota Legislature. Chief amongst our need to recognize you is your steadfast leadership and support on behalf of Minnesota’s FQHCs to invest in and modernize payments for safety net providers through an alternative payment methodology. Your guidance and leadership at the legislature – from before the beginning of session to the very last minute – has positioned FQHCs to expand and strengthen their significant work providing statewide access to comprehensive primary medical, dental and behavioral health care in underserved communities for the next decade and beyond. This is truly transformational for FQHCs and it would not be possible without you!” This award will be given at 15th annual Many Faces of Community Health conference on October 31 at the Earle Brown Heritage Center in Brooklyn Center.
DAN FEEHAN WILL RUN FOR CONGRESS AGAIN
Dan Feehan, who was the DFL candidate for Congress in the 1st Congressional District in 2018, announced on October 1 he is running again for the DFL endorsement. His email announcement includes a video: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#search/feehan/FMfcgxwDrbrRNlNXqdffnTmsfnDtTTdH
While Dan won by over 4400 votes in Senate District 26, he lost by 1315 votes in the 1st Congressional District to Jim Hagedorn in one of the tightest Congressional races in 2018.
He had a kickoff campaign event at 4 PM Sunday, October 6 in our district at the IBEW Local 343 Hall .
This is likely to be one of the highest profile races for Congress in the 2020 election cycle.
Other DFL candidates for the endorsement for this race are Johnny Akzam (https://johnnyakzam.com/) and Rich Wright (http://richwright.org/).
FDR DINNER AND OTHER EVENTS
Our major fundraising event for the year will be this month. The 5th Annual FDR Day dinner honors Franklin D. Roosevelt's visits to Rochester in the 1930's and the birth of modern progressive politics. It will be Sunday, October 27 from 4-8 PM. Our keynote speaker will be Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. It’s at the new VFW Hall at 2775 43rd St N.W. in Rochester. There will be a silent auction, dinner, and a program. The schedule is:
4:00 to 5:30 PM -- Registration, Reception and Silent Auction
5:30 PM -- Buffet Dinner and Program
Individual tickets are $50, $25 of which is eligible for refund under the Political Contribution Refund program. Sponsorship opportunities are available for advocacy groups, labor organizations and individuals. Buy tickets at: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/fdrdinner19
Other SD26 DFL events:
Monday, October 14 7-8:30 PM Senate District 26 DFL Central Committee Meeting, DFL office, 1500 1st Ave, NE, Rochester
Tuesday, October 15 7-10 PM DFLs of Olmsted County Debate Party, DFL office
Thursday, November 7 6:15- 8 PM DFLs of Olmsted County First Thursday Discussion Series, Ranked Choice Voting- Presenters: Anna Froehling and Vangie Castro. A light meal will be available 6:15-6:45 (free will donation) with the presentation at 7.
Other DFL events:
Saturday, October 12 6-8 PM Senate District 25 DFL Chili Cook-Off, IBEW Hall, 9 E. 80th St, Rochester ($10/person or $20/family-Chili entrants get in free)
Sunday, November 3 5-8 PM 1st Congressional District DFL Dinner, Owatonna VFW Hall, 135 Oakdale St., Owatonna ($35/person) Social Hour at 5/Dinner and Program at 6
INSULIN LEGISLATION UPDATE
The Legislature adjourned for 2019 without passing a bill to make it possible for people with diabetes to get insulin in an emergency if they can’t afford it. This became an issue because of the death of Alec Smith, a 26 year old man with Type 1 diabetes who had just come off his parents’ insurance, who despite working full time did not have enough cash to buy more insulin. He needed to pay cash because he hadn’t yet met the deductible amount on his plan. He tried to ration the insulin he had but developed ketoacidosis and died. The DFL wanted to have the companies who make insulin pay for the emergency insulin while the Republicans wanted the state’s Health Care Access Fund to pay for it. The Republican leadership on the Health and Human Services Finance conference committee refused to negotiate on the differences.
There has been substantial pressure to solve this issue this year, including from Governor Walz, who is willing to have a special session for this if a compromise can be reached. Such a special session would be very unusual. So far the DFL has held firm on its proposal. While Republicans have put forward some new options, the proposal with leadership support does not address how to get people insulin in an emergency.
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
Tuesday, November 5- 7:00 AM- 8:00 PM Rochester Public Schools bond referendum at your usual polling place. Early voting has started at Edison Building, 615 7th Street SW in Rochester. Hours are Monday through Friday September 20-November 4 8:00 AM-4:45 PM and Saturday, November 2 10:00 AM-3:00 PM. Enter through Door 2 and proceed to the Office of Business Services. Polling locations have been consolidated for the election. Verify your polling place by visiting: https://pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us
Tuesday, February 25, 2020- 6:30 PM-8:00 PM DFL Precinct Caucuses. Locations to be announced.
Tuesday, March 3, 2020- 7:00 AM-8:00 PM Minnesota Presidential Primary at your usual polling place. Early voting will start Friday, January 17, 2020 at the 4-H Building on the Olmsted County Fairgrounds.
MEET OUR OUTREACH AND INCLUSION OFFICER
Mary Anderson was elected Outreach and Inclusion Officer for the 2018-2020 term. We asked her to tell us something about herself. In her own words:
I was born and raised in Greenwich, Connecticut. Graduated in Business from the University of Washington at a time when a billboard in Seattle read “will the last person to leave please turn off the lights”. So I went on to study electronics and went to work for Honeywell repairing airplanes and then on to Boeing in the materiel division.
Lucky for me I met my husband Keith at work. Shortly after we married we moved to Xian, China where Keith worked for the airplane company and I ended up teaching English at the local high school. As the only Caucasian woman in town it turned out to be a life changing experience. Two years was long enough so we came home and opened a juice bar. Lesson learned, give the people what they want.
We moved around a bit trying to find the right location and circumstances brought us to Rochester where we have lived for the past thirteen years. I am passionate about playing bridge and quilting and quite enjoyed myself in these activities until 45 was elected. I lost my mind and quit what I was doing to become the crazy old lady on the street corner holding a protest sign. I’ve been active in Indivisible, Move On, and any other cause that might tip the balance back to “normal”.
Connect with us!
This is a monthly newsletter. However, events often happen on short notice, so we may not be able to include them in the newsletter. Check our website and Facebook pages for the latest news on what is happening.
Official communications come from SD DFL - sd26mn.dfl@gmail.com
We tweet from @sd26dfl and have a website at www.senatedistrict26dfl.com
We have a closed Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/144866495637545/
We share an open Facebook page with Olmsted-25 DFL and Senate District 25 at
https://www.facebook.com/sd26sd25olm25/?fref=ts
Our Instagram account is at dflsenatedistrict26.
