MFC thanks House Minority Leader Rep. Marty Seifert (Dist 21A) for his influential defense of pro-family values in the closing days of the session. Rep. Seifert played a key role in protecting children from a state mandate to teach unhealthy sex education curricula in grades 7-12.
A study of several MN public school sex education curricula exposed unhealthy sex activities including anal and anal-oral sex.
Rep. Marty heard the voices of thousands of concerned parents and fought to protect their children's sexual health from an ideological agenda that has been a colossal failure.
Call Rep. Seifert at 651-296- 5374 and thank him for his leadership.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Pawlenty Comes Out on Top
Governor Tim Pawlenty though he barely won re-election, less than 1% or 20,000 votes, was clearly in the driver's seat at the end of this session. Remarkable considering Republicans barely had enough legislators to uphold his vetoes. Because they stuck together (House Republican members upheld everyone of his vetoes), Pawlenty had incredible leverage over the DFL legislature. In fact, because DFLers were so desperate to not have a special session and be viewed as obstructionist, they bent over backwards to accommodate Pawlenty's objections to provisions in the omnibus bills. I have the image of cargo on a ship being frantically thrown overboard to accommodate Pawlenty's demands.
By hanging tough on his no tax increases he impacted policy decisions. There wasn't enough money to start new government programs. I was a bit surprised by how much he was able to clean up in terms of bad policy provisions in these bills.
The governor of Minnesota has a lot of power to get or stop what he or she wants. Much more so than the President of the United States with the U.S. Congress. Smaller pond but bigger fish is the dynamic of the governor to our state legislature.
Some of our major concerns were blocked because Pawlenty hung tough.
By hanging tough on his no tax increases he impacted policy decisions. There wasn't enough money to start new government programs. I was a bit surprised by how much he was able to clean up in terms of bad policy provisions in these bills.
The governor of Minnesota has a lot of power to get or stop what he or she wants. Much more so than the President of the United States with the U.S. Congress. Smaller pond but bigger fish is the dynamic of the governor to our state legislature.
Some of our major concerns were blocked because Pawlenty hung tough.
Laws and Sausages
I've mentioned them several times in the last couple of weeks. There's an old adage, "There are two things you don't like watch being made -- laws and sausages". The recently concluded legislative session confirmed this adage in spades. I don't think I've seen a session where the process was more convoluted and distorted. Normally, bills are introduced in the Senate and House, pass both bodies, and if there are differences, resolved in a conference committee then sent to the Governor. This year, with the governor's veto of omnibus bills, the same bills would be placed on another bill and go through the same process. Some of these omnibus bills were debated three different times on the Senate floor.
Also, these omnibus bills were "rewritten" in the Rules Committee in the Senate, not by the actual members of the conference committees. This gave extraordinary power to Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller who chairs the Rules Committee. For instance, in one of the omnibus E-12 education finance bills they basically rewrote the bill, sent it to the floor and then to the House. The way the process works, when those bills passed the Senate and went to the House, the House had to vote for them up or down which means they couldn't add amendments. So Pogemiller was setting policy for both the Senate and House in some instances.
When the education bill passed yesterday, the biggest gripe was the financial disparity between Minneapolis and outstate school districts. In some instances the gap will grow by $1,000 over the next two years to around
$5,000 per student. The disparity worsened thanks to the ability of Pogemiller to have a direct hand in the writing of the bills.
Pogemiller, a senator since 1982 and previous chair of the Senate Tax and Education Committees was known for using the system to his advantage and wearing down and cajoling his opponents to get what he wanted. Well, his
modus operandi now impacts the entire legislature.
Also, these omnibus bills were "rewritten" in the Rules Committee in the Senate, not by the actual members of the conference committees. This gave extraordinary power to Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller who chairs the Rules Committee. For instance, in one of the omnibus E-12 education finance bills they basically rewrote the bill, sent it to the floor and then to the House. The way the process works, when those bills passed the Senate and went to the House, the House had to vote for them up or down which means they couldn't add amendments. So Pogemiller was setting policy for both the Senate and House in some instances.
When the education bill passed yesterday, the biggest gripe was the financial disparity between Minneapolis and outstate school districts. In some instances the gap will grow by $1,000 over the next two years to around
$5,000 per student. The disparity worsened thanks to the ability of Pogemiller to have a direct hand in the writing of the bills.
Pogemiller, a senator since 1982 and previous chair of the Senate Tax and Education Committees was known for using the system to his advantage and wearing down and cajoling his opponents to get what he wanted. Well, his
modus operandi now impacts the entire legislature.
Pawlenty to liberals - unhealthy sex education is not mandatory
Thank you Gov. Tim Pawlenty for protecting our children from unhealthy sex education. The provision to mandate sex education for all public school children grades 7-12 was removed from the E-12 bill in the 11th hour of the session. MFC credits the Governor's firm opposition as the key to it's final demise.
The mandate, and some of the sex education curricula, energized thousands of social conservatives to call the Governor expressing gratitude for his stance, and encouragement to veto any bill with comprehensive sex education.
Please, call Governor Pawlenty and thank him for his support.
The mandate, and some of the sex education curricula, energized thousands of social conservatives to call the Governor expressing gratitude for his stance, and encouragement to veto any bill with comprehensive sex education.
Please, call Governor Pawlenty and thank him for his support.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Tell Speaker Anderson-Kelliher to remove mandatory sex education
Join hundreds of parents. Call Speaker Margaret Anderson-Kelliher and urge her to remove mandatory comprehensive sex education provision from E-12 education funding bill.
The speaker can be reached at 651-296-0171.
Call Rep. Mindy Greiling and urge her to stop pushing for mandatory sex education that teaches unhealthy sex activities to our children.
Join hundreds and call Grieling at 651-296-5387.
Call Gov. Tim Pawlenty and thank him for standing firm to protect children from unhealthy sex education.
The speaker can be reached at 651-296-0171.
Call Rep. Mindy Greiling and urge her to stop pushing for mandatory sex education that teaches unhealthy sex activities to our children.
Join hundreds and call Grieling at 651-296-5387.
Call Gov. Tim Pawlenty and thank him for standing firm to protect children from unhealthy sex education.
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