ALERT: Next 24 hours!

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EdAction
Maple River Education Coalition PAC
105 Peavey Rd, St 116
Chaska, MN 55318
952-361-4931
http://www.EdAction.org
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May 25, 2004

ALERT: Next 24 hours!

We urge you to make three calls and send three e-mails WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS:

Governor Tim Pawlenty
Phone: (651) 296-3391
Phone: (800) 657-3717
E-mail: tim.pawlenty@state.mn.us

Sen. Dean Johnson
MN Senate Majority Leader
(651) 296-3826
E-mail: sen.dean.johnson@senate.mn

Rep. Steve Sviggum
Speaker of the MN House
(651) 296-2273
E-mail: rep.steve.sviggum@house.mn

The message:
NO SPECIAL SESSION!
Senator Dean Johnson, listen to the citizens!

Background:As we have pointed out before, the issues of the Commissioner's confirmation, the new standards (particularly social studies) and the Marriage Constitutional Amendment, called the Defense of Marriage Act - DOMA - are all interrelated at the Minnesota legislature.

The dynamics of the last session brought action on many legislative fronts to a halt because the DFL Senate leadership brazenly opposed what most of the people of MN want. On the standards, they played the Commissioner's confirmation against the Governor and the House. On the Commissioner they broke commitments to confirm her, in spite of getting their way on the standards. On DOMA, the DFL leadership stonewalled, violating the rules of the Senate, and refusing to bring it to a vote on the Senate floor.

On all three issues, the DFL Senate leaders worked against the interests of most citizens of Minnesota and verbally insulted them. Witnessing the closing of the session in the Senate at 7:00 a.m. on May 16th was disturbing to behold.

The Senate got most of their way on the radical social studies standards, they kicked out the Commissioner, and they finished the session with no Senate floor vote on DOMA. Then they abruptly adjourned just to avoid a vote on DOMA, not accomplishing a bonding bill and other items many of them dearly wanted.

Now the DFL Senate is expecting the Governor to call the lawmakers back into an expensive special session to pass the bonding bill and other laws that they should have passed during the four months they were in regular session. They were so busy obstructing, nothing else happened.

But worse, they expect to pass their favorite bills and STILL obstruct a Senate vote on DOMA !

If the Governor and the Republicans agree to vote ONLY on other issues, to leave DOMA off the agenda, then the Senate obstructionists will get everything they wanted. They pay no price. In fact, they reap great rewards.

Sen. Dean Johnson was a spectacle at the DFL state convention last weekend portraying himself as a great white knight in shining armor who saved Minnesota from DOMA, from Cheri Yecke, and from the citizen standards!. They hailed him as their great victor. If the Governor calls the legislature back into special session with an agreement to leave out DOMA, they are rewarded for their opposition to the public will.

We have only until sometime tomorrow to notify the Governor and legislative leaders that if the Senate refuses to do the will of the people, if they will not allow a vote on DOMA, the Governor Pawlenty must be urged to refuse to call the legislature back into special session.

Sen. Johnson is on record saying that if any Senator brings up DOMA on the floor of the Senate when they are in special session, he will again close the Senate session down permanently. He has drawn his line in the sand. He wants his way, regardless of the citizens' will. Will he be allowed to do that? Will a handful of judges be allowed to define marriage any way they want, just because Sen. Dean Johnson won't allow a vote on the Senate floor? Will we, the public, allow that kind of government in Minnesota?

Pleae make three calls, and pass the message on to your friends. If the Senate can brazenly thwart the will of most citizens of Minnesota by refusing to represent the citizens of the state, then representative government ceases. The House leadership and the Governor must rein them in.

Weigh in with the leaders in St. Paul. No Special Session! Senator Dean Johnson, listen to the citizens!