Political Affairs Report - June

Grassroots Action Works!

The unprecedented amount of grass-roots action MAPE members have generated this session (more than 2,000 letters, emails and phone contacts have been sent to legislators and over 100 face to face meetings) had a SIGNIFICANT IMPACT on the success of our legislative agenda. This is the bottom line: Through our coordinated and relentless legislative action, we earned a 3% compensation supplement! This supplement was included in all omnibus bills and signed by the Governor.

 

MAPE PAC supports legislators that support MAPE

After the successful legislative session, MAPE PAC will be providing financial support towards elected officials and the respective party caucuses that supported MAPE. Political Affairs staff is compiling a list of "star" legislators and will provide guidance to the PAC in this process.

 

Worry Free Advocacy for Nonprofits

MAPE Political Affairs staff will be attending the Worry Free Advocacy for Nonprofits conference on Monday June 11th at the Carpenters Hall in St. Paul. This training will be for 501 c3's, c4's and c5's. The Alliance for Justice attorney-trainers will train on topics including state law rules, federal tax law restrictions on election related activity by exempt organizations and strategies for coalitions and affiliated organizations.

 

Advance Campaign Management School

MAPE Political Affairs Coordinator Kendal Killian will be attending the Wellstone Action Advance Campaign Management School during the last week in June. This extensive training, the highest level training offered by Wellstone Action, will provide MAPE with an in-house campaign specialist and will assist in the creation of MAPE's 2008 campaign plan.

 

MAPE PAC

The MAPE Political Action Committee board met recently to lay out plans for the two-year election cycle. Officer elections were held and the ground-work was set for election success in 2008. The PAC will be operating on a quarterly meeting schedule in 2007 to conserve funds. Three PAC board members stepped forward to head up core tasks: budget, fundraising and communications. Look for a revamped MAPE PAC website as well as a renewed emphasis on fundraising and PAC membership recruitment. The MAPE PAC will be working hand-in-hand with the Action Team on these initiatives.

 

MAPE GRC

The MAPE GRC, led by new chair Mitch Wallerstedt, will be meeting later this summer to lay plans for the coming year. The GRC will be partnering with MAPE PAC on a new Action Team website and will be assisting in a number of town-hall forms this fall.

 

Looking ahead to 2008: Priority #1 – Keep the House majority!

In 2010 state Senators in Minnesota will not be up for election. Currently, MAPE has about 90 members in the House that we can count on to support of MAPE friendly legislation. Because of the high number of supportive incumbents, our 2008 campaign strategy will by focused mostly on "defense," defending the seats of vulnerable legislators. MAPE will work deliberately to organize members in key districts in support of these candidates.

 

If you have any questions about the MAPE Action Team, MAPE PAC or our legislative efforts, feel free to call or email me at any time at 651-270-3832 or kkillian@mape.org.

 

In solidarity,

Kendal Killian

MAPE Political Affairs Coordinator

2007 Session Review

Summary

The 2007 legislative session has come to a close. Legislators kept their word and adjourned on time, avoiding a special session. The battle between a Democratic majority in both legislative bodies and a Republican governor proved to be deal breakers on many avenues, including property tax reform, money for roads, a bonding bill, state capital improvements and many health-care initiatives.

For MAPE, this session was a major success. In the November 2006 elections, MAPE PAC endorsed legislative candidates won nearly 75 percent of their races, establishing strong MAPE allied majorities in both legislative bodies for the first time in eight years. MAPE employees contributed to the passage of important legislation this session by contacting their legislators in record numbers. The Legislative Action website was used nearly six times more than any other previous year. Many members used the Legislative Action website this session for the first time. One-hundred-twenty MAPE members packed the Great Hall at the Capitol, making MAPE’s 2007 Day on the Hill a huge success. In addition, MAPE members across the state contacted their legislators for MAPE’s first ever virtual Day on the Hill. There is no doubt that MAPE employees who took the time to attend Day on the Hill, call, write and e-mail their legislators played a major role in our accomplishments this session.

MAPE was successful in getting legislation passed against outsourcing. This language was a major step in the right direction and met the top two priorities of the session set by MAPE’s Government Relations Committee. We were also successful in achieving a 3 percent salary supplement above the governor’s budget request for each year of the biennium. There is no question that legislation passed this session that will benefit each and every member of the MAPE bargaining unit.