Two Minnesota lawmakers — Republican Reps. Mary Kiffmeyer and Ron Shimanski — are attending a conference hosted by the American Legislative Exchange Council, a controversial corporate nonprofit that critics say allows corporations unrestricted access to state lawmakers, as well as the ability to draft business-friendly bills without public disclosure.
A conservative national nonprofit that’s drawn criticism for allowing corporations to write legislation directly with state lawmakers can be traced to bills introduced in Minnesota last session. The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has been involved in the developing language here that would shield large corporations from consumer lawsuits and undermine greenhouse gas reduction goals.
A higher proportion of Republicans jumped ship to blame their own party for the shutdown.
Minnesota Rep. Erik Paulsen is listed as a member of a controversial corporate and state legislative collaboration called the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), according to recently leaked documents. The group includes thousands of members of state legislatures and representatives of corporations who draft legislation that is then introduced at the state level without acknowledgement that it was written with the help of corporations it might benefit.
After four decades at work in the state Senate, Linda Berglin is moving on.
Well before last week’s request — and before the state government shutdown began — Service Employees International Union Local 284 urged Wells Fargo and U.S. Bank to not charge interest on loans sought by Minnesota public schools forced to borrow as a result of the shutdown, a letter dated June 15 shows. SEIU Local 284 President Carol Nieters sent a letter to both banks before the shutdown, telling officials, “You must know these schools can’t afford to pay your profits.”
Service Employees International Union Local 284 Executive Director Carol Nieters has called on banks like Wells Fargo and Minneapolis-based U.S. Bank to help Minnesota schools who will be forced to borrow money following this week’s budget deal to end the state government shutdown. Banks, the union states, were bailed out by the government; now it’s their turn to give back — by waiving interest and fees for schools that must borrow due to the budget deal.
A number of leaders from conservative nonprofits have donated to the campaign to get a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage on the ballot in 2012. In addition to religious leaders and prominent business owners, the list of contributors to the Minnesota Family Council’s lobbying campaign includes a candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court, leaders of anti-abortion groups and major donors to Republicans, specifically Rep. Michele Bachmann.
Controversial preacher Bradlee Dean continues to claim that House Speaker Kurt Zellers asked to be on Dean’s show, Sons of Liberty, immediately preceding Dean’s infamous prayer at the opening of a Minnesota House session, according to an interview Dean did with City Pages reporter Andy Mannix. Zellers has denied that he ever asked to be on the show. Dean also said that Rep. Ernie Leidiger, R-Mayer, who invited Dean to give the prayer but later stated he didn’t know much about Dean, was “behind” Dean’s ministry before he was against it.
Between late afternoon Tuesday and early Wednesday morning, the Minnesota Legislature passed budget bills that will fund more than $35 billion in state government and end the 19-day shutdown. Most lawmakers, however, didn’t have time to read the bills, which were only made available in the hours just before the votes.
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