Metzen, Hansen to Appear on Town Square Television - November 19th

Town Square Television’s Community Channel 14 will host State Senator James Metzen, South St. Paul Mayor Beth Baumann, and State Representative Rick Hansen for a LIVE call-in Town Hall Meeting on Thursday, November 19 at 7:00 pm.

Mayor Baumann, Sen. Metzen, and Rep. Hansen will take calls from citizens of South St. Paul and the surrounding area about issues facing the city and the State of Minnesota.

The program will air LIVE on Channel 14 and online at www.townsquare.tv. Folks can call in questions live while watching the town meeting on Channel 14 or questions and comments can also be e-mailed ahead of time at http://www.townsquare.tv/contact-us.cfm.

DFL Caucus set for February 2nd

The time is coming up fast for the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Caucus. The DFL Senate District 39 Caucus Planning Committee will be making final arrangements over the coming weeks. The details are provided below.

What: DFL Senate District 39 caucus
When: Tuesday evening, February 2, 2010
Time: Check in opens at 6:30 pm with the precinct meetings beginning at 7 pm.
Where: Henry Sibley High School, Mendota Heights, MN

If you attended the DFL caucus in Senate District 39 in either 2006 and/or 2008, you may receive a postcard in the mail sometime in January to remind you of the 2010 caucus. The postcard will include the time and location of the DFL caucus, your precinct information, and the room number at Sibley High School that has been assigned for your Precinct Caucus. Please bring this postcard with you on caucus night to assist you in finding the correct room for your Precinct Caucus. Helpers will be on hand in the lobby to assist you.

If you would like to find your precinct information beforehand, refer to the Minnesota Secretary of State's web site. Note: The caucus WILL NOT be held at the polling place indicated on the Secretary of State's web site but at Henry Sibley High School.

This is your BEST opportunity to add your voice to our local political representation. Being selected a delegate on the evening of the DFL Caucus to represent your precinct at the DFL Senate District 39 Endorsing Convention is vital if you support a particular DFL candidate for Minnesota governor.

Check back here for future updates regarding the DFL Senate District 39 caucus night.

Calling for Volunteers

As the DFL Senate District 39 Caucus and Endorsing Convention quickly approaches, we are in urgent need of volunteers to help us in the following areas:

• Caucus Convener
• Caucus Helpers (assist caucus attendees find their precinct room, run supplies to rooms, etc.)
  
• Endorsing Convention Committees (Arrangements, Constitution, Nominations, Resolutions, and Rules)

We have a very quick turnaround this time between the Precinct Caucuses on February 2nd and the DFL SD 39 Endorsing Convention on February 27th. We hope to have people in place to help those who volunteer on Caucus Night to serve on one of the convention committees.

If you are able to help...THANK YOU! Please contact Nancy Breymeier so we can keep you in the loop for upcoming planning.

Call for Nominations for Leadership Positions

Our Senate District has the following vacancies:

• One Senate District Secretary
• One Director

These two positions will complete the current term (until the DFL SD 39 Endorsing Convention on February 27, 2010). The SD 39 Constitution is silent on filling vacancies, and the State DFL Constitution is not precise as to filling Director (Executive Committee) vacancies, but it is a reasonable interpretation that we should fill the vacancies at an SD39 Central Committee meeting. Our next SD 39 Central Committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 15th, at Westview Apartments Community Room in West St. Paul.

Here is the procedure we will use to fill these openings:

• We will put a call out for nominations for the two openings: Senate District Secretary and Director.
• Nominations can be made to and accepted by any member of the SD39 Executive Committee. Please forward the nominations to Joe Nuñez and/or Nancy Breymeier.
• We will allow time at the next Central Committee meeting (on December 15th) for brief statements or the reading of statements by proxy or otherwise (in case the candidate is unable to attend).
• We will vote by secret ballot.

DFL SD39 Executive Committee Set for November 17th

DFL Senate District 39 will hold an Executive Committee meeting on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009, at the Westview Park Apartments Community Room.

Below are the meeting details:

When:
Tuesday, November 17th - 7:00 pm

Location:
Westview Park Apartments Community Room
285 Westview Drive
West St. Paul, MN 55118

Tentative Guest: Dan Powers, DFL candidate for US House of Representatives, MN-02

DFL SD39 Carnival/Fundraiser Postponed

The DFL Senate District 39 Carnival and Fundraiser that was announced would be held at the Dodge Nature Center in West St. Paul on Friday, September 25th has been postponed until 2010.

We discovered that our event was scheduled during the Yom Kippur holiday. We chose to reschedule so it does not conflict with this most holy of seasons for our Jewish neighbors.

Our apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Representative Rick Hansen honored with River Hero Award

Friends of the Mississippi River's Board of Directors honored State Senator Katie Sieben and State Representative Rick Hansen with their River Hero Award for their work to pass landmark legislation for the Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area. Friends of the Mississippi River (FMR) was founded sixteen years ago to protect and enhance the Mississippi River Corridor in the Twin Cities, which is designated as a National Park as well as a State Critical Area. "This legislation is an enormous accomplishment for the river," lauded Peter Gove, FMR's board chairman.

Hansen (district 39A) and Sieben (district 57) were the lead authors of the Mississippi River Critical Area Reform bill that was approved by the legislature and signed by the Governor in May.

The Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area, a protected corridor that covers the Twin Cities metro area from Dayton to Hastings, was established by Executive Order in the mid-1970s. The new legislation serves to update and modernize regulations for the 30-year old law. The law directs the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to conduct rulemaking for the corridor and provides an appropriation of $500,000. The public rulemaking process will start by early 2010, and it will include mapping all the corridor bluffs and slopes and establishing new districts and development standards that better match the geographic character of the river.

"Updating the Mississippi River Critical Area will bring the standards and protection strategies into the 21st Century," said Hansen. "New tools, such as GIS mapping of bluffs and other corridor features, will ensure that the rules are clear for all parties involved in corridor development."

"The Mississippi is such an important amenity for the communities in my district and so I want to make sure that the scenic and ecological qualities of the river are protected for future generations," said Sieben.

According to FMR executive director, Whitney Clark, Sieben and Hansen guided the legislation through numerous obstacles and setbacks. "Representative Hansen and Senator Sieben deserve kudos for their willingness to listen to all the different interests and craft a bill with bi-partisan support that will make sure our river protections are strong," he said.

Friends of the Mississippi River is a citizen-based organization that works to protect and enhance the Mississippi River and its watershed in the Twin Cities Region. For background on the Mississippi River Critical Area and the new legislation, visit FMR's comprehensive web page on the issue at MRCA Reform Fact Sheet.