This email may be slightly longer than my typical one, but only because it includes a staggering list of accomplishments by the Democratic Farmer Labor party this session in the Minnesota state legislature and signed by our DFL Governor Tim Walz.
By the way, you, arguably, made all this happen. And I will explain after you read the list.
Here goes:
- Abortion rights
- Paid family and medical leave
- Sick leave
- Transgender rights protections
- Drivers licenses for undocumented residents
- The restoration of voting rights for people when they are released from prison
- Wider voting access
- A tax credit aimed at low-income parents with kids
- A $1 billion investment in affordable housing including rental assistance
- Background checks for private gun transfers
- A red-flag warning system to take guns from people deemed a threat to themselves or others
- Banned conversion therapy for LGBTQ people
- Legalized recreational marijuana
- Expanded education funding
- Required a carbon-free electric grid by 2040
- A massive $2.58 billion capital construction package
- A mix of tax cuts and increases to make the state’s revenue system more progressive
- A refundable child tax credit for lower-income Minnesotans
- Joined the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact!
- FREE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH FOR ALL MINNESOTA K-12 STUDENTS
How did you — arguably — make all this happen? Well, Midwest Values PAC spent $100K in Minnesota — the lion’s share on state Senate races. AND WE CONTROL THE STATE SENATE BY ONE SEAT!!!
Let me tell you what your dollars did. We spent $30,000 on Tech for Campaigns, an outfit that helps *state Senate* candidates with their digital platforms — their website, emails, etc. We won one seat by 321 votes. Another, where we flipped a seat.
We won the closest state Senate race by 321 votes. Of course, I campaigned for candidates, including Grant Hauschild, who flipped District 3, winning by 704 votes. (Neither of these was as close as my first Senate victory — 312 votes out of nearly 2.9 million.)
But my narrow victory gave us the Affordable Care Act. And you can see what these narrow victories have done for the people of Minnesota.
With gratitude,
Al
P.S. Sorry for the long email. But there is soooooo much to celebrate. And I am happy to be able to give you the good news of what our effort (teamed with those of so many others) has yielded. So, keep giving! There’s plenty of *victories* ahead to win and celebrate!
