Common Cause Minnesota

Now more than EVER we MUST make sure that we are prepared to cast a ballot we are confident will be counted. Take the pledge and we will support you with reminders on upcoming deadlines, so your vote and voice are heard and counted! 🎉

TAKING BACK OUR DEMOCRACY! PLEASE HELP AMPLIFY. TAKE THE PLEDGE AND SHARE IT TODAY! https://act.commoncause.org/forms/take-the-me3-pledge

Which races are up for grabs in the 2024 Nov. election?

The 2024 presidential election all 435 seats in the U.S. House, 34 of the 100 seats in the U.S. Senate, and 11 of 50 state governorships.

In MN, all voters will have these races on their general election ballot:

🗳U.S. President
🗳U.S. Senator
🗳U.S. Representative
🗳State Representative
🗳Judicial seats

Voters may also have one or more of these races on their ballot:

🗳City Officers
🗳School Board Members
🗳Township Officers
🗳Local ballot questions

More info here: https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/whats-on-my-ballot/

It’s time we focus less on left and right and more on right from wrong. It’s up to every one of us to reject political violence in all its forms and Common Cause will do all we can to ensure a peaceful political process.

Read our full statement here:

Common Cause Urges Political Leaders to “Elevate Civil Discourse” "As we enter the heat of a national campaign for president, we call on all political leaders to elevate our civil discourse and guide us in a national conversation founded on basic respect, not partisan rhetoric."

Free webinar!! Hear from key social media industry leaders on about edge strategies for identifying and mitigating the spread of false information detecting deep fakes Election officials to bolster security and integrity.

Please share with others!

In a world of deepfakes, trusted voting info is vital. Join 's "Voter Engagement in the First AI Election" webinar on 7/31 at 2pm ET to learn what tech Partners are doing to fight misinformation and ensure election integrity.

RSVP here: bit.ly/AI_Election

Featured Speakers:
Host: Chyann Sapp, Campaign Director, National Voter Registration Day
Host: Allen Blackwell, Partnerships Coordinator, National Voter Registration Day
Guest Speaker: Eva Guadirini, Meta, Head of Regional Policy Partnerships
Guest Speaker: Dave Leichtman, Microsoft, Director of corporate Responsibility

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Voter Engagement in the First AI Election: Fighting Misinformation & Disinformation with #TrustedInfo. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. Join us for an insightful webinar on combating Artificial Intelligence-driven misinformation and disinformation in the 2024 elections. This event will feature presentations by leading tech partners, including Meta (Facebook) and Microsoft, who will share their cutting-edge strategies and technologie...

Are you free tonight? Join us at 6pm CT to learn about our Election Protection plans for the 2024 elections!

Register here:

Learn about Common Cause Minnesota's Election Protection Program! · Common Cause On Thursday, July 11th from 6pm-7:30pm via Zoom we'll be talking about our strategy for creating safe elections environments in Minnesota and how you can plug in! The Election Protection landscape has changed a lot in recent years, and we've changed our program to keep up with the needs of Minnesota...

Keeping Minnesotan's safe while voting is a critical part of our work at Common Cause Minnesota. Join us tomorrow night at 6 pm CT where we'll be discussing our Election Protection plans for this November!

Register now!

Learn about Common Cause Minnesota's Election Protection Program! · Common Cause On Thursday, July 11th from 6pm-7:30pm via Zoom we'll be talking about our strategy for creating safe elections environments in Minnesota and how you can plug in! The Election Protection landscape has changed a lot in recent years, and we've changed our program to keep up with the needs of Minnesota...

Someone asked if Congress can impose term limits on Supreme Court justices .

So the quick answer is no, congress cannot impose term limits on Justices under the current interpretation of the Constitution. However (there’s always a however within these types of legal frameworks 😂), as you know, Common Cause has been leading the effort in trying to move reforms that would in effect give us term limits, while still respecting these constitutional limitations.

President Biden formed a committee to study the legal parameters of what would be required.

We also support a congressional effort moving reforms which would set a term of 18yrs for Supreme Court justices to actively participating in the opinions of the court. After their 18th year, they would still work as SCOTUS Justices, but the scope of the work would not involve direct participation in the courts opinions.

In this manner justices would be prevented from having unchecked reign over direct participation of cases, and presidents could have their appointments move - while simultaneously honoring constitutional parameters in that they would not be removed but rather assume a different role within the scope of what is delineated within the US Constitution.

The question becomes what is that role? The Constitution does not provide any detailed guidance on what exactly that is, so arguably, this provides legal leverage to move this type of reform.

The question whether politically feasibility now or in the near future becomes particularly important.

Here is a short video talking about some of the points I’ve raised:

Can Congress put term limits on Supreme Court Justices? We asked five legal experts The Verify team spoke with constitutional experts about whether term limits can be put on Supreme Court Justices.

We had someone ask a great question in another group space: Can congress force a code of ethics on SCOTUS? Here is what I was able to dig up 👇

As with many of these related issues involving SCOUTS there is no clear legal answer. There is disagreement with regards to whether Congress can themselves impose a code of ethics on the Supreme Court.

However, it is more likely that Congress is able to require SCOTUS to impose ethics code on itself within its scope of congressional powers. Limiting congressional powers over the judicial branch is part of the baked in separation of powers as a way of protecting the judicial branch from any congressional overreach.

There are ways that Congress has the ability to in effect push the Supreme Court in the direction of actually self-imposing a formal ethics code. One of the biggest ways they can do this is by leveraging something most people don't know they do, Congress actually approves the Supreme Court's salaries.

Another way is something that we're seeing currently which is Congress's ability to move an impeachment process onto members of the Supreme Court. US Rep. Ocasio Cortez is currently exploring that option.

Here is a great resource that I use often when trying to tease out what is fact from conjecture. Hope it helps:

FACT CHECK: Can Congress Impose An Ethics Code On The Supreme Court? 'Check Your Fact decided to dive more into whether or not Congress could do so'

Don't panic. Act. Join us for this event! We will talk about what election protection will look like in MN. This is not a partisan event.

We want to hear from you about what you think is needed in your neck of the proverbial woods.

Learn about Common Cause Minnesota's Election Protection Program! · Common Cause On Thursday, July 11th from 6pm-7:30pm via Zoom we'll be talking about our strategy for creating safe elections environments in Minnesota and how you can plug in! The Election Protection landscape has changed a lot in recent years, and we've changed our program to keep up with the needs of Minnesota...

There are bad actors are already in Minnesota working to shake people's confidence in our elections. That's why we have our Election Protection program! Join us on Thursday, July 11th where we'll dive into our 2024 EP plan! 🗳️

Register here: https://shorturl.at/XDCrY

Lots of discussions lately about the decisions coming from the Supreme Court Justices.

Here's how they get appointed, who gets to nominate and who confirms.

Bottom line, who is president and who is represented within the US Senate body is VERY important to who gets on to this life-long position. At the end of the day it goes back to us; everyday people bestowing our individual and collective political powers to these individuals who SHOULD be acting on our best interests; not theirs, their party's, major donors or special interests.

Who Appoints and Approves Supreme Court Justices? While the Constitution empowers the president to nominate Supreme Court Justices, it also requires the Senate to confirm them by this process.

Liberty, legal equality, rule of law and self-government are the core ideals of American democracy. At our nation's beginning, these ideals applied only to a small group of people. Today, ideally, they include everyone.

What we are learning is that a healthy democracy must be nurtured and protected.

Civic responsibility and engagement are key to ensuring we continue to grow as an inclusive accountable nation, and responsive democracy.

Vote 🗳️

There are bad actors are already in Minnesota working to shake people's confidence in our elections. November will be here before we know it and we must be prepared to fight back against political violence and unfounded claims about Minnesota's elections. That's why we have our Election Protection program!

On Thursday, July 11th from 6pm-7:30pm via Zoom we'll be talking about our strategy for creating safe elections environments in Minnesota and how you can plug in! The Election Protection landscape has changed a lot in recent years, and we've changed our program to keep up with the needs of Minnesota voters. Our votes matter, and so does the experience of casting that vote. Join us on Thursday the 11th to learn about what we'll be doing this year to defend our democracy this election cycle.

Register here:

Learn about Common Cause Minnesota's Election Protection Program! · Common Cause On Thursday, July 11th from 6pm-7:30pm via Zoom we'll be talking about our strategy for creating safe elections environments in Minnesota and how you can plug in! The Election Protection landscape has changed a lot in recent years, and we've changed our program to keep up with the needs of Minnesota...

The right to vote is NOT conditioned on who anyone thinks they will/won't support. It is ONLY available to US Citizens. Certain states prompt folks getting driver's licenses, including MN, to register to vote BUT must prove citizenship. US House Rep. Johnson’s false claim that noncitizens are showing up to welfare offices to register to vote.

Fact-checking Mike Johnson’s claim about noncitizen voting U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson is promoting a bill that he says will ensure only U.S. citizens can vote. He says that a

Great OpEd written by our new President. A must read:

Supreme Court Strikes Against Democracy, Again and Again – DC Journal - InsideSources This U.S. Supreme Court term has not been good for democracy, to put it mildly. Despite a few bright spots — like the decision overturning a lower court

The Senate Subcommittee on Ethics is hearing the Mitchell complaint NOW! 🚨Tune in here:

Committee on Rules and Administration - Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct - 06/12/24 Agenda: Continuation of Senator Nicole Mitchell Ethics Complaint Hearing- 4/24/24Visit SENATE.MN: https://www.senate.mn☑️ SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL: https:...

The permanent absentee ballot is here! This one is for all those voters who prefer to vote from home. Register or update your voter registration to be added to the list. We are proud to have support this for all MN voters! 🥰📫🗳️🎉

Details 👉🏼

Office of the State Of Minnesota Secretary of State Office of the State Of Minnesota Secretary of State

As we wrap up the final full week of the 2024 legislative session, here are some key updates and a preview of the upcoming weekend's activities:

● The Elections Policy & Finance Omnibus (HF 4772/SF 4729): House passed with the Senate concurring, the bill now awaits the Governor's signature to become law.

For previous hearings, live streams, and committee documents related to the elections omnibus bill, access this link: https://www.leg.mn.gov/leg/cc/Default?type=bill&year=2024-93&bill=HF-4772 .

● We have released a statement regarding our concerns with the bill specifically the Voting Rights Act, which you can read here:
https://www.commoncause.org/minnesota/press-release/elections-omnibus-passage-strengthens-voting-rights-but-work-still-to-do/.

Please reach out if you have any questions about our positions.

● The Senate passed SF 3492: Read more on the Residential housing tenant and landlord provisions modifications here:
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=SF3492&y=2024&ssn=0&b=senate.

● Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) Bill: There is still no update on when or if the RCV bill will be heard. We remain concerned about the lack of funding in the bill, which could negatively impact community education and outreach efforts.

Weekend Agenda (5/18 - 5/19):

● House Floor Sessions are currently debating the ERA. Read more here: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=HF173&y=2023&ssn=0&b=house

● Scheduled to discuss SF 2219, HF 5162, and HF 5220

Party Priorities and Press Conferences:

● After the conclusion of the 5/15 House floor session, both parties held press
conferences to discuss their priorities. You can find them below to learn more.

GOP Press Conference: Watch here> https://youtu.be/ql29loH-jA4?si=0eNfMwI6ZDbR39Yb

DFL Press Conference: Watch here> https://youtu.be/g92Suj6ZXs4?si=M2zcUwud-Pnealt0

This weekend is crucial for the passage of several bills before the legislature adjourns on Monday, 5/20. Stay informed and engaged as we head into these final days.

Conference Committees - Minnesota Legislature Conference Committees

Unfortunately Ranked Choice Voting did not make it off MN House Floor.

SUPER Confusing day, lots of points of orders flying back-and-forth, had to verify if the cannabis law changes passed the Senate and were on its way to Gov. Walz.

It did and it is and here’s what is in the bill 👉🏼

Legislature keeps things interesting with dozens of changes to Minnesota’s cannabis law The Office of Cannabis Management would have to accelerate work on a license lottery and earlier cultivation under the bill up for final votes this weekend.

End of session flowchart chart🎉. TY Gary!

Ranked Choice Voting bill on MN House floor now:

HTV1 Legislative television programming produced, created and brought to you as a public service by the Minnesota House of RepresentativesView current and upcomin...

Watch your elected officials speak on your behalf regarding some of the most important issues that will be affecting you, your families, your communities, and our state. The 2023 2024 Minnesota legislative bunny by any ends tonight at midnight.

Do you agree with how they are representing you? Minnesota House is up for reelection this November. It is important to stay informed and make decisions that align with your values and your vision for your family and community.

 🔴 Sunday's floor session — LIVE now on HTV1

Watch on the House website buff.ly/3VALoKS and our YouTube channel buff.ly/3Vv1C8f

HTV1 Legislative television programming produced, created and brought to you as a public service by the Minnesota House of RepresentativesView current and upcomin...

While Minnesotans slept, the MN House passed the ERA constitutional amendment. Two Democrats joined 60 Republicans in opposition. If the ERA passes the Senate later today, it will go straight to the 2026 ballot.

For those following the Uber/Lyft bill, the House Ways and Means committee passed a bill earlier this mrng that would appropriate $2M to create a new 0% interest car loan program for Uber and Lyft drivers. The loans would be administered by non-profit organizations (with up to 10% administrative fee)

Here is the “deal” language 👇🏼

www.house.mn.gov

Discover the changes included in the passage of the latests bill, the Elections Finance and Policy Omnibus bill, which ends Gerrymandering and expands our voting rights ! There is still more to do though!

Read more here:

Elections Omnibus Passage Strengthens Voting Rights, But Work Still to Do Ending prison gerrymandering, establishing a Minnesota Voting Rights Act, and expanding voting rights are great steps to improving democracy, but we cannot stop at these measures.

The MN house has meetings for both the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and the Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) to vote on them. These might impact you !

Tune in at this link to stay updated on both bills: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nVxfTiK__70

Final "session days" calendar, updated based on posted info. 4 days left to pass bills. 🎉

Fun fact: 👉🏼 The Legislature is limited to 120 session days each biennium, including the final day when they can't pass bills.