St. Paul, MN – Low-income people from around Minnesota are carrying out a powerful fightback against anti-poor politicians at the State Capitol. Reactionary legislators launched a wave of attacks against families on public assistance. Republicans, led by Rep. Goodno of Moorhead, are pushing bills that call for 100% sanctions on welfare.

February 1 Protest Planned for State Capitol

St. Paul, MN — Poor people will take over the Minnesota State Capitol on February 1, 2000, the opening day of the legislative session. While politicians try to have their opening ceremonies, angry welfare recipients will storm into the rotunda, raising loud voices for justice.

Minneapolis, MN - November 19, poor families and members of the Welfare Rights Committee flooded into the Hennepin County Government Center to confront the heads of welfare for the County.

St. Paul, MN – More than 100 people, from across the state, came to the governor's mansion on August 20 to demand that Governor Ventura “stop the time clock” on the 5-year limit on welfare. The demonstration was organized by the Minnesota Welfare Rights Coalition (MN-WRC).

St. Paul, MN - More than 100 low-income protesters laid siege to the office of Reform Party Governor, Jesse Ventura, on April 23. Organizers from the Minnesota Welfare Rights Coalition demanded Ventura address the disaster caused by the new welfare reform program, the Minnesota Family Investment Plan (MFIP).

Minneapolis, MN – On June 29, members of the Welfare Rights Committee (WRC) rallied in front of the Hennepin County Government Center to demand an end to the policy of sanctioning homeless mothers.

_In Minneapolis... _

Minneapolis, MN - More than 100 people rallied to demand affordable housing on the Basilica steps, June 24. Many carried signs reading, “Replace-ment, Before Demolition,” and “Forget the Stadium, Housing Now!” Police were on hand to guard city officials.

St. Paul, MN - “We have forced the politicians to re-open the debate on 'welfare reform,'”; stated Deb Konechne of the Minnesota Welfare Rights Coalition (MN-WRC). At a March 5 press conference, she noted that most politicians and the media thought welfare was a dead issue this legislative session. Instead, poor people from around the state made it clear that Minnesota's new welfare law, MN Families Investment Plan (MFIP) is a disaster, and legislation has been advanced to deal with some of its worst parts.

Minneapolis, MN - March 3, the Welfare Rights Committee (WRC) went to Minnesota Governor Ventura's office to release the survey results on the Minnesota Family Investment Plan-Statewide (MFIP-S, MN's welfare program for families). The WRC surveyed over 200 MFIP-S participants, at welfare offices and over the phone. This survey was developed to get at the heart of problems people experience on MFIP.

St. Paul, MN – Low-income people from across Minnesota packed the State Capitol Building rotunda on January 5, to demand that politicians undo the attacks on welfare. The rally, which drew well over 100 people, was organized by the Minnesota Welfare Rights Coalition and timed to coincide with the opening of the State Legislature.

St. Paul, MN – Low income people from cities across Minnesota confronted Commissioner Dave Doth, of the Department of Human Services on December 11. Leaders of the Minnesota Welfare Rights Coalition told Doth, that Minnesota's new welfare program, MFIP-S is a disaster for poor people. Demands were placed on the Department, which is responsible for the state's welfare programs.

Minneapolis, MN – Hennepin County Commissioners got an earful, when more than 100 people packed a September 8 hearing on Minnesota’s new welfare program. Low income people, organized by the Welfare Rights Committee, chanted, held signs, and testified that the Minnesota Family Investment Program – Statewide (MFIP-S) was a “disaster.”

Minneapolis, MN – More than 150 people join the Welfare Rights Committee for a rally in front of the New Federal Building to protest hunger and homelessness caused by welfare cuts. The rally coincided with the arrival of the New Freedom Bus, which traveled to poor communities across the country, collecting stories of human rights abuses caused by poverty. The Bus finished its journey at United Nations Headquarters, where human rights charges were lodged against the U.S. government.

Duluth, MN - On August 8th, the Minnesota Welfare Rights Coalition held a statewide meeting in Duluth to discuss the effects of Minnesota's new welfare program, MFIP-S (Minnesota Family Investment Program-Statewide) and to lay plans for fighting at the county and state level.

Duluth, MN - Poor people here are mobilizing in a big way to fight the latest attacks on welfare by state politicians. Led by Low Income People Organizing for Power (LIPOP), poor people have joined the protests, hearings, and sit-ins at the State Capitol Building in St Paul.

St Paul, MN - The Minnesota Welfare Rights Coalition (MN-WRC) put Michael O'Keefe, the state commissioner of Human Services, in the hot seat on December 3.

Duluth, MN - “Mayor Doty must go!” has become the rallying cry for poor people in this Northern Minnesota port city. “He does not work for low-income people or people of color,” states Marvella Davis, of Low Income People Organized for Power (LIPOP). “He's a snake in the grass who serves the rich.”

Duluth, MN – Members of Low Income People Organizing For Power confronted St. Louis County Commissioners, December 15, at the County Courthouse. They demanded that the Commissioners call a public hearing on abuses with the state's new welfare law, Minnesota Family Investment Plan – Statewide (MFIP-S).

Duluth, MN – Skip Humphrey and Mike Freeman of the DFL, and Ken Pentel of the Green Party, contenders for Governor, sparred in a candidates forum August 25. “We wanted to nail them down on where they stood on poor people's issues,” said Marvella Davis, event organizer and a leader of Low Income People Organizing For Power (LIPOP). “Minnesota has a lot of poor people, and a handful of rich. We need to know what, if anything they plan on doing to address poverty,” she added.

St. Paul, MN – About 300 people demonstrated here, March 1, as part of the continuing fight to get permits for the massive anti-war protest scheduled for the opening day of the Republican National Convention. Organized by the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War, protesters marched from the State Capitol to the Xcel Center.