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.

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.

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.