St. Paul, MN – A picket line and press conference took place here Nov. 1, at the office of the police community service unit, to announce that the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War has submitted another application to demonstrate at the Republican National Convention. Permits for protests and demonstrations in Saint Paul are submitted to this office.

St. Paul, MN – As the head of the Saint Paul City Council banged her gavel, Deb Konechne, of the Coalition to March on the RNC & Stop the War and the Welfare Rights Committee, stood up and demanded that council members listen to statements on why permits should be granted now for a massive anti-war march at the Republican National Convention. When the Council refused to hear the statements, protesters chanted, “We need the permits,” and marched out of the meeting.

St. Paul, MN – Standing in front to the Xcel Center, Sept. 1, the site of next year’s Republican National Convention, organizers of the massive protest planned against the war on Iraq pressed their demand for permits. The city of Saint Paul has refused to issue permits and is having subcommittees of the city’s so-called Free Speech Committee meeting in secret. Speakers – including members of Women Against Military Madness, the Welfare Rights Committee and the Anti-War Committee – made it clear that would fight any attempt to restrict their right to protest against the Iraq war at the Republican National Convention.

Minneapolis, MN – Activists planning protests at the Republican National Convention packed a city hall conference room here, Aug. 8, to blast a proposed ordinance that would place big restrictions on the right to demonstrate. Deb Konechne of the Welfare Rights Committee told members of the city government’s ‘Free Speech Working Group’ that the proposal was trash.

St. Paul, MN – Individuals and organizations gathered here for what is likely to the be the first of many community meetings to make plans in response to the Republican National Convention (RNC) which will take place in Saint Paul in Sept. 2008. The event, called “Resisting the RNC: Minnesota Town Hall Organizing Meeting,” was co-hosted by the Protest RNC 2008 Coalition (www.protestrnc2008.org) and the RNC Welcoming Committee. (www.rncwelcomingcommittee.org).

St. Paul, MN – “We are here at the state capitol demanding that this government stop attacking the poor! We are here to demand an end to the 5-year lifetime limit on welfare for families in poverty!” declared Deedee Francis, of the Minnesota Welfare Rights Coalition.

St Paul, MN – Members of the Welfare Rights Committee construct “Venturaville” out of cardboard boxes and tarps, in front of Governor Jesse Ventura's office, inside Minnesota State Capitol building. Low-income people slammed the Ventura's anti-poor budget proposal.

St. Paul, MN – In a nationally unprecedented move, a bill to repeal the time limit on welfare was introduced at the Minnesota State Capitol. Senator Hottinger of Mankato and Representative Neva Walker of Minneapolis are carrying the repeal bill in the Senate and House.

St. Paul, MN – “House Republicans! We're at your door! Stop stealing from the poor!” chanted more than 150 low-income people, outside the doors to the chambers of the MN House of Representatives, May 3. In front of the chamber doors sat 8 determined people. The 8 were arrested, and jailed overnight with bails of $12,000 each.

St. Paul, MN – The Welfare Rights Committee and community supporters went to Governor Ventura's office, Nov. 21, to picket and demand that the he stop the scheduled “Holiday Welfare Cut-offs.”

Minneapolis, MN – The Welfare Rights Committee has taken to the airwaves (and cable networks) to pound anti-poor politicians.

Saint Paul, MN – “Tell the monsters to come out. They want to tell those monsters how angry they are,” said Ya Vang, Hmong interpreter for the Welfare Rights Committee (WRC). “They won't come out, they're afraid of us. They know we're out here,” responded Birgid Maschenik of WRC. The “monsters” that the Welfare Rights Committee members were talking about were the Republican members of the MN House of Representatives.

St. Paul, MN – “We call it the 'Mother's Day Massacre,'” said Trishalla Bell, of the Welfare Rights Committee. “The politicians chose Sunday afternoon – Mother's Day – to vote to throw thousands of Minnesota kids into the streets,” she continued. Bell was talking about the May 12 vote of the Minnesota legislative budget bill conference committee against language for a moratorium on the welfare time limit.

Minneapolis, MN – “Not one dime in cuts to poor and working people! Make the rich pay for the budget crisis!” is the rallying cry of Minnesota's low-income families. As Minnesota faces a massive budget deficit, the Welfare Rights Committee is gearing up to go head to head with state politicians.

Minneapolis, MN – Minnesota's poor are going on the offensive against budget cuts and welfare cut-offs. Faced with a $4 billion budget shortfall, politicians want to balance the budget on the backs of poor and working people. Organizers of the Minneapolis-St. Paul based Welfare Rights Committee have announced plans for hard hitting demonstrations under the slogans, ‘No cuts to poor and working people. Stop the welfare cut-offs,” and ‘Make the rich pay for the crisis.'

St. Paul, MN – A team of Welfare Rights Committee members marched up with the ladder and put it against the iron gate of the Minnesota governor’s mansion, Sept. 24. Deb Konechne of the WRC climbed to the top. Surrounding her were dozens of angry women chanting “Hey Pawlenty, come out today! We have bills that you must pay!”

St. Paul, MN – Members of the Welfare Rights Committee at the governor’s mansion mock Minnesota’s Governor Pawlenty – who is portrayed as a king serving a holiday meal of budget cuts to the poor.

St Paul, MN – Braving one of the worst blizzards in recent memory, low-income people converged on the state capitol, Feb 2, to demand that lawmakers undo the cuts to public assistance. Organized by the twin cities-based Welfare Rights Committee and the statewide MN Welfare Rights Coalition, more than one hundred low-income people told Minnesota politicians that it's time to tax the rich and meet the needs of the poor. The rally was timed to coincide with the opening day of the state legislature.

St. Paul, MN – “Fund human needs, not corporate greed! What side do you stand on?” said Angel Buechner of the Welfare Rights Committee at a press conference in front of Governor Pawlenty’s office at their March 15 People’s Lobby Day. This has been the battle cry of the WRC and their supporters since the 2004 Minnesota legislative session began in February. A clear line of demarcation has been drawn between the greed of the tax-evading corporations and the state’s poor and working families.

Minneapolis, MN – Minnesota state politicians were forced into a corner this spring. This year, the Welfare Rights Committee presented them with a choice: to fund human needs, or not. To stop greedy corporations stealing from the state, or not. The bill that presented those choices was one of main reasons that the entire state legislature shut down on May 19, without getting anything done.