News and Views from the People's Struggle
St. Paul, MN – Over 50 protesters gathered in front of Governor Tim Walz’s interim residence on Wednesday, September 13, at the Eastcliff mansion in Saint Paul to call for expanded abortion access and more money for clinics in the state of Minnesota.
St. Paul, MN – The Climate Justice Committee and allies held a press conference at Metro State University to hold the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) accountable as they start the three year rulemaking process for a new cumulative impacts law passed in Minnesota in 2023. This cumulative impacts law would not just take into account air pollution from one business at a particular site but would look at the cumulative impacts of pollution in the area and make permitting decisions based on historic pollution and how the community in the area has already been impacted.
The MPCA is responsible for permitting all businesses that have an impact of soil, water and air pollution and was responsible for the permitting of Enbridge’s Line 3 oil pipeline.
At this event, the CJC showed up to hold MPCA accountable for its current and future actions around the issue of air pollution.
“Why is the MPCA not working harder to outreach to the communities they say they want to protect, like East Phillips. I am a student at Metro State, and I wouldn’t have known this event was happening if the CJC hadn’t done this event. We see this as another time when communities like East Phillips in Minneapolis will be let down by legislation that could benefit them. It’s time to end half-measures and leniency for people who poison us!” said Mordecai Mika of the Climate Justice Committee.
Mair Allen from the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy stated, “I’ve lived in East Phillips for 13 years, and I think about my 11-year-old neighbor who died in his house of an asthma attack. And I think about the people who can leave their windows open and can walk around their neighborhoods without coughing; everyone benefits from the environment, but those benefits are uneven. There is no such thing as a ‘community benefit’, it’s not possible to benefit from not having pollution. We shouldn’t have to fight for clean air.” Mair was referring to one part of the legislation that includes making “community benefit” agreements with businesses that would be legally binding.
Climate Justice Committee members and supporters then went into the MPCA meeting to ask questions. The MPCA had intended to only take written comments, but CJC members and other community members forced the MPCA representatives to listen to comments. Several audience members talked about the current lack of community outreach and in particular the lack of indigenous input. Others pointed out the distrust of the MPCA because of its history permitting Line 3. MPCA now knows that the community is watching and will be there to force them to do the right thing and get polluters out of our neighborhoods.
St. Paul, MN – On August 23, over a dozen protesters gathered on the bottom floor of the Minnesota State Capitol building to demand that Governor Tim Walz and the Minnesota State Board of Investments (SBI) divest all state funds from companies which profit from Israeli apartheid. Governor Walz and SBI members were greeted at the entrance of the meeting room with signs decrying Israeli apartheid and a large banner in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
St. Paul, MN – The Minnesota State Board of Investment (SBI) meets quarterly to review investment reports and to hear from the public. Normally the meetings start around 10 a.m., but on May 25 the SBI started their meeting over three hours late. The Executive Board, which includes Governor Tim Walz, Secretary of State Steve Simon, Attorney General Keith Ellison and State Auditor Julie Blaha, heard testimony concerning taconite mining leases until after 1 p.m.
St. Paul, MN – On March 2, the Minnesota State Board of Investment (SBI) which includes Governor Walz, Attorney General Ellison, State Auditor Blaha and Secretary of State Simon, met for the first time this year at the state capitol. They meet quarterly to monitor the investments of Minnesota public employees. At the meeting members of the Palestine solidarity movement spoke out.
St. Paul, MN – After eight years of struggle, the family of Marcus Golden, who was murdered by Saint Paul police officers January 14, 2015, won financial settlements from the city of Saint Paul last week. On January 19, they held a press conference with a mind-boggling exposure of the lies told by city and county officials surrounding Marcus’ death.
St Paul, MN – On November 20, the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) livestreamed their announcement that around 15,000 Minnesota nurses in hospitals across the state will hold a strike authorization vote. The vote to authorize another strike came after their three-day strike in September. Since then, they have been unable to obtain a contract offer that meets the nurses’ demands.
St. Paul, MN – On May 25, Palestine solidarity activists gathered in the Minnesota state capitol for a press conference and rally to demand the State Board of Investment (SBI) divest public funds from a group of Israeli companies and bonds involved in the occupation of Palestine. The rally took place immediately before the SBI’s quarterly meeting, and was organized by Minnesota BDS (Boycott, Divest and Sanctions) Community, a coalition of local organizations.
St. Paul, MN – On May 26 at 9:45 a.m., more than 420 Planned Parenthood staff across the five-state North Central States Region of Planned Parenthood filed union cards with the NLRB signed by a majority of their coworkers seeking a union election to become members of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa.
St. Paul, MN – Thousands of striking Minneapolis teachers, education support professionals, along with supporters rallied at the Capitol Building in Saint Paul, March 9. Educators are firm in demanding a decent contract, and state they are ready to stay on strike until their demands are met. There has been widespread support from other trade unions and the community.
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