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Year 2000 activities:
* Aug 22 protest on the anniversary of Clinton's signing the time limit bill
* Sent out letters to all candidates for office, asking htem to sign a
statement opposing the 5-year limit
* Took out the "Declaration" against the time limit to hundreds of
organizations
* Organized Community Forum in November, at Sabathani. Attended by over
75 people.
* Held "Empty Plates" pre-Thanksgiving press conference at Gov.
Ventura's office in protest of the DHS
proposal for 100% sanctions
* Traveled to Chicago for the Midwest Partner's conference to demand that
they take a stand against the Time Limits. They did change their postition in the
end.Year 2001 Activities:
Overall Legislative Session:
* Met with 28 Senators
* Met with 24 Representatives
* Got House and Senate Sponsors for all our legislation
* Wrote thd rewrote and rewrote again and again anti-time limit bill with
Sen. Berglin
* Picketed and leafleted House and Senate Sessions several times
* Made thousands of phone calls, sent thousands of letters and faxes to
people and groups with updates
* Generated hundreds of calls to politicians
* Were responsible for several letters to the editor, at least one large
editorial, an hour-long radio program, and we were in the media
dozens of times- Separate list is being made
* Did presentations before many groups, including People of Faith
Peacemakers, Rueben Lind, William Mitchell School of Law, HECUA at the U of M, Women's
Consortium, Headwaters conference, ACT
disability rights group, Pilot City, Meeting the Challenge Labor Conference,
International KWomen's Day, Barbara Ehrenreich book signing, to name a few.
* Poor people's bills passed the full Senate for the first time in
history! These included bills to stop the $100 cut, stop cuts to immigrants,
stop illegal sanctions, allow education as a first
choice, and to take care of everyone who hit the 5-year limit. Poor people's bills
beat out the DHS bill, for the
first time ever!
January 2001:
* January 3 Opening Day protest- 200 people, a 12-foot "clock
smashing" hammer, a "human clock", and nearly
10,000 hand-cut paper dolls!
* "Dear Colleague" letter against the time limit initiated,
sponsored by Sen. John Hottinger and Rep. Karen Clark
* Postcard campaign to Governor, and House and Senate "welfare"
committee members-over 300 sent.
February 2001:
* Press Conference on February 1
* Set up a "Ventura-ville" homeless village in front of the
Governor's office
* Repeal bill made front page of Pioneer Press
* Youth Day on the Hill- Many people from Moorhead made the trip
* Spoke at Intl Women's Day, Meeting the Challenge, ACT-ARC
* S5YLC Day on the Hill- Dear Colleague letters filled up!
* Press work
March 2001:
* Set up many people from many groups to testify at the welfare bill hearings-we
took over the hearing room, and got a lot of press.
* S5YLC presented an "executive report" on the problems with the
MFIP program
* Packed the Senate Health and Family Security Policy committee Hearing
April 2001:
* Senate Finance Committee Hearing
* House Finance Committee Hearing
* Poor People's Court in front of House Hearing room
May 2001:
* Protest on May 3! 8 did civil disobedience outside the door of the house
chambers!
* Rep. Clark writes letter of support for arestees
* Set up "Rebpublican-ville" in front of House chambers.
* Session "ends" on May 21, then starts again
June 2001:
* We were a presence at every single conference committee hearing with 3-15
people.
* June 30 press conference to mark 1 year left on time clock; half of us
"died" in front of Ventura's office in protest of
what MN politicians did.
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