What’s working in Minnesota?

Consider what life is like in our neighboring states in the upper Midwest.

To the south, in Iowa, farm and rural activists are fighting off factory farms at every turn.  Farther away, Illinois is continually facing a looming financial crisis.  To the west, North Dakota continues trying to limit a woman’s freedom to choose by passing the most restrictive anti-choice laws in the country.  And to the east, Wisconsin state government resembles that of Mississippi, restricting the right to vote and sitting idle as its health care costs skyrocket.

Meanwhile, here in Minnesota the list of populist accomplishments in the last 12 months is long and impressive… being the first state to defeat both the Voter Restriction and Anti-Gay Marriage Amendments, turning around six months later to pass Marriage Equality, passing historic Ban the Box legislation, Homeowner’s Bill of Rights, The Dream Act, increased progressive revenue and closed corporate tax loopholes, and expanded and strengthened health care coverage.  The list goes on.

What’s working in Minnesota that we are breaking through the same barriers that are holding other states back?

For one thing, nothing that has happened here in Minnesota has happened overnight.  For years, organizers and activists have laid the groundwork for what just recently emerged as a grassroots movement.  Year by year, people’s organizations, including unions, community and faith-based organizations and other informal groups, have grown stronger and continued to build their membership, capacity and power.  As individual groups have added muscle, they have practiced working together, teaming up on different issues and campaigns, and have begun to figure out the most effective ways of working together.  Minnesotans for a Fair Economy is only one great example.

When Minnesota’s Republican legislators placed anti-gay marriage and voter restriction amendments on the ballot last year, they thought they had assured their reelection.  Far from it.  The relationships, infrastructure and capacity built in people’s organizations snapped into action and a grassroots fire was lit.  Tens of thousands of new volunteers and community leaders showed up to defeat those amendments and sweep the Republican legislative majorities out of power.

The power to continue to make big, bold change, rests in our ability to find each other and act.  TakeAction Minnesota is one connector in our larger movement.  We are a home for activists who might not otherwise have a place to give their time.  We are a place that connects grassroots activists and other organizations to make bigger change where it otherwise isn’t possible.Governor Mark Dayton had new allies to work with to advance a bold, populist agenda.  The grassroots fire lit during the election continued to burn as campaign volunteers found organizations to continue their work. Where there was a need, they formed new ones.  The result was a powerful grassroots force that turned its electoral power into the engine that drove a long list of legislative accomplishments.

Our new website – www.TakeActionMinnesota.org – is now another place to connect to others and find out how you can make a difference in your community, our state, and our country.  Take a look around. Welcome! We hope you’ll make this site your knew online home for taking action with us.