Stop Minnesota Senate from War-Mongering!

ACTION ALERT: Tell Minnesota State Senators that we don't want our state supporting the Bush-era neo-con’s Middle East agenda! “NO!” to Senate File 131 “Divestment from Iran” Bill

** Neo-conservative hawks and well-funded, right-wing lobby groups want to revive the Bush-era agenda of aggression toward the Middle East. A tiny elite that championed the U.S. war on Iraq is leading a new, well-orchestrated campaign to persuade state and local governments to "divest" their holdings in foreign companies and U.S. overseas subsidiaries doing business in Iran. And, like the run-up to the U.S. war on Iraq, the campaign has attracted bipartisan support. State lobbying disclosure reports reveal that lobbyists have spent a great deal of money in Minnesota pushing this bill with Minnesota legislators. There are false claims that Iran is a nuclear threat, much as false claims were made about Iraq. Why we say No to Senate File 131 “Divestment from Iran” bill. ****

1. The Minnesota legislature should not be wasting its time, energy and taxpayers’ money on this neo-con driven agenda, which is a distraction from the real business of the state of Minnesota.

2. The Minnesota State legislature should not be advocating for action that is contrary to peaceful relations and dialogue. The intent of this bill is clearly to demonize the Islamic Republic of Iran and it will result in making a military strike more likely.

3. The Obama administration has announced that it wants to end the enmity and mistrust that have existed for the past 30 years between the U.S. and Iran. Minnesota legislature should not be known for creating antagonism and warmongering at a time when there is great potential for peaceful relations. It would shame and disgrace our state.

4. This bill will cost Minnesota taxpayers money at a time of fiscal difficulties.

* If enacted, this bill will cost $3 million in transfer fees, alone. Sales in the energy sector stocks, which this bill focuses on, mean selling low and before the stock market goes up again, losing on that end, so Minnesota could lose $140-$400 million. This loss will affect the money in Minnesota state pensions. *



Here’s what you can do:

1. Attend Senate Finance Committee meeting. Come early with a sign (not allowed inside the hearing itself) and/or sit in the audience: Friday, May 1, 8:30 a.m. (Hearing Start Time) Minnesota State Capitol, Room 123, 75 Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, St. Paul. Note: schedules are subject to change, please visit http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/committees/committee_bio.php?cmte_id=1007&ls=86 for updates.


2. Call the members of the Senate Finance Committee (list below): (and your own Senator)



Richard J. Cohen, Chair 651-296-5931 Dennis R. Frederickson, Ranking Minority 651-296-8138

Ellen R. Anderson 651-296-5537 Linda Berglin 651-296-4261 Don Betzoid 651-296-2556

Dick Day 651-296-9457

Steve Dille 651-296-4131 Michelle L. Fischbach 651-296-2084 Leo T. Foley 651-296-4154

James P. Metzen 651-296-4370 Steve Murphy 651-296-4264 Gen Olson 651-296-1282

Sandra L. Pappas 651-296-1802 Pat Pariseau 651-296-5252 Claire A. Robling 651-296-4123

LeRoy A. Stumpf 651-296-8660 David J. Tomassoni 651-296-8017 Jim Vickerman 651-296-5650

Charles W. Wiger 651-296-6820

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* * Call everyone this list and your own Senator. Especially since the 1000 MN Guard members where sent to Iraq along the border of Iran. This is sick and shameful and the DFL, especially the Progressive DFL needs to be call out on it.

Here is the vote. I am grateful and thankful my Rep voted against it.

Unofficial Recorded Roll Call Floor Vote for
H.F. NO. 111
CALENDAR FOR THE DAY
Passage
82 YEA and 46 Nay
Date: 4/25/2009 -- Journal Page 4085

* Please see the Journal of the House for official recorded roll call votes.

Those who voted in the affirmative were:
Abeler Anderson, S. Anzelc Benson Bigham
Brod Brown Brynaert Bunn Carlson
Champion Davids Demmer Dittrich Doepke
Doty Downey Eken Falk Fritz
Gardner Garofalo Gunther Hamilton Hansen
Haws Hayden Hilstrom Holberg Hoppe
Hornstein Hortman Hosch Howes Jackson
Johnson Kahn Kalin Kath Kelliher
Knuth Koenen Kohls Laine Lenczewski
Liebling Lillie Loon Mack Magnus
Mahoney Marquart Masin McFarlane Morgan
Morrow Murphy, M. Nelson Norton Obermueller
Olin Peppin Persell Peterson Reinert
Rosenthal Sailer Scott Seifert Sertich
Simon Slawik Slocum Smith Solberg
Sterner Tillberry Urdahl Ward Welti
Winkler Zellers

Those who voted in the negative were:
Anderson, B. Anderson, P. Beard Bly Buesgens
Clark Cornish Davnie Dettmer Dill
Drazkowski Eastlund Emmer Faust Gottwalt
Greiling Hackbarth Hausman Hilty Huntley
Juhnke Kelly Kiffmeyer Lanning Lieder
Loeffler Mariani McNamara Murdock Murphy, E.
Newton Nornes Otremba Paymar Pelowski
Poppe Rukavina Ruud Sanders Scalze
Severson Shimanski Swails Thao Torkelson
Westrom

I really hope they don't pass this idiotic bill

AIPAC has been pressuring the Senator to vote in favor of this bill.

The hearing room had 4 guards instead of the usually 1. The picked a small room for the hearing so those citizens opposed to this neo-con bill couldn't fit in the room.

They turned off the video and audio so the Senator's couldn't be recorded who where in favor of this bill.

This is the neo-con agenda still being pushed in our state, even though the Bush crime family is out of office.