A New Direction in Minnesota—and the Nation

by Tula Connell, Dec 23, 2006

Steve Share, editor of the Minneapolis Labor Review at the Minneapolis Central Labor Union Council, sends us the following from that publication.

“We’re heading for a day where more folks have health insurance and it’s more affordable and where public education for all Minnesota kids is excellent.”

What a difference an election makes. Those are the words of Margaret Anderson Kelliher (DFL-Minneapolis), the incoming Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives. She will take the gavel Jan. 3 to lead a chamber with a 36-seat majority for the DFL Party—the first labor-friendly majority in eight years.

Entering her fifth term as a House member, Anderson Kelliher last session earned a 100 percent rating from the Minnesota AFL-CIO on working family issues. With new leadership this year, Kelliher emphasized, the House will follow the heed of voters and avoid last session’s issues that “divide and  distract” and instead focus on “bread and butter issues.”

Chief among those issues will be taking on property tax relief, providing increased aid to public education, and improving health care access and affordability. Addressing transportation needs also will be a priority.

One of Anderson Kelliher’s first moves as incoming House Speaker:

We’re bringing back labor and consumer protection issues in a division.

That division’s chair will be union member Jim Davnie, a teacher and Education Minnesota member, now entering his fourth term in the Minnesota House representing south Minneapolis.

Mike Nelson, a Carpenters union member now entering his third term in the House, says:

Instead of focusing on divisive social issues, our campaign was ‘back to the basics.’ We need to stick to the basic message we ran on.

Unlike last year, when labor legislation couldn’t even get hearings in the House, “we certainly expect hearings on our bills,” says Brad Lehto, the state federation’s legislative director.

We’re looking forward to having friendly folks to talk with.

Read the full article and more at the Minneapolis Labor Review here.

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