By Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership
On Tuesday, February 6, Minnesota’s political parties will hold statewide precinct caucuses – the first step in the parties’ process for endorsing candidates and adopting official positions in their platforms. This is an opportunity for voters to make their voices heard on critical topics and candidates. With Minnesota electing a Governor, two U.S. Senators, and every seat in the State and Federal Houses of Representatives in November, it’s crucial that Minnesotans get all the information they need on the issues.
To help inform voters, MEP and more than twenty of our partner organizations hosted last week’s Our New Environment Governor Candidates Forum, which got candidates on the record on environmental issues. Twelve leading candidates from the Republican and DFL parties were invited to share their views, but only the six DFL candidates attended the forum. Questions included a wide variety of topics on water, land, air and energy, legacy funding, and cross-cutting issues, and each candidate shared their views and plans for Minnesota’s environment. Thousands of Minnesotans watched the forum in person and online, and the entire event is available to watch online!
We know that the resources Minnesotans care about – like clean water, breathable air, vital pollinators, and healthy, open lands – transcend political divides. Minnesotans can work across the aisle on boosting energy efficiency and renewable sources, keeping water safe and drinkable around the state, and protecting the lands we use to fish, hunt, and explore. We urge Minnesotans of all parties to attend the caucuses and tell local and state leaders to support a clean Minnesota. You can introduce resolutions to swing the parties in support of our natural resources, and talk to your neighbors about the environmental and conservation issues that matter to them.
Find your precinct caucus location on the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website, and show up to speak up on February 6!