Democratic Visions TV program: Al Franken in June;
airs Sundays and Wednesdays on local cable stations
Al Franken, announced candidate for the U.S. Senate, talks about his campaign, his Minnesota upbringing, and the war in Iraq in an interview with Peter Vanni on Democratic Visions, the cable-access TV show produced by DFL Senate District 42 volunteers.                         

The show airs on Channel 15 at 9 p.m. Sundays and 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays in Eden Prairie, Edina, Hopkins, Minnetonka and Richfield. For more information or to volunteer, call 952-944-2861. To view some previous shows, go here.

• Link to information about people who have announced their candidacy for national and state offices.

• Hear Senator David Hann explain what he thinks may cause a wage disparity between genders (hint: it has something to do with having children).
  
• Read an analysis of how our lives today stack up against our lives in the pre-Pawlenty years. Scroll down to Minnesota News.
  
• Get informed about intelligent design, an issue being debated around the country, with information from The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
  

Minn. House, Senate offer free magazines
A great way to be informed about Minnesota politics is to read the non-partisan magazines of the House and Senate. The House publication, Session Weekly, can be found online here. You can also sign up here to have a free hard copy delivered to your home. For the Senate publication, Senate Briefly, go here.

Next DFL meetings

June 14: monthly Senate District 42 meeting (senate district central committee)
Time/Place: 7 p.m. every second Thursday of each month; Glen Lake Community Center, 14350 Excelsior Blvd., Minnetonka.
Who Attends: Senate District 42 Central Committee members, including the Executive Committee, local state central committee members, all precinct chairs and associate chairs. You are also welcome to attend. Your input is valuable and you will be able to participate fully except for voting.

June 20: monthly 3rd Congressional District Meeting (congressional district central committee)
Time/Place: 7 p.m., every third Wednesday of each month; Minnetonka City Hall, 14600 Minnetonka Blvd., Minnetonka.
Who Attends: 3rd Congressional District Central Committee members, including congressional district senate district chairs, directors, state central committee members, others. You are also welcome to attend. Your input is valuable, and you will be able to participate fully except for voting.

Next school board meetings

Eden Prairie School Board Meetings: June 18
Time/Place: 7 p.m. on scheduled Mondays; 8100 School Road, Eden Prairie. Go here for more information on the School Board.

Hopkins School Board Meetings: June 14, 6:00 p.m.
Time/Place: 7 p.m. on scheduled Thursdays; Eisenhower Community Center, 1001 Highway 7, Hopkins. Go here for more information on the Hopkins School Board and its meetings.

Note: School Board meetings are now available on local cable stations and as video and audio streams. For more information, go here.

Minnetonka School Board Meetings: June 14 and 21
Time/Place: 7 p.m. on scheduled Thursdays; Minnetonka District Service Center, 5621 County Road 101, Minnetonka. Go here for more information on the Minnetonka School Board and its meetings.

Next city council meetings

Eden Prairie City Council Meetings: June 19, July 3
Time/Place: 7 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month; Eden Prairie City Hall, 8080 Mitchell Road. Council meetings are televised live on cable channel 16 and replayed on opposite Tuesdays at 7 p.m. and on Saturdays at 1 p.m. Citizens have the opportunity to speak before the Council during Open Forum from 6:30-7 p.m. You must sign up with the City Manager's office at 952-949-8412 by noon to speak during Open Forum. For more information on the Eden Prairie City Council, go here.

Minnetonka City Council Meetings: June 25
Time/Place: 6:30 p.m.; Minnetonka City Hall, 14600 Minnetonka Boulevard. The Minnetonka City Council meets twice a month. See the calendar here for specific dates and go here to learn more about your Council members, meeting procedures and cable TV replays of meetings.

Get directly involved in the policies and services of state government
Sec. of State Mark Ritchie invites you to apply for open positions on boards and other agencies that help run Minnesota government. For more information, and to see what positions are currently open, go here.

What your fellow SD42 DFlers are thinking about:
- hate crimes related to sexual orientation
- a sensible approach to fuel economy standards

To weigh in about these two topics, go here and scroll down to Issues Advocacy.

Volunteer on a committee
We have many opportunities that can fit your talents and schedules. You'll have fun, meet other DFL supporters in your community and feel good about helping a great cause. Our committees include: affirmative action and outreach; candidate support and development; communications and technology; events; fundraising; precinct organization; and strategic planning and research. Go here for more information and to sign up.

Write a letter to the editor
Writing letters to the editors of our local papers is an important way we can support our DFL elected officials and promote progressive issues. Go here for more information.

Make a contribution
It's easy to make a contribution to DFL Senate District 42 and it will only cost you five minutes of your time and a postage stamp. If this is your first contribution of 2007 to a state candidate or DFL organization, you can take advantage of the Minnesota Political Contribution Refund Program and receive a refund of $50 per individual or $100 per couple. That's right, a refund. There is no catch or fine print. Think of it as a "loan" to help Democrats win because you'll get your money back from the state in 2 - 4 weeks. You can write your check to Senate District 42 DFL and mail it to 13012 Jane Lane, Minnetonka, MN 55343. We'll provide you a receipt and easy-to-complete form to send to the state. Go here for more information.