Rep. Maria Ruud
Rep. Ruud has returned to her work as a nurse practitioner until the 2008 session starts, but please feel free to call or write her with your questions or concerns.
Contacting Rep. Ruud
BY PHONE -
(651) 296-3964.
BY EMAIL -
Go here.
BY U.S. MAIL -
515 State Office Bldg., 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Saint Paul, MN 55155.
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State DFL staff coming our way Aug. 19
State DFL headquarters staff members will hold a listening/teaching session in Plymouth on Sunday, Aug. 19. The staff will listen to and train DFLers for the 2008 DFL Coordinated Campaign.
The session is your opportunity to learn about and help shape the 2008 campaign. Go here for more details.
There are sessions scheduled in all congressional districts this summer.
Websites
Helpful links
There is a lot of inflammatory, unsubstantiated rhetoric out there. Go here to link to some great fact-checking sites listed on our website and be ready to share the truth when you have the opportunity.
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SD 42 volunteer opportunity Would you like to be involved with our Senate District's cable TV show, Democratic Visions? No experience is needed - training will be provided.
Volunteer staff positions include a director, audio person, two camera persons and an interviewer.
Democratic Visions shows are important because they showcase Democratic leaders and issues to inform voters about the DFL.
For more information, email here or call 952-944-2861.
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News and notes from Senate District 42
July DFL fun-in-the-sun activities
We hope you can attend events listed below. Click on them for more information and then scroll down to the event. There is also contact information if you are able to volunteer.
- July 4: SD 42's annual booth at Round Lake
- July 14: SD 42's first Adopt a Highway cleanup *
- July 14: SD 42's booth at Hopkins Raspberry Festival
- July 15: Raspberry Grand Day parade
- July 16: Divots for Democrats (SD 42 & SD 43)
*(Our Senate District will have Adopt a Highway signs with our name on them on I-494 between West Bush Lake Road and Flying Cloud Drive and will be responsible for cleaning the two-mile stretch of road for two years.)
Location/time change for our July 12 monthly meeting
This month we will meet in Maple Grove - we have an opportunity to support SD 32 by marching in the Maple Grove Pierre Bottineau parade with other Democrats. After the parade we will gather for pizza and a brief meeting before returning home. There will be a car pool leaving at 5:15 p.m. for a 6 p.m. parade line up. Contact Norb or Deb for more information.
Depleted Eden Prairie PROP food shelves
Children who eat breakfast and/or lunch at school during the school year are now eating at home, and food shelf drives dwindle during the summer, so our area PROP (People Reaching Out to People) food shelves are depleted. If you can help, go here for more information and scroll down to the article. Thank you!
Norb Gernes, DFL Senate District 42 Chair
Deb Pitzrick, Associate Chair
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GET INFORMED!
Democratic Visions TV programs air Sundays and Wednesdays on local cable stations
Democratic Visions is a 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. Check out this news on our website:
- Note the total per diem amounts that legislators in our area received for this past session. Scroll down to Per Diem Amount Update.
- Learn the facts about Minnesota's tax and spending rankings based on government statistical findings.
Read other articles on our website, too.
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 once next year's session starts. For the Senate publication, Senate Briefly, go here.
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GET CONNECTED!
Next DFL meetings
July 12: our monthly Senate District 42 meeting (senate district central committee)
Place/Time change this month: we will be carpooling at 5:15 p.m. to Maple Grove to march with SD 32 Democrats in Maple Grove's Pierre Bottineau parade. A pizza supper and short meeting will follow before returning home. For more details, contact Norb or Deb.
Normal 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.
Monthly 3rd Congressional District Meeting (congressional district central committee)
No meetings July or August
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: no July meetings; August meetings not posted yet
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: no July meeting; August 21, 6 p.m. instead of 7 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. School Board meetings are available on local cable stations and as video and audio streams. For more information, go here. Minnetonka School Board: no July meetings; August 2 and 16
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: July 3 and 17
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: July 9 and 23
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 ACTIVE!
Here are some great ideas for helping others: - activities that support our troops
- Meals on Wheels and PROP programs in Eden Prairie and Minnetonka
Go here for more information.
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.
See what your fellow SD 42 DFLers are thinking about:
- how Minnesota's natural resources depend on the
Federal Farm Bill that is up for a vote soon. To weigh
in about this topic, go here and scroll down to Issues
Advocacy.
- the value of attending presidential candidate rallies.
Go here.
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.
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