The Fifth District Report

Ellison Praises Obama’s ‘Progressive’ Inaugural Address

The 5th District representative liked the speech’s comments on income equality, gay rights and other issues.

Fifth District Rep. Keith Ellison is praising the progressive values he heard in President Barack Obama’s second inaugural address.  “As the co-chair of the Progressive Caucus, it is my considered opinion that this was a progressive speech,” Ellison said Monday on The Ed Show. “It was a speech that any progressive could say, ‘That’s what I’m talking about.’ I found myself spontaneously cheering in the middle of the speech. It was the kind of speech that just made me feel really good because it combined our common humanity, combined our need for economic fairness, combined the idea that better days our coming if we will step up to meet them.” Ellison particularly noted the president’s focus on income inequality, programs like Social …

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Year in Review 2012: Politics and Elections

The biggest stories of the past year.

With 2012 being a presidential election year, it’s no surprise there was no shortage of political news over the past 12 months. What was more unexpected was just how much conflict there was in some races that turned out to be routs. Add in the twists and turns of a long-awaited project, and you have an eventful year.   5th District Race Gets Ugly Incumbent Rep. Keith Ellison and Republican Chris Fields traded barbs throughout the race for the 5th District seat. But the nastiness hit a new low less than three weeks before Election Day, when the opponents launched personal attacks during a debate on KFAI Radio. The two called each other liars, and Ellison twice called his Fields a "lowlife scumbag."   Southwest Light Rail Sees Ups and Downs …

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Hopkins Sees Close Voting Rates for Voter ID, Marriage Amendment

The community had the sixth most-even rates of the 38 communities that Patch covers.

Hopkins voters marked yes on the voter ID and marriage amendments at one of the most even rates in the communities Patch covers. The voter ID amendment saw 37.62 percent of votes marked yes—just 2.33 percent more than the 35.29 percent yes votes that the marriage amendment received. While most cities tended to vote similarly on both amendments, Hopkins had the sixth closest rates of the 38 cities that Patch covers. Most cities that Patch serves had more support for the voter ID than the marriage amendment. And some, including seven around Lake Minnetonka, registered greater support for voter ID by between 11 and 16 percentage points. Just two Patch cities—Roseville and Fridley—had greater support for the marriage amendment than voter ID…

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In 14 Cities Patch Covers, Voters Favored MN Voter ID Amendment

In Hopkins, 38 percent of voters favored the amendment.

Here's how residents in a selection of Minnesota cities voted on the proposed Voter ID amendment to the state Constitution, which would have required photo ID at polling places. Statewide, the ballot measure failed to pass the 50 percent level of support it needed (46.34 percent with all but three Minnesota precincts' results). But if citizens in 14 of these 36 Patch communities had their way, the state Constitution would have a new amendment. Support for the amendment in these cities covered by Patch ranged from 19.30 percent in Southwest Minneapolis to 61.23 percent in St. Michael.* (Lake Minnetonka Patch covers several cities, including Minnetrista, Tonka Bay, Wayzata, Mound, Shorewood, Orono, Spring Park, Deephaven, Long Lake and …

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FINAL RESULTS: Students Pick Obama and Klobuchar, Reject Amendments

‘Hopkins Votes’ is a mock election that teaches students about the democratic process.

Hopkins students may have come to the same conclusions as Minnesotans who can actually vote, but the races in their districtwide mock election were decided in a much more one-sided fashion than the real races that had voters staying awake late into the night. Hopkins students picked President Barack Obama by more than a three-to-one margin and favored Sen. Amy Klobuchar nearly five to one. The amendment questions that were up in the air for so long in the actual election lost in a landslide. “Hopkins Votes” is a mock election organized by the Hopkins school district. Students learn about how voting works, voting etiquette and what it means to be a good citizen. Fourth through sixth graders vote for both president and senator, using only …

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New Poll: Support Falling for Marriage Amendment, Voter ID

Public Policy Polling suggests both amendments could fail.

With Election Day less than 48 hours away, researchers at Public Policy Polling have issued the results of a new survey suggesting both constitutional amendments on Minnesota's ballot this year could fail. PPP's poll, released Sunday, estimated support for the first amendment, which would write an existing ban on same-sex marriage into the state constitution, as falling to 45 percent from 49 percent in the Star-Tribune's recent Minnesota Poll. Support for the second amendment, which would require voters show a state-issued photo ID when they vote, was pegged at 46 percent, with 51 percent opposed. That's a significant drop in support since recent polls estimating the amendment would pass with 53 percent of the vote.  The most recent KSTP/…

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Election 2012

Church Council Urging Vote Against Voter ID

Minnesota Council of Churches represents the leaders of many Protestant denominations.

Seeking to bring attention to what it calls the "voter restriction amendment," the Minnesota Council of Churches announced its opposition to a state constitutional amendment that would require voters show photo identification at the polls.  The amendment, said Rev. Peg Chemberlin, the Council's Executive Director, has fallen too far out of the public eye. "We encourage and want a vigorous debate and conversation in the next few weeks on this amendment," Chemberlin said. "In fact, I hope there's some pushback. I hope people ask 'What's going on? Why have you taken this position?'" In a written statement, the Council's President, St. Paul Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America Bishop Peter Rogness said “the fundamental issue …

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Negative Campaigning, LRT and Voter ID: Feedback Friday

The most thoughtful, moving, controversial or just plain funny comments from around the west metro between Sept. 27 and Oct. 4.

Each week, Patch users contribute numerous insights, opinions and observations. The following is a collection of the most thoughtful, moving, controversial or just plain funny comments that appeared on Patch sites in Eden Prairie, Edina, Golden Valley, Hopkins, Minnetonka, Richfield, Shakopee, Plymouth, St. Louis Park and St. Michael. Click on the headline to read the full story and join in the conversation. (The comments below are not meant to reflect the opinions of Patch or its staff.) *** Letter: 'I'm Disgusted By Negative Campaigning' To the Editor: Are you as disgusted as I by negative campaigning? Almost everyone I speak with is! Voters want to hear solutions from candidates, not negative comments about opponents. I have never …

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(WATCH) On-Demand Video of MN Voter ID Debate

See a supporter and opponent go head to head on whether the Minnesota Constitution should require voters to show photo identification at the polling place.

Watch archived video of the two sides of the Minnesota voter ID ballot question clash for 90 minutes in an Oct. 4, 2012 debate sponsored by Debate Minnesota, brought to you by The UpTake. Debating for proponents of the proposed amendment: Dan McGrath, executive director at Minnesota Majority. Representing opponents: Doran Schrantz, executive director of ISAIAH, on behalf of Our Vote Our Future. The moderater was St. Paul Pioneer Press reporter Bill Salisbury. The debate was held at Founders Hall, Metropolitan State University, 700 E. Seventh St., St. Paul.  The ballot question is: "Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to require all voters to present valid photo identification to vote and to require the state to provide free …

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