Last night a revitalized DFL Progressive Caucus packed the French River Room I at the DECC in Duluth, one of the official pre-convention events listed in the MN DFL convention program. The constituency caucus signed on many, many new members and many with lapsed memberships (such as myself) rejoined and either paid a $10 membership or applied to have the few waived (I asked my fee waived, I am currently very poor and am a 2014 DFL delegate from one of the poorest counties in the state). Many were there to hear US Representative Keith Ellison speak at 8 PM, but the meeting began with standard officer reports and a recap of the platform issues the caucus had adopted earlier in the year.
After some discussion on the question #2 that makes support of all forms of mining a permanent plank of the DFL party platform, a motion was made & was unanimously approved that the DFL Progressive caucus will opposes question #2 as it appears on the resolutions committee ballot and the caucus membership will work to separate the question for special consideration - which allows debate and motions to amend it. More than 40 delegates or alternates signed a petition to the convention secretary to do just that, approximately 1/3 of the signatures needed now by 12:30 PM today are already on the petition.
The caucus also heard from both candidates for MN Secretary of State and spent a great of time discussing the Polymet copper-nickel sulfide mining threat to the region's waters and workers.
Representative Keith Ellison arrived & received an enthusiastic welcome. I have uploaded some raw cell camera footage to youtube and those portions of his speech are available now below the fold.
I had a more stable camera recording on the AV dolly in front of me, my ancient laptop can't really process or store that video now, and if people are patient and/or can help me afford to better edit and render this video I'll make an effort to have it seen more widely, e.g. via small Northwoods cable access providers like Bemidji's UPSTREAMTV and the better funded cable access orgs in the Twin Cities and Duluth.