WCI Thursday's BLAST May 14, 2026

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THOUGHTS

Democracies are in decline, the autocrats insist. “Strongmen” have the upper hand. Or do they? “Strongmen” such as Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin look awfully pathetic these days.

With an approval rating in the 30’s, overwhelming opposition to his war, his party facing a midterm defeat, and no domestic accomplishments, his Truth Social rants have become even more unhinged. He is a prisoner of his own anger, panic, and desperation. He has started throwing aides overboard as he frantically tries to dispel the stench of failure. By Jennifer Rubin

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING COMMUNITY  EVENTS

WCI Connections

Annandale, Buffalo, Delano, Monticello, St. Michael-Albertville

Saturdays, Emmer Do Better Otsego Rally

May 16

11-noon

Wednesdays, Sherburne County Detention Vigil

May 20

3:30-4:15 pm

Minnesotans for Equal Rights at the Capitol

Friday, May 15

12 noon

Doug Chapin Town Hall - Howard Lake

Tuesday, May 19

6-8

Committees Kick Off Meeting

Tuesday, May 26

6:30-8:30 pm

Otsego Weekend of Action

Sunday, June 7

10:00 or 2:00

Monticello Weekend of Action

Saturday, June 27

10:00 or 1:30

ACTION

CONTACT YOUR SENATORS

Amy Klobuchar: (202) 224-3244   klobuchar.senate.gov

Tina Smith (202) 224-5641  smith.senate.gov

Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.

First, I want the Senator to support the PREDICT Act, a bipartisan bill that will ban members of Congress, the president, vice president, and senior executive branch officials from trading on prediction markets tied to political events and policy decisions. We deserve a government that works for us, not one where insiders can cash in. [RepresentUS also has a petition for this. Sign here.]

Second, I strongly oppose Republicans’ so-called “Ballroom Bill,” which gives more money to ICE, CBP, and Trump’s hated ballroom while adding 71B to the deficit. I will work to vote out every lawmaker who supports it. Americans are dying for lack of healthcare, we can’t afford groceries, we can’t pay our utility bills. That money should go to helping us. Thanks.

CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE: TOM EMMER

The Minnesota Legislature must finish its work by midnight on May 17. After that, every representative goes home to run for re-election on whatever record they’ve built. The Senate already did its job.

Call Speaker Demuth and Floor Leader Niska — if you get voicemail, leave a message. If not, email works just as well.

Tell them: bring the gun safety bill to the floor. Bring the ICE accountability bill to the floor. Minnesota families deserve a vote — and a record.

Then find your own state representative at house.mn.gov and contact them too.

Speaker Lisa Demuth: 651-296-4373

rep.lisa.demuth@house.mn.gov

Floor Leader Harry Niska: 651-296-2439

rep.harry.niska@house.mn.gov

EVENTS

SHERBURNE COUNTY GOVERNMENT VIGIL

Over 100 immigrants are in Detention at the Sherburne County Government Center. Consider joining us!

• Every Wednesday 3:30 – 4:15 Sidewalk next to Business Center Drive

• Sherburne County Government Center

  13880 Business Ctr Dr NW, Elk River, MN 55330

The Wright County jail is making space to hold 120 folks who have been incarcerated at the Sherburne County Jail.  Because Sherburne is boarding detainees for ICE, they need more room. So, they are sending their non-ICE related arrests to WC because they make more money off of ICE detainees. Botton line: Wright County is making money off of ICE detainees as well because we are boarding for Sherburne County.

Come join the festivities on Friday, May 15th, at Noon in front of the Capitol! A Meet & Greet kicks off at 12 PM with music, a Special Program/Press Conference, then a stroll to the MN Suffrage Memorial, with time for photo ops!

May 15 Presser: In celebration of our nation’s Semiquincentennial, ERA Minnesota and our allies - partnering with the national “Driving the Vote for Equality Tour” aimed at raising awareness for the federal and state Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).

https://eramn.org/news-updates/

For more background, take a moment to read this post by Pat Mitchell, former President of PBS and longtime feminist activist, about the ERA, democracy, and why a focus on Congress is so important: The Road to the ERA Runs through Congress. We’re nearing the end of the legislative session and have an opportunity to keep the ERA top of mind as legislators head into election season. Let’s talk with them about how we are building our coalition and growing statewide support, and that voters expect elected officials to stand for equality.

Stand Up for a Welcoming Howard Lake on May 18

On Monday, May 18 at 7:00 p.m., the Howard Lake City Council will hear public comments about whether to keep using Minnesota’s new state flag or to bring back the old one.

Howard Lake prides itself on being a “good neighbor” community. We see that in Good Neighbor Days, in the support for our public library, and in the quiet work that keeps our streets, water, and shared spaces functioning for everyone. Letting our public symbols be steered by bigotry dressed up as “tradition” would send exactly the wrong message about who belongs here. Click Here for more details and to Register

Howard Lake Townhall Tuesday May 19th

Government works best when people understand how it works and feel empowered to participate in it.

Join Doug Chapin for an open community conversation focused on civics, public policy, and the real-world impact government decisions have on our daily lives. This Town Hall is designed to be approachable, informative, and interactive. No political insider knowledge required. Just curiosity, questions, and a shared interest in building a stronger community together. Click Here to Register

COMMITTEES KICKOFF MEETING

May 26

The date for the WCI Committees Kickoff Meeting has been set, where we will officially launch, introduce our tentative committee structure, brainstorm activities and determine individual roles based on your survey responses and preferences.

Date: May 26

Time: 6:30 - 8:30 PM
Location: TBD

Thanks so much for your interest and ongoing participation in our effort to shift our red district to blue!

JUNE EVENTS

Otsego Weekend of Action w/ Leah, Joey, and Keenan!

June 7 (Sunday) at 10 am OR 2 pm at Prairie Park in Otsego

Come join the SD30 DFL for a day of door knocking! Our hope is to have the largest doorknock in the history of the district, and if we get 100 people signed up to knock we'll be able to knock the entire cities of Otsego, St. Michael, and Elk River in one day! We're already almost half way to that goal. Can you join us?

We'll be knocking doors across Otsego on Sunday, June 7th to help get the word out about our three local DFL-endorsed candidates, Joey Smyth (HD 30A), Keenan Gentry (HD 30B), and Leah Temple (SD 30). These conversations are crucial as we start to build capacity for our BLUE WAVE this November!

A brief (~20 min) training is provided and new canvassers will always be paired with someone more experienced, so don't fear if you've never knocked doors before! We also have water, sunscreen, and snacks on hand. Door knocking is typically a 1.5-2 hour commitment.

It may seem silly, but studies have shown that knocking on doors and meeting voters directly is one of the most effective ways to ensure that people stay engaged in their communities and vote in elections. We hope to see you there!

Monticello Weekend of Action!

June 27 (Saturday) at 10 am OR 1:30 pm at the Monticello Public Library

Want to learn what doorknocking is all about but don't want to hit the doors right away? Join one of our upcoming "Learn how to Knock" trainings in conjunction with Sherburne County Indivisible!

Learn How to Talk to Voters Training in Elk River!

Elk River Public Library on May 20 from 5-6:30 pm

DONATIONS

I-94 Billboard Update - 164,000 vehicles a day!

We rent the billboard jointly with Indivisible North Metro and Indivisible Twin Cities. We've been using it to hold Tom Emmer accountable — rotating messages to match whatever atrocity the week brings — and to promote events like No Kings rallies. Some of our recent messages are shown below.

Here's the challenge: We need to raise money to keep it running through the midterms. And the cost just jumped from $1,200 to $2,000 for four weeks, now that we're in "election season."

Can you help? Every dollar keeps those eyes informed.

• Mail a check to: WCI, PO Box 1410, Monticello, MN 55362, put billboard in the memo

AND MORE…..

MN-06 WATCH

Subscribe to the MN-06 Watch to receive daily accountability reports on Rep. Tom Emmer (MN-06), House Majority Whip. They track tweets, votes, and donor money so constituents don't have to. Independent, nonpartisan, data-driven.

https://mn06watch.substack.com/about

Check out the website https://mn06watch.com/

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