May 29, 2026
Resist Tyranny!
VoteBlueMN.org
sd31dfl@gmail.com
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Tag Archives: Volunteering
May 20, 2026
To Resist Tyranny— We Need You Too!
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Parents for Good – Anoka-Hennepin Community Meeting and Action Items
The group, Parents for Good, has several upcoming events to help you learn more about the proposed school funding initiative, get trained, and start gathering petition signatures.
Tuesday, May 26 — Petition Training
If you already have a good handle about Parents for Good and are ready to start collecting petition signatures, come to for Petition Training at 6 PM.
Register here: https://tinyurl.com/
Thursday, May 28 — School Funding Community Meeting
If you would like to learn more about this effort, come to the School Funding Community Meeting. Speakers will explain the background, prior efforts, current preparation, and the plan moving forward.
Register here: https://tinyurl.com/
Sunday, May 31 — Member Meeting
Come to the Parents for Good member meeting and get involved in the organizing and planning work.
Register here: https://secure.ngpvan.com/
Monday, June 1 — Petition Training
If you cannot attend the May 26 training, come to a second Petition Training at 6 PM.
Register here: https://tinyurl.com/
Email the School Board
Please email your school board member and ask whether they support putting a school funding levy on the fall ballot.
We want to know where every school board member stands on this issue and to have their responses in writing.
You can find a sample email here, and you can also use this form to let Parents for Good know what their response is:
https://forms.gle/
Parents for Good thanks you for helping to move this work forward. Community support is essential.
May 20, 2026
To Resist Tyranny — We Need You Too!
VoteBlueMN.org
sd31dfl@gmail.com
Greetings, DFL Friends—
Bird migration is going strong — spring greenery is at its most intense. And we are down to the final convention, for the state DFL in Rochester 5/29–5/31. From there the summer campaign season will move into high gear.
And there is so much to get active about — high gas prices, an unnecessary war, and unheard-of levels of corruption (Arc de Trump, anyone?).
Meanwhile the GOP and Trump’s Court have been busy stealing votes by eliminating voters (we thought voters were supposed to choose their government, not the other way around!).
SO— even more than ever before, EVERY VOTE counts. Even if a race in SD31 might be hard to win, our district’s votes for Doug Chapin, Amy Klobuchar, and others will help determine the direction of this state and country for the next decade or more. Read on to learn about ways to get connected and involved. We need you too!
First Priority!
Thursday, May 21st – Campaign Volunteer LISTENING Training
Have you ever thought about volunteering for a campaign? Candidates rely on volunteers to help them get out their message during the election season. This session is geared to introduce you to listening at the doors. Listening at the doors is not focused on persuading someone to vote for a candidate, but rather listening to the concerns of people and then capturing that information. People want to be listened to and be heard. If you’re interested in finding out more, plan to attend this session.
Sponsored by SD35; SD31 folks are welcome.
Riverwind Community Center
2701 Northdale Blvd., Coon Rapids 55433, starting at 6:30 PM
And Next!
Tuesday, June 2 – Doug Chapin Town Hall
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.
An informed citizenry is the foundation of meaningful change. If you’ve ever wondered how decisions get made, how to make your voice heard, or how to become more engaged locally and nationally, this conversation is for you.
We are ALL ready for better. Step one is showing up. We’ll see you at the town hall!
#FlipThe6th #ReadyForBetter
Environmental Focus: Help Save Migrating Birds— and Your Own Health!
Bird Migration is in full swing, and most birds migrate at night! They need full darkness to be successful. (And btw, humans need good dark to sleep well, a crucial part of human health!)
Lights Out Alert Minnesota (LOAM) is a system to encourage everyone to reduce outdoor lighting on a few of the most critical nights for bird migration over Minnesota.
Above is an example from this weekend.
100’s of millions of birds fly overhead at night during the 3-month spring and fall migrations, but fully half of all bird migration takes place on about 10 incredible nights each season. The Purdue AeroEco Lab creates 3-day bird migration forecasts, and when the migration numbers peak, they send out an alert. By making an extra effort to close our curtains and limit outdoor lighting on these few nights and, ideally every night, and encouraging others to do the same, we can make a real difference in the survival of our Minnesota songbirds.
You can get these alerts by following the link below.
Lights Alert Minnesota is led by MN Bird Coalition. It creates a statewide network of conservation partners, cities, campuses, and organizations to reduce light pollution during migration.
https://www.mnbirdcoalition.org/new-page-35
SD31 District Happenings…
SD31 DFL Monthly Meeting
You are invited! DFL folks gather every month for a combination of sharing news, social support, and a bit of business. Join us to meet with other like-minded progressives. All are welcome — you do not need to hold an office. If you haven’t tried it before, make this month your first time!
We meet:
The second Tuesday of each month
Andover Community Center– Community Room A
6:00 pm Social gathering
, 6:30 pm Business Meeting
Next Meetings: Tuesdays, June 9, July 14
Daily:
10:45 AM – DFL Statewide Phone Call : Sign Up For DFL Comm Calls
Weekly:
Indivisible “Retire Emmer” Protests — Otsego
Tuesdays 4:30 – 5:30 PM
Saturdays 11 AM – Noon.
SD31 Neighborhood Network Coffee Break (Andover & Northern SD31)
Saturdays (weekly), 8:30 -11:00 AM in the Starbucks of the Andover Target
Ramsey DFL Coffee Break
Every 2nd and 4th Saturday, 10am – Noon, inside the Ramsey Coborn’s
Spotlight— Candidate/Volunteer/Issue
Join other Anoka County DFL’ers for a
Picnic and Volunteer Fair at Aquatore Park in Blaine on June 6 from 4 to 7 PM.
This gathering is a great opportunity to connect with fellow community members, enjoy refreshments, and have meaningful conversations about how we can get involved and make a difference. You’ll have the chance to meet candidates, learn about volunteer opportunities with the party and partner organizations, and connect with others who care about building a stronger community.
Whether you are an experienced campaigner or just getting started, you are welcome to join us.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Saturday, June 6
4:00 – 7:00 PM
Aquatore Park, Blaine
Policy Pulse— National—>State —> Local
In light of the frightening resurgence of “Christian” Nationalism (code for a potent mix of racism and sexism), including a big demonstration in Washington DC, it is important to remember the true history of our country — as recently recounted by Heather Cox Richardson:
“But the United States of America was not founded as a Christian nation. The Founders were quite clear about that. In the 1796 Treaty of Tripoli, ratified unanimously by the Senate just a decade after the Constitution went into effect, U.S. leaders said “the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion” and has “no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of” Muslims. They went on to say that “no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between” the U.S. and Tripoli.
“Thomas Jefferson, the key author of the Declaration of Independence, and James Madison of Virginia, the key thinker behind the Constitution, both wrote explicitly about the importance of keeping the government separate from religion. Jefferson wrote that “religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship.” “[T]he legitimate powers of government reach actions only,” he wrote, “[and] not [religious] opinions.”
“In 1785, Madison explained that what was at stake in keeping the state and religion separate was not just religion, but also representative government itself. The establishment of one religion over others attacked a fundamental human right —an unalienable right — of conscience. If lawmakers could destroy the right of freedom of conscience, they could destroy all other unalienable rights, including those enumerated in the Declaration of Independence and codified in the Constitution.”
https://heathercoxrichardson.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Check out the Calendar on our website for details:
https://votebluemn.org/my-calendar/
Tuesday, May 26
6:30 – 8:00 pm
SD31 DFL Communications/Data Team Meeting
By Invitation (contact us if you are interested — sd31dfl@gmail.com)
7:00 PM
Ramsey City Council Meeting
Thursday, May 28
6:15-7:15
Neighborhood Network Local Leaders. Monthly Virtual Call
The Neighborhood Network is excited to welcome new and younger leaders to get involved, on their own terms. Whether you’re ready to dive in or just curious to learn more, we invite you to join our monthly virtual calls where we’ll share who we are, what we’re working toward, and how you can take part in ways that feel right for you.
Join us on Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/jvq-
Tuesday, June 2
6:00 – 8:00 PM
Doug Chapin Town Hall
Municipal Center Conference Rooms — Alexander Ramsey Room
7550 Sunwood Dr NW
Ramsey, MN, 55303
School Board Meetings
Anoka-Hennepin:
Work Sessions – 2nd Mondays, 5:30 pm (June 8, July 13)
Regular School Board Meetings – 4th Mondays, 6:30 pm (May 25, June 22)
https://meetings.boardbook.
St Francis:
2nd and 4th Mondays, 6:30 PM, Community Room, District Office (May 25, June 8)
Look for additional events and sign-ups at the DFL Neighborhood Network website: dflneighborhoodnetwork.net
Resources & Links You Can Use
Keep checking our SD31 DFL Website: VoteBlueMN.org
Indivisible North Metro on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/
Common Cause Minnesota
https://www.commoncause.org/
Brennan Center for Justice
https://www.brennancenter.org/
Clean Elections MN
https://cleanelectionsmn.org/
Heather Cox Richardson
heathercoxrichardson@substack.
Thom Hartmann – The Hartmann Report
hartmannreport.com
You can also hear Thom Hartmann from 11am to 2 pm daily on the radio (and lots of other progressive programs) on the Twin Cities progressive radio station, AM 950 (KTNF)
FREE AGAIN in 2026— CONTRIBUTE to SD31— FOR FREE!
Make a donation of any size to SD31 and get a full refund. The Minnesota Political Campaign Refund (PCR) provides refunds of $75/individual or $150/couple per year for contributions made to Minnesota political parties and candidates for state offices.
Contribute whatever you can — and then GET A FULL REFUND!
After donating at VoteBlueMN.org, just print and fill the following document and send it in with your receipt. The address is on the form.
https://www.revenue.state.mn.
Email Updates and Submissions
Newsletters and other Emails from SD31 DFL will typically be sent out on Monday or Tuesday, at least once or twice a month. If you have an item to share, please submit it by noon on Friday to: sd31dfl@gmail.com
We also welcome longer items for our website if you have articles, blogs, or letters that you would like to share! Check the site out at VoteBlueMN.org.
THANK YOU!
for all your efforts this critical year…
Stay connected with us and
Let your voice be heard!
Some of Our Core Values and Guideposts:
Compassion
Fighting Hatred
Showing up
A better economy and healthcare for ALL
The Rule of Law
SD31 DFL Communications
sd31dfl@gmail.com
VoteBlueMN.org
Summer is a time for fairs and community days and DFL Senate District 31 is looking for interested persons to participate. Here is your chance to meet neighbors and make new friends. Do your part to build a joyful, strong community where all belong!
Volunteers are needed to staff our booth and/or march in the parade on September 6th. Bring a friend (or two) to join in on the fun! Parade line up starts @ 10:00 am but please be there by 10:30 for 11:00 am parade start. Please come; would like as many marchers as possible!
Don’t miss out on a chance to make a difference in your community. Sign up HERE today for Saturday, September 6th!
More festival information can be found on the Ramsey Happy Days website.
For the first time, good people will have the opportunity to volunteer at the Grandstand Donuts booth at this years Minnesota State Fair and raise money for Senate District 31! Four shifts are available:
*Saturday, August 23
*Monday, Aug. 25
*Tuesday, August 26
*Thursday, August 28
Those that volunteer for the six hour shift will earn a free ticket to the fair.
Sign up here to join in the fun!
Thank you for supporting DFL Senate District 31.
Late June 2025
* Candle Light Vigil Wednesday 6/25 for Melissa and Mark Hortman and John and Yvette Hoffman
* SD31 Needs VOLUNTEERS for Summer events starting Saturday 6/28
Greetings, DFL Friends–
It is easy for our heads to spin with all that is happening at the national and world levels. We have no idea where Trump’s war will take us all. And we in Minnesota are also still reeling from the assassinations of Melissa and Mark Hortman and the shooting of John and Yvette Hoffman. Below find details about the Wednesday 6/25 Candlelight Vigil for Melissa. Let’s join with other local DFL’ers in this event.
AND there are many ways to be take action this summer— SD31 needs lots of volunteers— so please sign up! Read on for specifics.
And don’t forget our monthly meeting on July 8!
Meanwhile, keep cool and spend some good summer moments with family and friends.
Wednesday, June 25
7:30 PM
Candle Light Vigil
In honor of Melissa and Mark Hortman
And supporting John and Yvette Hoffman
Hosted by Transformative Circle, empower Diaspora, and League of Women Voters
Evite Link:
https://www.evite.com/event/031CZFFG36DH6UOWCEPQJ3RPXTTQDI
Facebook Link:
https://www.facebook.com/share/18xJbhEhpk
SD-31 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
Take a look at these opportunities and sign up— enjoy the company of fellow progressives and speak out to our community. The next big event is the Ham Lake “Freedom Festival” this Saturday— shared with SD32. Then, the Coon Rapids Parade on July 2, shared with SD35.
Saturday, June 28
3 pm – 11 pm
Ham Lake “Freedom Festival- with SD32
Wednesday, July 2
4 pm-7 pm
Coon Rapids Parade- with SD35
Line up starts @ 4 pm, Parade starts @ 6 pm
Friday July 11- Saturday July 12
Fri: 4-8 pm
Sat Noon-9 pm
Andover Family Fun Fest
Meet Abbey Payeur, candidate for A-H School Board
6/28- Ham Lake; 7/11 & 12— Andover
Meet Abbey at The Ham Lake Freedom Festival or the Andover Family Fun Fest.
She will have a booth at both of these events.
https://www.abbeypayeurforschoolboard.com
See our calendar page for more events. And look for additional sign-ups an the DFL Neighborhood Network website:
Other upcoming events…
** July 8— Tuesday. 6-8 PM
SD31 DFL Monthly Meeting/ Gathering: Andover Community Center
Daily– 10:45 AM
DFL Statewide Call (see below)
Weekly– Protests at Emmer’s Office, Otsego
Tuesdays 4-5 pm
Saturdays 11 am- Noon
Weekly– SD31 DFL Coffee Break- DFL Neighborhood Network
Saturdays 8:30- 11:00 AM
Starbucks Inside Andover Target
More SPECIAL EVENTS FOR SUMMER 2025
Event/ Dates/ Partner
*Isanti County Fair July 17-20— Thursday-Sunday
*East Bethel Booster Days July 19— Saturday
Booth and Parade
*Anoka County Fair July 22-27— Tuesday-Sunday Anoka Co DFL
Ramsey Game Fair August, 2nd & 3rd Weekends
*North Metro Picnic– Long Lake Park, New Brighton August 12— Tuesday
Several other SD’s
Picnic & Silent Auction
*Ramsey– Happy Days September 6— Saturday
Parade/ Booth?
Linwood–Family Fun Days September 6— Saturday
* = SD31 DFL planned involvement— SPECIAL NEED FOR VOLUNTEERS!
School Board Meetings
Anoka-Hennepin
Work Sessions allow for observation only— but we need people to watch what is happening! Major decisions are often made in these meetings, without a written record.
Work Sessions– Education Services Center, 2727 Ferry St, Anoka
Mondays
6/30— 4:30 pm- Board Policy Committee Meeting
8/11— 5:30 pm- Regular Work Session
Regular School Board Meetings– Sandburg Ed. Center, Anoka 1902 2nd Ave
Mondays, 6:30 pm
7/14
8/25
If you cannot make the meetings in person you can also watch live. The agenda and streaming link are posted here:
https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Organization/2720
St Francis
2nd and 4th Mondays , 6:30 PM, Community Room, District Office
4115 Ambassador Boulevard NW, St Francis MN 55070
NEXT: 7/14, 7/28
Links You Can Use
Keep checking our SD31 DFL Website: VoteBlueMN.org
Common Cause Minnesota
Brennan Center for Justice
https://www.brennancenter.org/
Clean Elections MN
FREE! CONTRIBUTE to SD31— FOR FREE!
Make a donation of any size to SD31 and get a full refund— before the legislature takes it away!
Contribute whatever you can– and then GET A FULL REFUND for any amount up to $75 per person. If you make smaller donations, save your receipts and submit them together— this is a one-time refund per person. Each member of a couple can get the full $75 refund.
After donating atVoteBlueMN.org, just print and fill the following document and send it in with your receipt. The address is on the form.
https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/sites/default/files/2024-12/pcr-25.pdf
Email Updates and Submissions
Newsletters and other Emails from SD31 DFL will typically be sent out on Monday or Tuesday, once or twice a month. If you have an item to share, please submit it by noon on Friday to:
We also welcome longer items for our website if you have articles, blogs, or letters that you would like to share! Check the site out at VoteBlueMN.org.
THANK YOU for every effort you are able to make— no matter how large or small. Stay connected with us as we struggle to resist the authoritarian extremists and make our communities, state and country better!
SD31 Communications
sd31dfl@gmail.com
Our Core Values and Guideposts:
A Good Economy for Working Families
Fighting Hatred and Racism
Liberty and Justice for ALL— including Women’s rights and reproductive freedom
Taking care of our Home– the Earth
Love Your Neighbor
Truth, Justice and Compassion
Non-Violence
Showing up to Do Your Part
… and because even though it should be obvious in the USA, they seem to have forgotten:
The Rule Of Law
The Constitution Of The United States
SD31 DFL News Update
June 12, 2025
No Kings, and More … All of a sudden, from LA and across the country, so much is going on. Here is a quick but limited update about some of the leading events.
“NO KINGS”
Once again, Indivisible has taken the lead in organizing these protests– originally to counter the huge Soviet-style military parade Trump has ordered for his birthday this Saturday, 6/14. And now with the repression spanning out from LA, it is even more important that ordinary citizens join together and speak out against the corruption, the hatred, and the madness. It is equally important that we do this PEACEFULLY– and not give Trump’s military reasons to attack and create scenes for their theatrical show of force. Protests are scheduled for several spots in Minnesota this Saturday— but you will need to sign in at a link to get specific information and register.
Other Ways to protest:
It is also of great help to support organizations, like Common Cause, the ACLU, and the Brennan Center. Help them, or other similar organizations, any way you can:
https://act.commoncause.org/
https://www.aclu.org/
https://www.brennancenter.org/
or join the regular protests at Emmer’s Office– Otsego Tuesday 430-530 pm, Saturdays 11 am- noon
Closer to home – take 1: State DFL Daily Call messages
Some recent highlights…
Friday, June 13– listening session in Bloomington at the VFW. Congresswoman Kelly Morrison and Former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough are special guests. Visitors are invited to attend.
June 13 Humphrey-Mondale– dinner with JB Pritzker. They have a dedicated Content Creators table at the event to get the word out-
Saturday, June 14- No Kings Day–there are 37 rallies in MN. Richard Carlbom, DFL Chair, will be at 4 of them.
Monday June 16- Richard will be at the Bemidji Fish Fry
- New Co-host: DFL Director of Operations Hannah Dereje will join the calls as a co-host
- Expect an announcement Monday about a New Program for Summer of Action that districts can join.
- LA situation: Trump wants to expand his authoritarian regime. He is trying to distract from the fact that big business is making lots of money with changes in tariffs and the big bad bill. We need to continue to hold him to account.
- Message of the Day: Minnesota Democrats are fighting for workers, not corporate power.
- June 11 graphic shows a Minnesota Reformer article about how Democrats protected the ban on non-compete agreements from carve-outs sought by big business. Share graphics like this from the DFL: https://dfl.org/post/
Closer to home – take 2: Volunteer for SD31 DFL this summer
SD31 DFL had our monthly meeting this Tuesday, 6/10. Chair Leslie Pendergast shares this quick summary:
“The biggest call out for the newsletter is that we’re looking for volunteers for various parades, fairs and other activities. Sign-ups for all the various festivals are on the Neighborhood Network website.
We also are canceling our Aug meeting so that everyone can join the North Metro Picnic (on Tuesday August 12) to participate and donate silent auction items.
Protest this weekend of course. Buses are full.”
The signups for volunteering are here:
https://dflneighborhoodnetwork.net/
The calendar for summer events can be seen there and at:
https://votebluemn.org/
Closer to home – take 3: CD6 Candidate forums
Several candidates are seeking endorsement to run as the Democrat against Congressman Emmer in 2026. CD6 DFL is organizing a series of forums to introduce each candidate and their values. These events are also a chance for you to share your thoughts on the key issues facing our district. We’ll be holding four forums across the district, each focused on the unique challenges in our communities.
Check out the calendar for these events here:
https://cd6dfl.com/candidateforums
Thank you, and keep up the good work. Let your voice be heard, in PEACE and LOVE!
SD31 DFL Communications