Welcome to the July 2016 issue of the Sunflower Seed! In this issue you will find out how to become a sustaining donor, read about the explosion of interest in the Greens, Green activism, Green endorsed candidates, the Green Party Presidential race, and Green successes in Spain. Enjoy!
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Upcoming Events:
Thursday – Sunday, August 4th – 7th
Green Party of the United States
2016 Annual Meeting & Presidential
Nominating Convention
Houston, TX
See more info here
Saturday, August 13th
2:00pm-3:30pm
GPMN Coordinating Committee Special Elections
3025 Southlawn Drive
Maplewood, MN
Saturday, August 13th
2:00pm-3:30pm
GPMN Coordinating Committee Business Meeting
3025 Southlawn Drive
Maplewood, MN
Tuesday, August 16th
Minnesota for Jill Stein Event
Twin Cities – Details to Come
GPMN Chair Discusses Presidential Race on TPT Almanac
Our Green Party Chair, Brandon Long, was invited to speak on air with TPT Almanac this month to discuss the presidential race and the recent spike in 3rd party interest:
“A dissatisfaction with corporate candidates (is what’s driving Green Party interest). The Green Party is the only party that rejects special interest money, we don’t accept corporate or PAC money. We’d like to see a smart government, that instead of bailing out the crooks on Wall Street is bailing out our students, instead of handing out corporate welfare is uplifting its citizens.” –Brandon Long, GPMN Chair
See the full segment by clicking the play button in the accompanying image.
2016 Green Candidate Profiles
Dennis Barsness Minnesota House District 5B
Dennis has been a Green supporter since the mid-nineties and more formally joined the Party in 2014 when he ran for county commissioner that year receiving 22.7% of the vote. Dennis is also a Co-founder of the Itasca Green Party, a member of the local 911 commission, as well as a member of Grand Rapids Voice and a local veterans’ rights activist.
"It is my intent to bring an alternative to the status quo that has been controlling our local communities. Limited ballot access has allowed the two party system to deny citizens of any options other than corporate controlled candidates. This has infected into even our smallest local governments. Voters deserve a choice to have candidates who are willing to represent people not profits.”
Lena Buggs Ramsey County Soil and Water Conservation Supervisor District 4
Lena has made Saint Paul her hometown for nearly seven years. She is married with children, living in the North End Neighborhood of the City of Saint Paul.
Lena currently serves as Co-Chair of the Green Party Of Minnesota and the Fourth Congressional District of the Green Party. She is also the project coordinator, for the North End Village Community Rain Garden, in association with District 6 Planning Counsel, Ward 5 City Counsel office and Capital Region Watershed District respectively.
"I am Green because the two party system continues to ignore the African American community The Green Party champions diversity and Equality.”
See all of our Green endorsed candidates here
(Photo Courtesy Dennis Barsness ; Lena Buggs)
Green Party Responds to Death of Philando Castile/I94 Shutdown
After a young, black man, Philando Castile, was shot in Falcon Heights on July 6th during an alleged traffic stop, Green Party Minnesota Chair Brandon Long had this to say:
“The lives of Philando Castile, Jamar Clark, Phil Quinn, and Marcus Golden must never be forgotten. They were more than hashtags. They were human beings.
After this tragedy we don't need prayers or thoughts, we demand accountability for the racist public executions running rampant in Minnesota.”
Protestors have been camped outside of Governor Mark Dayton’s mansion ever since Philando’s murder. On July 10th protestors, including GPMN Chair Brandon Long, shutdown interstate 94 demanding justice.
Protestors were met with flash bang grenades, smoke bombs, and mace while outside agitators threw objects at police - a situation that the police further escalated by firing into the peaceful protests on the interstate.
“No matter how bad last night may or may not have been, it does not erase the systematic racial injustices in our economy, in our policing, in our schools, in our "justice system", or in society as a whole.
It also does not change the fact that an innocent man, Philando Castile, was gunned down in his car by a police officer for no reason and has yet to be served justice. #JusticeForPhilando” –Brandon Long, GPMN Chair
See the full statement here
(Photo Courtesy of Brandon Long ; MPR News)
Jill Stein Support Skyrockets After Bernie’s Clinton Endorsement
After Bernie Sanders endorsed Hillary Clinton earlier this month, Green Party candidate Jill Stein’s campaign donations jumped by 1,000 percent.
Stein was quickly endorsed by former Bernie Sanders supporters Cornel West, Viggo Mortensen, and Mnar A. Muhawesh and her social media exploded with nearly 90,000 new Facebook likes, and 24K Twitter followers in the following week after the Sanders announcement.
Ballot access continues in Minnesota for Jill and you can find more information on Facebook here and the Stein campaign page here. 2,500 signatures are required for ballot access in Minnesota and the deadline to submit petitions is August 23rd.
(Photo Courtesy Kyle Constable / CTMIRROR.ORG)
$15 Minneapolis Minimum Wage Closer to Reality
Community activists in Minneapolis have gathered nearly 18,000 signatures to put a $15-an-hour minimum wage proposal on the ballot this November as a city charter amendment. Many Greens have assisted in this effort, including Green Councilmember Cam Gordon
“Now that the petition is properly before us and once we confirm that it does not constitute a violation of state or federal law, (as I believe) I am convinced that it is the proper role of the City Council to consider and approve ballot language and put this matter before the voters in November.
I will look forward to seeing the attorney's opinion next week and the proposed ballot language. I look forward to voting on August 5th to put this on the ballot; and I look forward to participating in the campaign in the short months ahead and voting for it in November.” –Cam Gordon
See Cam’s full statement here
(Photo Courtesy of 15 Now Minnesota)
Green Party of Spain Elects Three MP’s
The Spanish Green Party, EQUO, has re-elected all 3 of their members of parliament: Co-Leaders Juantxo López de Uralde, Rosa Martínez, and Jorge Luis Bail.
Greens won seats in the Spanish Parliament for the first time ever last fall and now it is possible that the Green Party of Spain could have their first ever cabinet ministers shortly!
(Photo Courtesy EQUO)