Why did it take a stadium to bring bipartisanship back to the Minnesota Capitol?
An end-of-session statement from Executive Director Sean Kershaw:
As the Minnesota Legislature adjourns for the year, the Citizens League is asking Minnesotans whether what they've just witnessed is the best we can do as a state, or an indication that better results next year are possible.
"Will our state's economic health improve as a result of this session? Did legislators' actions make Minnesota a more livable place for future generations?" asked Sean Kershaw, the Citizens League's executive director. "Nobody is surprised that our political institutions are not delivering the results that we need. The question is whether the bipartisanship and hard work we saw at the end of the session - whatever you think of the stadium deal - can be applied to issues that really matter to our future economic health and quality of life."
Read more here.Welcome to the Citizens League!
A different conversation about fixing health care
What does health reform mean to you?
The Citizen Solutions project, a joint effort of the Citizens League and the Bush Foundation, will travel the state this spring and summer to make sure Minnesotans are not left out of the discussion about health reform and how to make Minnesota a healthier place. The conversation begins in April at one of many locations you can sign up to attend, or you can participate online through the Citizens League's CitiZing platform. Results will be presented to the Governor's Health Care Reform Task Force in August. Upcoming community conversations include:- May 10 - Inver Grove Heights
- May 15 - Duluth
- May 17 - Minneapolis (north)
- May 22 - Roseville
- May 23 - Willmar
Help solve two problems facing higher education
In Phase I of our Higher Education Reform effort, a diverse group of individuals identified two key "real world" issues facing Minnesota today: low completion rates and the skills gap.
As we begin Phase II of a multi-phase effort launched in partnership with the Bush Foundation, we need your help to identify "real world" solutions to those issues - and we're seeking that help through a completely online process.
Citizens League staff will gather information offline by conducting focus groups and interviews. We would provide those offline findings to committee members who would use them to raise and discuss questions online, via CitiZing, our online project platform.
Anyone interested in participating in Phase II should review our Phase I findings, Phase II outline and our online participation overview, then contact Lindsey Alexander at lindsey[at]citizing.org or 651-329-1328.
Bring Common Cents to your organization
Last year, more than 600 Minnesotans across the state engaged in our Common Cents project to discuss: "What values and priorities are important to solving Minnesota's budget challenges?"
This year, we are again partnering with the Bush Foundation on a second round of state budget workshops and online activities, and we'd like you (and your elected representatives) to join us.
We're bringing Minnesotans' ideas and values to the Legislature and Gov. Mark Dayton to inform next year's discussion. And this year, we're adding a second workshop on tax reform.
Would you like to bring a workshop to your workplace, club, church, or other group? We're scheduling them and looking for hosts now.
All workshops are presented free of charge. Hosts will be responsible for meeting logistics and for recruiting at least 20 participants of mixed backgrounds and/or ideologies.
For more information or to schedule a workshop, contact Lindsey Alexander at lindsey[at]citizing.org.
Citizens League on Comcast Newsmakers
Executive Director Sean Kershaw recently sat down with Kevyn Burger for Comcast Midwest's Newsmakers public affairs show. Sean talked about our history, our 60th anniversary and how people can (and do) still come together and build common ground for the common good today.Sean Kershaw from Citizens League from Mary Ellen Amodeo on Vimeo.
Policy Blog
Why did it take a stadium to bring bipartisanship back to the Capitol?
Can stadium success be a lawmaking model?
Teens speak out on student achievement
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Sean's Blog
From what if to what's next in public policy
Will Minnesotans write a better future?
Higher ed reform will require a broad base of stakeholders
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Press
Can stadium success be a lawmaking model?
Physician Attendance Encouraged at Health Care Forums
Parent Aware Childcare Ratings
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E-mail Digest
Teen Citizen Solutions | Reform health online | Student achievement
FAIM partially restored | Reform health online | Citizen Solutions
Happy Hour | CL in the workplace | FAIM to Dayton
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