Red and Black and Room All Over

Maybe its a sign of the times that the Chamber has not been able to fill the bus that will deliver enthusiastic Bemidjians to the state capitol on Tuesday, March 9th. There is still room on the bus for Bemidji Day at the Capitol, in fact only about 40 people are signed up.

Could it be that the dismal state of the state's finances and the lack of any optimism coming out of St. Paul has soured the community on the lobby effort?

The current political climate notwithstanding, getting on the bus is still a great way to learn about our legislature and meet new people.  Here's what you get for your $100 ($80 if you already have the required sweater/vest.):

• Transportation to and from St. Paul
• Water and Snacks on the bus (Dunn Bros. coffee and sweet rolls from Raphaels)
• Be on a team for scheduled appointments with legislators
• Meet people you wouldn't usually network with
• Learn about local issues
• Visit our awesome state capitol building and observe the legislative process
• Reception following meetings at the Kelly Inn
• Fun

You can still contact Lori at the Chamber and get on the bus. All the info you need is on the Chamber website.

Long Distance Relationship

Out of sight, out of mind might not be how you would characterize your long distance relationship, but when talking about our Legislators, it could be an appropriate adage. But staying in touch with what is happening at the State Capitol is actually pretty easy.


Sometimes they even come to us. Members of the House and Senate finance committees were in Bemidji recently to take comment from the public on how to fix the hole in the budget.

I have to admit to being kind of a political junkie who likes to keep up with what's happening in St. Paul, so I have a bunch of ways to stay connected.

Lakeland PTV Channel 9 has several shows that feature regular updates.

Wednesday after the news (10:30), Mary Lahammer presents "At the Capitol." Her website also has additional nightly updates.

Thursday at 8:00 is "Your Legislators" with host Supreme Court Justice G. Barry Anderson. He takes caller's questions from all over the state and poses them to four legislators--two Representatives, and two Senators representing both sides of the aisle.

On Friday it's "Almanac" at 7:00pm, of course.

Finally, on Sunday at 10:00am is "Capitol Report" a weekly public affairs program produced by Senate Media Service. (Competing in the same time slot is "At Issue" on KSTP (ABC).)

I also get a lot of information from newspapers and radio--KAXE and MPR, but the web tops my list of sources for information.


One of the best sources of information is the legislative websites of the Senate and House. You can track bills or follow your favorite legislator by viewing the bills they have authored. The Legislative Television feed gives you live access to committee hearings and floor sessions.

Senator Mary Olson and Senator Tom Bakk

Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher and Rep. John Persell

If you want a regular update of what's happening at the Capitol, you can sign up for daily and weekly newsletters delivered to your in box or view them online.

Of course there are a lot of blogs that keep track of what happens at the Capitol too. Most of them are partisan, but there are a few that purport to be independent, like Minnesota Independent: News.Politics.Media.

Our Legislators might be out of sight, but with today's communication tools, they don't have to be out of mind. How do you stay connected to what is happening in St. Paul?