Kansas Progressive Caucus Member Meeting
Notes
Saturday, June 6th, 2009
Emporia Public Library
110 E. 6th Ave., Emporia, KS 66801

Check in and Credentialing
17 people in Attendance

Welcome
Introductions around (6 young dems showd up, TW,GD,GB,BC+2)
Jerry Carr welcomed us to Emporia

Moment of Silence for Dr. Tiller
Anne read an internet article recounting Tillers funeral
(“2793’s”- 27 words, 9 seconds, 3 points)

Treasurers Report
SH for hank Chaimbelin: 370.00 in account

Caucus Business and discussion

JK:Moderate Republicans don’t like Brownback
SH:Parkinson has obligation to run.
CS:He says he doesn’t want to run.
MC:What do you think about the education cutbacks?
Discussion followed,

Team 105 Update
Jh: (Brief overview of T-105.) KS Dems are pushing to organize counties. 4 of the 9 seats are KPC members on the T-105 committee.
JK: Coffee and Osage are viable, chase is organized, …. To do this they needed a reason to stay organized. Regional jobs assigned like drop off for Slattery’s election. Bread and butter jobs, not necessarily progressive jobs. Voter Registration drives need meticulous oversight. Many incorrectly filled out forms.
JH: We have access to the KDP vote-builder data base. We need to build a volunteer list either by calling or knocking on their doors.
Hank has software for democratic analysis. Allen county is the largest county without a democratic organization. KPC has connections there.
TW: We write Kansas free press.com
GB: Please keep the young dems in the loop. They can motivate their member base.
GD: Let the students know that you trust them to do the work. Mutual respect goes a long way.

Fund Raising
OB: The county fair is a good idea.
TW: You have a lot of success in Venues like that.
MC: A Common Humanity: Kansas Populism and the battle for Justice and Equality, 1854-1903 O. Gene Clanton. If we sell this book we can price it how we want for fundraiser. Put it on our site
MC: The Hootenanny is a grass roots action. There is a tectonic shift happening we can get a lot of republicans to jump to Dems with a nudge. The progressive caucus is going have a float and finish what Slattery started.
OB: Many Dems think KDP is Republican lite. It’s not enough to be Dem you need to be progressive.
JH: Montana was won with an overtly progressive message. There is a lot of common ground between Libertarians and progressives.
AP: Libertarians are just Republicans who smoke pot.

Legislative agenda for 2009
SH: Ideas
AP: Point out the lost cause of the Anti Abortion movement
SH: With Sebelius gone we don’t have a veto for Anti abortions bill
MC: How do we stop these bills that are bog down with compromise. God Guns and abortion and they don’t get a damn thing done for people . We are being neglected.
OB: I think it gets down to corporate dollars
JK: All these bills are going to be rubberstamped and passed on. Process in Ks lets legislature introduce anything they want. If you have a majority of the committee Bill will come to the floor. KS is 1 of 4 or 5 states that doesn’t permit net-metering.
OB: gets back to T105
MC: 45 counties don’t have dems organized
JK: County party knows how to get boots on the ground.
OB: We won’t get anything done until we get Dems on ballot
JK: until we get people to run!
JH:Greeley county smallest reddest 120 voted for Obama
GD: People want choices
JH: Get signs out there “Don’t afraid to be a Democrat”
Recap of Kansas energy bill

GD:It’s all name recognition. We need to be loud. Let people know
TW: From Scotts city and there are Dems. They need the choice.
SH: Spoke to Legislature and reschedule marijuana. We could really push for this. David Haley said if he gets the Belize ambassadorship he may do this before he leaves.
SH: Wants KPC to get behind “Rescheduling” it not legalizing it. Does anyone have a problem with KPC pushing this? If KS is the first state to do this it would give KS farmers a new legal crop.

lunch break
networking discussion

Speakers
Don Teske, president of the Kansas Farmers Union
Talked of the long and interesting history, structure and holdings of the Farmers Union in Kansas

Charles Schollenberger - exploring run for Senate

State Senator Chris Steineger - exploring run for Governor

3:00 adjourn