Two Wings, Same Bird, Part 2
DFL petitions to remove major party status of a rival political party
In the 93rd Legislature, concluding Summer 2023, amendments were made to Minnesota Statute 202A.12 and 202A.13, namely that major political parties (as defined in 200.02) must certify their compliance with their own constitution and rules and with those amended statutes.
It's a mouthful but basically business in the political party has to be done and recorded in a certain, specified way in compliance with statute, else major party status, with all its advantages, like precinct caucus or special placement on the ballot, etc. are out the window.
Both Legal Marijuana Now and the Republican Party of Minnesota are out of compliance, while the Democratic Farmer-Labor Party has updated their constitution, etc. to ensure compliance with the newly amended statutes.
Now that the DFL is in compliance, and since the deadline to come into compliance already passed on Dec 1, 2023, the DFL has issued its first, but probably not last of its kind, petition to remove major party status from Legal Marijuana Now.
A few months ago I emailed the Chair of the DFL asking what he thought about the newly amended statutes. He didn't reply, but he was busy getting the DFL Constitution updated.
On the surface, commentators could argue this is to encourage Legal Marijuana Now voters to shrug and vote for DFL candidates later this year.
However, it doesn't take an oracle to wonder if this is merely being set up as a precedent for the same action to be taken against the MNGOP, which is severely out of compliance.
Now, I first learned about this in August 2023, when Rick Weible explained the implications. He and Susan Smith had been talking about it. Susan Smith and others worked diligently to try to help the MNGOP correct itself, and those in power were notified multiple times. Many republicans involved in the GOP didn't read the statute nor believed this could happen to the party.
The Rebuild the MNGOP site does a nice job of laying out the history of inaction and action that makes things worse for the party, should they too face a Supreme Court decision.
Suffice it to say, the leadership of the MNGOP, and the lawyer class they are in bed with, looks like they could have been in on this all along. With the perverse incentives set up by the political parties and their dark money machines, for decades, is it any surprise?
Whether the DFL brings a petition against the MNGOP does not bother this writer one way or another. Why? Because the criminal elements currently in control, and their crony lawyer class and legislators (the latter whom have arguably committed treason by acting as masters instead of servants of the people, by the Minnesota Constitution's Article I, Sec. 9), will bring ruin upon themselves by further pursuance of tactics aimed at stripping the people of their sovereignty.
That about ends Part 2 of Two Wings, Same Bird, which is also a continuing series on Political Election Interference. Read more about other kinds of Election Interference HERE.
For more details of the non-compliance and the timelines, here I quote from the Rebuild the MNGOP site:
Between the end of August and the end of October, the MNGOP was asked to call a State Central Committee to address SERIOUS concerns. This meeting needed to be held PRIOR to the filing of a certification of compliance with statutes and Party governing documents BECAUSE the PARTY is NOT IN COMPLIANCE.
The path to compliance was not difficult.
The Chair ignored the requests and knowingly filed a false certification with the MN Secretary of State.
At any time, after December 1, 2023 any person or entity may challenge the Party Certification. The facts are filed and public because the MN SOS has placed them in the public domain, as it was required to do.
The Chair has placed MAJOR PARTY STATUS in jeopardy.
The Party MUST Comply with its Constitution & Rules
This means all provisions in the Constitution and Bylaws, at every level of the Party, must be followed.
This means that any BPOU or CD that disenfranchised Delegates and Alternates is NOT in compliance unless remedied.
This means all bodies of the Party must have Constitutions and bylaws CONSISTENT with the Party documents.
The Party must CERTIFY Compliance with its Constitution & Rules and 202A.12 & 202A.13
This Party has not been and is not in compliance with its Constitution & Rules. Officers of the Party have encouraged conduct, at the encouragement of or with the advice of attorneys who are better puffers than truth-tellers.
PARTY ATTORNEYS HAVE FAILED
Any attorney paid for by the Party is obligated to protect the interests of the State Convention, which along with the Constitution, governs State Central. The State Executive Committee is not the client.
Any attorney that advises delegates to ignore the plain language of MN statutes and the Party constitution & rules is derelict.
In the second to last paragraph, note that the State Convention, according to statute, for major political parties, is the governing body. Not the State Executive Committee.