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Minnesota
NOW Political Action Committee
Registration #70021
Minesota
NOW formed a PAC in 1982 to help elect feminist women and
men to local and state office - from Library Board to the Legislature to Governor. The PAC members represent each of Minnesota's
eight congressional districts to ensure a strong voice for
Greater Minnesota as well as the Twin Cities area.
NOTE: The Minnesota NOW PAC reviews and rates candidates for state or local office. The PAC may review candidates for congressional or federal offices and recommend action to the National NOW PAC.
The
Minnesota NOW PAC rates prospective candidates who seek our endorsement. While we try to
get the word out through our members, we do not solicit every
candidate from every race. The PAC rates each candidate on her or his own merits, and may endorse and/or support more than one candidate in a race.
Candidates: Download the Candidate Questionnaire; complete the questionnaire (please print clearly or type); and send it to the Minnesota NOW office. See the schedule of meetings on the Calendar or call our office. Please submit your questionnaire 10 days before the meeting.
Our questionnaire relates to NOW's six “core” issues, plus other platform issues as defined by Minnesota NOW. We rate candidates based on their answers, as well as the degree of leadership they have shown in these areas.
The
six core issues are:
- Constitutional Equality
- Reproductive Rights (including repeal
of all laws restricting safe, legal abortion)
- Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender Rights
- Eliminating
Racism (including promoting racial & ethnic diversity)
- Freedom
From Violence
- Economic Justice (including opposition
to punitive welfare reform)
The Minnesota NOW PAC recognizes NOW's 6 core issues to be vitally important in determining a candidate’s perspective, along with her/his views on all other issues defined by the Minnesota NOW Legislative platform (hereafter referred to as “platform issues”),Therefore the PAC uses the following criteria in evaluating a candidate’s positions for the purpose of determining their grade based on the 6 core issues and the platform issues (hereafter collectively referred to as “our issues”):
Ratings:
Endorsed:
A Rating
Solid on all 6 core issues,
Good on all platform issues, and
Has demonstrated leadership on our
issues.
Supported:
B Rating
Solid on 5 of the 6 core issues.
Supports a majority of platform issues, and
Has demonstrated leadership on our issues.
<or>
B Rating
Solid on all 6 core
issues,
Supports a majority of platform issues, and
Has not demonstrated leadership on our issues.
C Rating
Supports 4 of the 6 core issues, and
Supports a majority of platform issues
Not Supported:
D Rating
Opposed to 2 or more of the 6 core issues, and/or
Supports less than a majority of platform issues, and/or
Takes strong opposition to any of the core issues.
F Rating
Opposed to 2 or more of the 6 core issues, and/or
Has demonstrated prominent leadership in opposition to any of our issues.
Not Rated
NR
Not a serious candidate, or
Candidate is seeking a poor rating to promote opposition to any of our issues, or
The PAC feels the candidate is unsuitable or unrateable in any way.
An "A" rating means the Minnesota NOW PAC has given its endorsement to the candidate. It allows the candidate to use our name in their literature, web site, and verbally.
The other ratings do not allow the candidate to use our name. However, the MN NOW PAC can and often does choose to support the candidate in other ways, including monetary contributions, or an in-kind contribution such as a list of MN NOW member names, or listing the candidate and rating in MN NOW publications. (Of course, endorsed candidates may also receive these benefits!)
The PAC has a very strict interpretation of NOW's issues. Therefore, a candidate with a "B" or a "C" rating may be a fine candidate and worthy of your support.
Members:
The MN NOW PAC usually has openings and feels it can be most effective with more volunteers. Please consider the MN NOW PAC in both your time and financial giving opportunities. PAC donations should be directed and made payable to the Minnesota NOW PAC. You may also donate to the MN NOW PAC online.
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