Get Out the Vote// The Democracy Task Force led the GOTV efforts at UMD last fall, working to register over 5,000 students to vote as part of the largest voter engagement effort in the state of Minnesota! They also organized a local candidate debate for State Representative seats for Districts 7A and 7B, organized the volunteer effort to staff and assist the US Senate candidate debate at UMD, and assisted with the League of Women Voters local candidate debates for State Representative Seats and St. Louis County Commissioners. They organized a Duluth Youth Vote Coalition to work with various student groups at UMD and CSS, in coordinating and organizing events in the student community.

UMD MPIRG works to register over 5,000 students.

Detox Minnesota! // The Detox Minnesota! campaign centered around two key pieces of chemical policy reform legislation, focused on banning and phasing out toxic chemicals from consumer products. The Environmental Task Force worked to ensure a victory over the chemical industry by holding meetings with local elected officials, and sending Governor Pawlenty hundreds of postcards and generating numerous calls to the Governor's office urging support of the phase-out of BPA.

UMD MPIRG meets with State Rep. Roger Reinert to support phasing out BPA in children's products.

Affordable Higher Education // UMD MPIRG students joined with students from across the state at the Capitol in St. Paul to lobby on legislation to keep college affordable and accessible to all. The Affordable Higher Education Task Force also organized a Textbooks Campaign on campus, highlighting ways for professors and faculty help minimize the cost of course materials.

Joshua Winters, Executive Director, and Ryan Kennedy, Board Chair, testify before the Senate Higher Education Committee on Opportunity Minnesota as UMD MPIRG students show their support at Affordable Higher Education Lobby Day 2009.

Free Democracy Summit // MPIRG hosted the 6th Annual Free Democracy Summit in April. The theme of the summit this year was, “Local Actions Solving Global Problems.” The summit brought together community leaders, advocates, activists and elected officials from across the state to address pressing public policy issues, including global food systems and sulfide mining.

Free Democracy Summit 2009 - Core Student Organizing Team.

Regional Policy Organizer
Rebecca Covington, 218.726.8157, rebecca@mpirg.org

Campus Contact
Justin Hauschild, hausc019@d.umn.edu

Jacob Croke, crok0006@d.umn.edu

www.d.umn.edu