Becky Lourey Announces Bid for MN Governor

[goodhue]

Lourey Announces Bid for Governor

Known as a Consensus-Builder, Kerrick Senator Seeks Smarter Investments for a Competitive Minnesota Economy

Becky Lourey, DFL state senator from Kerrick, announced Tuesday she is a candidate for Governor of Minnesota in 2006. The campaign kick off came in Bruno where her family business, Nemadji Research Corp., develops specialized software. Due to forecasted weather conditions, a State Capitol news conference in St. Paul was scheduled later in the day.

“We know Minnesota can do better, and I feel strongly that it is my duty to work with all the citizens of this state to make Minnesota more competitive again.” Lourey said. She offered a vision for a Minnesota where every family has a living wage job in a safe community, with excellent education -- not only in K-12 schools -- but early childhood and affordable post-secondary options, as well as quality, affordable health care for all.

Lourey outlined sharply contrasting public policy views and style differences with incumbent Tim Pawlenty. “As Governor, I will bring Minnesota back to a high rank in education investments, not 46th in the nation,” Lourey said. “Our nationally admired state partnership with local government is dissolving, replaced by crumbling streets and sky-high property taxes. Our Governor’s idea of shared sacrifice is a pledge to cut taxes for his wealthiest friends while the rest of us are paying higher taxes and so-called fees.”

As a small business owner and 15-year lawmaker specializing in health care policy, Lourey said, as Governor, she will seek more efficient health care delivery with the goal of universal coverage. “I know the struggles facing so many employers due to skyrocketing health care costs. For so many small businesses around this state, offering good health care to workers is an impossible task because the costs are rising so fast, and so far the state has failed to respond to the problem,” Lourey said. “Our small businesses are looking for state leadership as the affordability of health care coverage keeps slipping away.”

Lourey stressed that making smart investments ultimately pays off in a competitive, prosperous economy for Minnesota. “We are falling short on our goals for a 21st century competitive economy in Minnesota and our workforce is not fully prepared to compete effectively,” Lourey said. “To compete globally, we must make smarter investments in a failing infrastructure, encourage technological innovation and open up higher education opportunities.”

Touting her energy and enthusiasm, Lourey said she expects to run a strong grassroots campaign based on policy differences. “A sharp contrast between the candidates will help voters recognize that Minnesotans simply will not accept more of the same bankrupt policies coming out of Washington and St. Paul.”

Lourey is a Gold Star mother who in May lost her son, Matthew, while he was piloting a U.S. Army helicopter on mission in Iraq. “We all know that our Minnesota Guard was always intended primarily for in-state activities, but that is no longer the case,” Lourey said. “In my administration, we will work to bring our state Guard home to their families and communities where they belong.”

Use this link http://www.beckylourey.org/images/AnnouncementSpeech.pdf for a copy of her full speech.

http://www.beckylourey.org/

[goodhue]

1. AP Wire: State Sen. Lourey makes second run at governor's office

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/state/minnesota/13173365.htm

State Sen. Lourey makes second run at governor's office

BRIAN BAKST

Associated Press

ST. PAUL - State Sen. Becky Lourey, who elevated her profile by speaking out against the Iraq war that claimed her son's life, embarked Tuesday on a second run for governor.

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Lourey lacks the name recognition of Attorney General Mike Hatch and the hefty campaign dollars developer Kelly Doran plans to lean on. But she, along with state Sen. Steve Kelley of Hopkins, could make for a drawn-out - and possibly deadlocked - DFL endorsing convention.

"Among the activists, they tend to be more liberal than the general public is," said Craig Grau, a political science professor at the University of Minnesota in Duluth. "They like her, they sympathize with her. She does have some very strong supporters among the activists."

He added that others in the race shouldn't underestimate her candidacy. "She's not a wallflower. She's got steel inside. She's had a lot of knocks in her life but she knows how to battle for the things she's passionate about."

Lourey's entrance also adds a gender dimension to the race. Minnesota has never elected a woman governor.

* * *

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/state/minnesota/13173365.htm

[CatholicEdHead]

2. Great news, I prefer her over Hatch

[csorman]

3. Me too

Plus, she doesn't have the baggage that Hatch has when it comes to butting heads with Pawlenty. He and Timmy boy are quite infamous for their quabbles and are always at each other's throats. This match-up would not bode well for politics in MN and would only serve to create more division - I belive this would be the case within our own party, in addition to the rift between parties.

Mike is a good guy, but we have to get away from the DFL-anoninted-candidate trend and start putting up real progressives with solid messages.

[katinmn]

7. Me three!

I read her announcement speech on the temporary website.

It's great. Shows vision, wisdom, compassion and bravery.

Go Becky!!

:dem:

[goodhue]

4. Pioneer Press on Lourey: "a sharp left turn"

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/state/minnesota/13177436.htm

Posted on Wed, Nov. 16, 2005

Lourey enters race for governor

It's her 2nd try for DFL endorsement

BY BILL SALISBURY

Pioneer Press

If Minnesotans are ready for a sharp left turn, state Sen. Becky Lourey will give them a liberal alternative in the governor's race.

* * *

Democrat Wy Spano, director of the Center for Advocacy and Political Leadership at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, thinks Lourey has a serious shot at winning the DFL endorsement.

"With all of Bush's troubles, it's easier to be a liberal now. That makes the whole DFL establishment a little less conservative than they have been over the past four or five years," said Spano, a former lobbyist and editor of the newsletter Politics in Minnesota.

"The rap on Becky by a lot of people before was: 'She's a wonderful person, and we all love her dearly, but she's just too liberal to sell to the general public.' I think that argument has less cachet now. That makes a larger opening for her than there was last time," he said.

* * *

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/state/minnesota/13177436.htm

[indigo32]

5. I am very pleased about this

:bounce:

[goodhue]

6. Hot winds of a distant war have blown into the MN governor’s race . . .

http://www.hometownsource.com/capitol/2005/November/16lourey.html

Posted: 11/16/05

Sen. Becky Lourey makes 2nd bid for governor's office

by T.W. Budig

ECM capitol reporter

The hot winds of a distant war have blown into the Minnesota governor’s race.

More than the other DFL gubernatorial candidates, Sen. Becky Lourey, DFL-Kerrick, injected national politics — the Iraq War — into her campaign for governor.

Lourey announced her candidacy Tuesday (Nov. 15) at conferences in St. Paul and Bruno.

The Iraq War has directly affected Lourey.

In May, her son Matthew, a U.S. Army helicopter pilot, was killed on mission in Iraq.

Lourey spoke of bringing deployed Minnesota National Guard troops back home. “In my administration, we will work to bring our state Guard home to their families and communities where they belong,” she said.

She could band with other like-minded governors and go to Washington and force the issue, Lourey explained.

* * *

http://www.hometownsource.com/capitol/2005/November/16lourey.html

[goodhue]

8. Elizabeth Dickinson on Lourey . . .

http://www.hometownsource.com/capitol/2005/November/17notebook.html

Elizabeth Dickinson, unsuccessful Green Party candidate for St. Paul mayor, believes it’s more likely the Greens will field a statewide candidate such as state auditor rather than a gubernatorial one.

At least that’s her personal belief, Dickinson explained. She styled Sen. Becky Lourey, DFL-Kerrick, virtually a Green.

Lourey declared her candidacy for governor this week (Nov. 15).

[dpbrown]

9. I'm announcing my endorsement of a Becky Lourey candidacy

Remember, you heard it here first.

:toast:

[goodhue]

10. Lourey on funding early childhood education . . .

http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2005/11/18_mccalluml_demschildcare/

Gubernatorial candidates support early childhood education funding

by Laura McCallum, Minnesota Public Radio

November 18, 2005

* * *

State Sen. Becky Lourey says Minnesota was making progress in ensuring children were ready for school, but she says those gains have been reversed. Lourey says economists such as Art Rolnick from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis have pointed out the economic benefits of investing in early childhood education.

"We know what to do. We just need the leader who's going to not say, 'Well, frame the issue for me,' but instead say, 'We will fund it. We will fund it, it is as clear as that,'" said Lourey.

* * *

http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2005/11/18_mccalluml_demschildcare/

[goodhue]

11. Becky Lourey: Why we're having the debate

http://www.startribune.com/stories/562/5744704.html

Becky Lourey: Why we're having the debate

November 25, 2005


When state Sen. Becky Lourey called on the Star Tribune on Nov. 16, we asked: "Four months later, what has been the impact of last summer's antiwar protest led by Cindy Sheehan, which you joined after the death of your son Matthew?" Here is an excerpt of her reply:

"You see more and more people calling for a plan in Iraq. I don't think that would have happened if Cindy hadn't done what she did.

"That voice got Americans to start looking at this war more closely. It's amazing what one voice can do. ...

"I don't think the connection to oil has come out yet. I don't think people believe that as strongly as I do. If you look at the New American Century, and the few papers we could get from Vice President Cheney's energy task force, it's very striking. The 14 bases that we are building along the energy lines were already established before we invaded. The fact that we protected only the oil industry, and didn't protect any of the heritage of the country (in spring 2003) says a lot. The fact that we didn't even go into the ammunition or nuclear waste facilities says so much.

"I believe oil played a role in our choosing to go to Iraq rather than Saudi Arabia, which had much more connection with Al-Qaida. If I'm right, we should have had that discussion as citizens. The discussion should have been about energy, not terrorism. Maybe, thanks to Cindy Sheehan, we are starting to have that discussion.

* * *

http://www.startribune.com/stories/562/5744704.html

[Bru]

12. OK, I'm officially backing her for Gov

Won't be able to vote for her (just spent four years in MN at college, but now am living in AK), but I sure hope she gets the nod!

I think she's the kind of person Minnesotans would like.