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Community Voices

Community Voices

Community Voices features opinion pieces from a wide variety of authors and perspectives. MinnPost welcomes submissions on current topics of broad interest in Minnesota. We suggest that they be limited to 800 words.

If you'd like to join the discussion by writing a Community Voices article, email Susan Albright at salbright@minnpost.com.

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Grading the legislative session: C+ for DFL, but F on reform and bipartisanship

By David Schultz | 05:00 am

No matter what post-mortem is written up, this will forever be the session known for legalizing same-sex marriage.

capitol rotunda
Community Voices

Civil rights in '64, gay marriage now: The difference a law can make to a child, a culture

By Carrie Daklin | 05/22/13

Last week's final Senate vote and the governor signing gay-marriage into law were historic events. Right up there with the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

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Community Voices

Sequestration is imperiling scientific research — and economic growth

By James Kakalios | 05/21/13

A recent open letter to Congress signed by more than 50 Nobel laureates warned that the sequestration cuts would severely damage the work being done at scientific agencies.

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Community Voices

Educating foster youth is critical to their — and our — future

By Justice Lorie S. Gildea and Commissioner Lucinda Jesson | 05/20/13

We are committed to supporting the education of Minnesota children in foster care no matter what.

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Community Voices

Ranked-choice voting: Minneapolis data show people use it with sophistication

By Robin Garwood | 05/17/13

It seems that Minneapolis voters’ choices about whether to use their second-choice rankings were sophisticated and context-sensitive in 2009.

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Community Voices

The movement for LGBT equality in Minnesota: Storytelling and activism in action

By Monica Meyer | 05/17/13

The movement for LGBT equality in Minnesota was built by individuals who were brave enough to share their stories.

Community Voices

Making sense of state business-climate reports

By Lee Egerstrom | 05/16/13

It isn’t enough to ask what the numbers say. We need to know what the numbers mean.

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Community Voices

Marriage, or not? One more state where gays can choose

By Rev. Gordon C. Stewart | 05/15/13

My son doesn’t want to get married. He just wants for anyone who chooses the covenant of marriage to have that choice.

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Community Voices

Protect survivors of torture in immigration reform

By Curt Goering | 05/14/13

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa is attempting to gut the bipartisan “Gang of Eight” proposal by filing amendments striking critical protections from the bill.

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Community Voices

A blueprint to end poverty

By Jim Scheibel | 05/13/13

This semester a class of graduate students at Hamline University worked on a blueprint to end poverty. Their framework might be useful to the task force.

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Community Voices

Keep the integrity of Minnesota's high-school diploma

By Ilya Gutman | 05/10/13

If an assessment is misaligned with the standard, the reasonable solution would be to change the assessment — not to get rid of it.

Community Voices

Protect insurance coverage for children with autism

By Lisa Barsness | 05/10/13

The three largest insurers in Minnesota will have phased out their coverage by the end of the year, each citing competitive pressures — unless the Legislature intervenes this session.

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Community Voices

Listen to Minnesotans: 66% support raising tobacco price $1.50 a pack

By David J. Willoughby | 05/09/13

Raising the price of tobacco is a proven method of encouraging adult smokers to quit and keeping our kids from starting to smoke.

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Community Voices

Senate income tax increase doesn’t hit the middle class

By Jeff Van Wychen | 05/08/13

The Senate tax bill extends further down the income ladder than the House's and governor's proposals, but stops well short of affecting middle-class families.

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Community Voices

Clothing taxes and hotel subsidies: Dumb and dumber

By David Schultz | 05/07/13

Two items in the news point again to foolish decision making by some elected officials, especially when it comes to economics and business.

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Community Voices

Inaction on water issues will only create a greater crisis for the next generation

By John Zanmiller | 05/06/13

Establishing responsible and sustainable water legislation is a major component of moving our nation into water security.

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Community Voices

Forget about over-reach; legislators should do now what we know is right

By Rev. Mark Vinge | 05/03/13

Too many people are thinking, "Maybe someday, maybe a few years from now we can do what we know in our heart is the right thing to do."

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Community Voices

'Belt and suspenders' for transit would be more like a noose

By Norann Dillon | 05/03/13

The sales tax is already a large burden on lower-income Minnesotans. Transit advocates want to quadruple the current transit tax to a full penny.

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Community Voices

Minnesota should act now on transportation

By Rachel Callanan, Katie Gulley, Kit Richardson and Gary Sjoquist | 05/02/13

The Senate bill would fund the build-out of the metro region’s transit system in 15 years, help Greater Minnesota transit systems meet rising demand, and ensure the state has safe, efficient roads and bridges.

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Community Voices

AT&T cell phone tower diminishes Minnesota’s prized northern wilderness

By Stephen Wilbers | 05/02/13

If you paddle Ella Hall Lake this summer, you’ll see the top of AT&T’s new 450-foot cell phone tower, with its white strobe light blinking by day and its red beacon light flashing by night.

Community Voices

Education-reform debate puts spotlight on institutional racism

By Nekima Levy-Pounds | 05/01/13

The longer we continue to use poverty as an excuse for our failure to properly educate and prepare all of our students, the more challenges we will face as a state.