Over 90 attendees showed up at a January 23rd event to help pass a robustly funded People’s Climate & Equity Plan. You too can be part of history and build on this momentum!

If you are in Minneapolis and want to keep the city council focused & supportive of full funding, or to make sure incoming candidates understand the importance of climate action, then becoming a caucus / convention delegate is the most effective thing we can do over the next few months. 

• Fill out the form to Caucus for the Minneapolis People's Climate & Equity Plan on March 14^th so you can be connected with experienced caucus-goers in your City Council Ward
• For some basic info, answers to FAQ’s, and the various political parties*** see Minneapolis Caucus How, Why and Where 2023. 

• You can also be connected to the Caucus for Climate & Equity mobilization by signing your name on this letter to Mayor Jacob Frey, encouraging him to support creating a new robust dedicated fund for Climate & Equity, through a tax on the city's biggest polluters.

• The caucus form is live! For everyone in wards 1-11 planning to caucus with the DFL, you can now sign up to become a delegate by filling out this form before March 14. Wards 12 and 13 will be caucusing in-person on March 14 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. ln-person caucus locations available here.

The opportunity & what is at stake

Over 140 community members, including many who are new, showed up for a Jan 19^th Zoom meeting or a Jan 23rd event at Salem Lutheran in North Minneapolis, to learn and share feedback among each other. One of the breakouts at both events was giving feedback on how we could create a reliable stream of dedicated funding to implement the People's Climate & Equity Plan, so Minneapolis can actually meet the goals that it sets out. A key part of the proposal is some new level of democratic & transparent oversight on how these funds will be allocated to make sure they go to helps vulnerable & historically underserved communities.  

Community Power is one of several organizations in the Just Transition Fund Coalition, which will unveil the polished up version of our proposed Climate & Equity Fund ordinance at a press conference on Thursday, March 9 at 11:30am! 

The campaign is gaining publicity. The Powderhorn Edition of the February 2023 Southside Pride includes an article about People's Climate & Equity Plan for Minneapolis.

That being said... no matter how inspiring we make the goals of the People’s Climate & Equity Plan or how reasonable and progressive we make the methods to fund the great work, the plan won’t simply not jump up and pass itself. To encourage city council or to move your councilmember to be more supportive of a robust Climate & Equity fund, the most effective thing you can do is to show up to your precinct Caucus March 14^th and run to become a Climate & Equity Delegate, unpledged to any candidate. Even if you do not seek to become a delegate yourself, it is still worthwhile to show up to support other caucus goes who seek to become unpledged Climate & Equity delegates.

Never been to a caucus before? Not a problem! 

• MN350 is hosting an upcoming caucus training on March 6 that will provide everything you need to know about how to participate in your precinct caucus and become a delegate. Click here for some additional upcoming caucus trainings that Isaiah is organizing.  

• To find out more the specific climate & equity policies read Caucus Issues - People's Climate & Equity Plan +  as well as other coalition partners involved in the effort and some additional election issue priorities. 

Here are a few reasons to convince your friends and neighbors to also join in:

• Every city council seat has an election this year and most candidates will be seeking their party's endorsement via the caucus process.
• Candidates care what delegates think and will reach out to delegates, particularly ones who are unpledged!
• If you are a delegate, you can say “I will support candidates who support a People's Climate & Equity Plan with… (your top issues)”
• The timing is perfect! Candidates will want to speak with delegates between caucuses (March 14th) and conventions (from late April to late May), which is the same time that the new Climate & Equity plan will be debated.

Community Power's Role

Other coalition partner organizations, primarily Isaiah and MN350, are providing caucus trainings and doing the base building to mobilize turnout to precinct caucuses. But Community Power does have role in this process. We will be organizing candidate forums on Climate & Energy in city council races. That way, delegates & voters who are interested to hear the perspectives of candidates seeking to represent will have the ability to do so. Community Power board and staff members have also done other forms of popular education in support of the plan such as speaking at the Jan 19^th & 23^rd events.   

This is it! This is the moment we need to get out there and get more people involved if we want to win. 

*** March 14^th will be precinct caucus night for the Minneapolis DFL. No other parties are known to hold precinct caucuses in the City this year.