Caucus for Pollinators March 1st, 2016

This is information from the League of Women Voters Minnesota:

What is a precinct caucus?

Precinct caucuses are meetings run by Minnesota’s political parties. They are the first in a series of meetings where parties endorse candidates and set goals and values (called the party platform). In 2016, a major part of precinct caucuses will be to vote for the person you want your political party to support for President in the presidential preference ballot.

Date and locations

Minnesota Republican Party and Minnesota DFL Party 

Tuesday, March 1 starting at 7:00 PM. 

Find your caucus location online http://mnvotesinfo.sos.state.mn.us/voters/precinct-caucus/ 

Here follows one pollinator resolution prepared by the LWVMN voters that you can bring to your caucus. Ask that it be included in your party platform. You'll be asked to read it to your group, perhaps discuss it or vote on its inclusion and leave a hard copy with your organizer, I think. If many groups ask for the same language it has a better chance of being included in the official party platform.

Agriculture and Food – Pollinators

Whereas: Bees and other pollinators are responsible for at least a third of the food we eat; and,

Whereas: Bees and other pollinators are in deep trouble –honey bee colonies are collapsing at an unprecedented rate, a problem known as Colony Collapse Disorder; and,

Whereas: Pesticides, especially systemic pesticides, are a key contributor to Colony Collapse Disorder, and they are unavoidable for foraging bees; and,

Whereas: In fall of 2013, several hives in Minneapolis were killed by a legal pesticide application; and,

Whereas: The Cities in Minnesota cannot help protect bees, pets, or kids from pesticides because the State has preempted local laws regulating “any matter relating to the registration, labeling, distribution, sale, handling, use, application, or disposal of pesticides” (Statute 18b.02); and,

Whereas: Systemic pesticides are not consistent with Integrated Pest Management best practices, and pose particular risks by their chronic exposure to bees and other beneficial insects; and,

Whereas: Though the State requires licensed pesticide applicators to inform them of every application, this information is not available to the public,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the ____________ Party supports addressing the crisis facing pollinators through three statute changes:

1) Give municipalities the authority to regulate some aspects of the sale and use of pesticides for non-agricultural purposes, and

2) Make the information the State of Minnesota already receives about pesticide applications available to the public, and

3) Require all nurseries, garden shops, hardware stores and any business selling plants, to let the public know whether or not the plant has been treated in any way with systemic pesticides from the neonicotinoid family. 

see: https://www.lwvmn.org/sites/default/files/downloads/2016%20Caucus%20Resolutions%20Final.pdf for all of the League of Women Voters prepared resolutions if interested.

Elizabeth Welty

Executive Director

Honey Bee Club of Stillwater