http://www.twincities.com/2016/12/10/minnesota-dfl-rejects-anti-sulfide-mining-move/
Hundreds of Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party activists gathered Saturday in a suburban high school auditorium, heard about Democrats’ overwhelming failure to woo rural voters and took a step they believe could help win them back.
At the state central committee meeting in Lakeville, the delegates overwhelmingly rejected a long simmering move oppose sulfide ore mining. The resolution and similar moves have bubbled up through the DFL party for years and years in reaction to PolyMet Mining Corp. proposal to bring copper-nickel mining to northern Minnesota.
“We do not want to see our party divided and taking a position against mining or agriculture or manufacturing or industry or tourism. Let us all just simply unite,” Democratic U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan said, pleading with the nearly 300 activists to reject the anti-mining resolution. Nolan, who was just re-elected to represent northeastern Minnesota in the U.S. House, spoke on behalf of Sens. Al Franken, Amy Klobuchar and U.S. Tim Walz in opposing the resolution.
The issue, which appeared in some form before Democrats before without finality, had divided labor from environmentalists and urban and rural voters, leaving bitter feelings in the void.
= new reply since forum marked as read