Report from OB General Assembly, 4/21/2012

Occupy Brookings met in General Assembly on Saturday, April 21, 2012. Phyllis Cole-Dai facilitated. Thanks to Tom Behrend for taking Assembly minutes and Florence Moller for typing them up. They were edited a bit for clarity.

1. Update on the petition drive for Bill 1234:

Members should continue to pass petitions on their own, plus try to help with some “group” canvassing efforts, especially at the courthouse and post office during tax week of April 23-27. If you haven’t already signed up for a timeslot but would like to, wait for more information from Luanne Napton by email or on this website.

We can have petitions in public area only at SDSU graduation, May 5.

June 8 is the deadline for petitions to be in Pierre. We need to establish a May deadline for getting our OB petitions turned in.

Phyllis Cole-Dai talked with an SDEA representative about the possibility of coordinating an informational/canvassing event with SDEA on May 5 (SDEA has a statewide event planned that day), but the group feels it would be hard to do this next month on top of what we’re already doing. We will try to coordinate with SDEA on informational events as we head toward November, provided that the petition drive is successful.

2. More information about May Day Rally in Sioux Falls will come later.

3. Update on “Occupy the Library”. Lawrence Novotny reported on his meeting with the Library board, and Carl Kline shared how he had spoken with Library director Elvita Landau. The feeling from these library representatives is that it would be better not to have the issue of privatizing libraries brought up, but that a public event celebrating the library would be nice. This is good information for future reference as we consider possible actions.

4. Update on “Occupy the Post Office.” Luanne Napton talked to our local postmaster, who was unable to speak because of official constraints about post office finances, possible cuts in service, etc. Carl Kline mentioned that he had spoken briefly to his postal carrier about such concerns, and the carrier said that the postal employees’ union is trying to address them. OB members who have the opportunity to speak with their own postal carrier should make an effort to do so and bring back anything they learn to the next meeting. We want to see if or how we might be supportive of their union's approach. Luanne will also try to learn something from the union itself by searching online.

5. Phyllis Cole-Dai needs cardboard for signmaking for a community music video that she and Mark Behrend will be working on.

6. Josh Mc Donald briefly reported on the nonviolent seminar he attended in Sioux Falls. He will write up a full report to send to our mailing list and for posting on this website.

7. The group decided to plan a rally for next Saturday, April 28, to emphasize the concerted effort to hinder women’s rights in national and state levels. A planning team met after the meeting. (By now OB members should have received an invitation. Please help publicize!) We had initially planned to participate in a statewide rally in Pierre, but that never developed, so we’re having a rally here.

8. Tar Sands update. Phyllis Cole-Dai distributed a report from her conversation with Luke Temple of Dakota Rural Action about DRA’s work against the pipelines and in support of farmers/ranchers affected by them. Phyllis and Carl Kline also reported on their meeting last week with the Keystone I pipeline manager, who works for TransCanada but leases office space at the Northern Border Pipeline office on the Highway 14 Bypass. TransCanada is responsible for the transmission of Tar Sands oil but not the production. The meeting was very positive and put a “human” face on TransCanada.

Phyllis and Carl announced a “Fast for the Earth” project in support of our earth and our responsibility in nurturing it. They invited the group to participate fully and asked for feedback, help with the planning and participation in the fast. Perhaps there could be a presence at one of the parks as a central gathering place. Someone will need to check with Parks and Recreation.

Copies of the DRA report and the "Fast for the Earth" project proposal are available by request.

9. The next meeting is May 6 at the library, 10:30-12:00. We need to find another place for May 19.