Minnesota Family Council's 2025 Legislative Strategy

After the November 2024 election, the Minnesota House of Representatives had split control—67 DFLers and 67 Republicans. In the Minnesota Senate, the DFL had a one-seat majority. Since the election, much has changed in the legislature. Senator Kari Dziedzic from Senate District 60, Minneapolis, passed away from cancer in December, leaving the Senate with split control between the parties until the special election on January 28. In the House, House District 40B winner DFLer Curtis Johnson is not a resident of the district. The special election for that district will also take place on January 28. Finally, House District 54A winner DFLer Brad Tabke won the election by 14 votes, but information has surfaced that 20 ballots were thrown away in the 54A election. A ruling on how to proceed with that election is forthcoming.

In the House of Representatives, Republicans are claiming a one-seat majority and plan to move forward with that majority until the January 28 election results. House Democrats are threatening not to participate in government next week if Republicans do not hold to the power sharing agreement, which was developed before information on 40B surfaced. Regardless of that procedure, the House of Representatives needs 68 votes to pass a bill from the chamber floor.

At this point, there are many questions on how the legislature will proceed next week.

Given the nature of the split government, we expect to see much of the legislative focus to be on the creation of the state budget. Budget negotiations will likely be the focal point of the session.

Regardless of session dynamics, Minnesota Family Council will remain focused on advancing good family policy and watchful to expose and thwart policy which negatively impacts families.

Some policies we expect are the following:

Supporting

Age Verification of Users of Commercial Pornography Websites

• Commercial pornography companies’ websites should be accessed by adults only, but most states in the union do not require the companies to check users’ age before granting access.

• A bipartisan movement is sweeping the nation to require that these companies verify potential users as adults before granting access to the sites.

• Minnesota Family Council is working to ensure that these companies are required by law to ensure that children do not gain access to their sites.

Opposing

Equal Rights Amendment

• The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is a proposed state constitutional amendment which grants constitutional protection to abortion and “gender identity.” The version which passed the Minnesota House in May 2024 did not include any constitutional protections for religious freedom. If passed by both chambers, proposed Minnesota constitutional amendments are voted upon by voters.

• Although different kinds of ERAs have passed the Minnesota House and Minnesota Senate, identical text must pass both chambers in a biennium; since this has not happened, the ERA has yet to fully pass both chambers and be presented to voters.

• If passed by the legislature and by voters in a subsequent election, the ERA would privilege males who “identify” as women at the expense of the safety and dignity of women and girls.

• Males would have a constitutional right in Minnesota to women and girls’ private facilities, grants, prisons, and athletics.

• In addition, the passage of the ERA would give constitutional protection to abortion until birth in Minnesota. Since the 2023 session, abortion until birth has been legal according to state statute, which does not provide as significant protection as the state constitution.

Physician-Assisted Suicide

• A perennial policy issue in Minnesota which has not yet passed into law, the assisted suicide language debated in 2024 would permit doctors to prescribe a lethal dose of drugs to an adult who has received a terminal diagnosis with 6 months or less to live.

• The language does not require a mental illness evaluation by a licensed mental health professional, a family notification, or a witness to the event.

• We are concerned that legalization of physician-assisted suicide would result in elder abuse, abuse of patients with disabilities, or abuse of other patient populations who are more expensive on the healthcare system. Because healthcare is expensive, and death is inexpensive, at what time does ‘right to die’ become ‘duty to die’?

Mobile Sports Gambling

• Another perennial policy issue, the passage of mobile sports betting would legalize a casino in the pocket of every Minnesotan.

• Large and profitable online gambling companies track users’ activity, prompting betting on not only the outcome of the game but also on details such as every coin toss and play of the game. The companies target the most addicted to their platforms, who are often young men or economically struggling individuals, drawing most of the company revenue from these customers.

• When mobile sports gambling has become legal, a direct links between this kind of gambling and depletion of family savings and domestic abuse have been measured, amongst other devastating societal effects.

Commercial Surrogacy

• A bill to legalize commercial surrogacy in Minnesota passed the House in 2024 but did not come up for a vote in the Minnesota Senate. This bill would legalize the for-profit trade of children to unrelated adult(s) in Minnesota.

• Through commercial surrogacy, sperm and eggs are purchased by the social parent(s) or donated before fertilization is achieved in fertility lab. The embryonic baby is then implanted into an unrelated woman who carries and births the child. The woman is paid for her services of gestating the child and the child is traded to unrelated adult(s) who become his or her social parent(s.)

• The bill which passed the Minnesota House did not place any restrictions on international trade of these children created through this process, opening the door for international human trafficking.

Minnesota Family Council works to defend our shared values of life, family, and religious freedom at the Minnesota legislature. Will you please pray that we would be successful in our efforts this legislative session? Please subscribe to our emails to get weekly session updates, including our Family Beacon podcast which is available on all podcast platforms and YouTube.

The Seeds of Victory: What I Saw on the 2024 Campaign Trail

This was not an ordinary election for Minnesota. For one, Democrat Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz carried his own state by just four percent (lower than Biden’s 2020 run) and returned defeated, still governor—to a now divided state government. As Minnesota Family Council’s Elections Associate, this election gave me a taste of what the church and ordinary believers can do when we get involved in defending the family in the public square. I believe this election represents a fundamental shift for both our nation and state and an open door for the church to further its cultural impact.

For the last two years, the progressive trifecta in St. Paul (control of the Governorship, Senate, and House) cast a shadow over Minnesota, passing radical abortion and gender “affirmation” laws that harm the most innocent and vulnerable among us—our children. A common sentiment among conservative circles had folks looking forward to the day when they would move to a more family-friendly state, doubtful things would ever turn around.

But this election turned out much different than many people expected: legislators were retiring, social demographics were shifting across our state, and for the first time, the national spotlight on our governor revealed to so many the true colors of his and others’ progressive agenda. So, with the Minnesota House up for reelection, we launched our largest-ever, state-wide voter engagement initiative with a simple goal: to win a pro-family victory in the Minnesota House.

The North Star’s New Chapter

In July, I was brought on to help implement key aspects of our get-out-the-vote strategy, including building and leading a grassroots ground-game operation, and the fruit of our volunteers’ efforts has been amazing to watch. After months of hard work, steadfast prayer, and in partnership with like-minded groups, I am overjoyed we succeeded in winning for families across our state. The progressive trifecta is broken, as is their longstanding six-year majority in the State House (resulting in a 67 to 67 tie). In fact, this election was so competitive that two recounts were issued (their results did not alter Minnesota’s legislative balance), so a multi-seat, pro-family majority is not out of the picture next time around. Indeed, several key races are still pending as I write in mid-December.

Even without a majority, a tie is wonderful news for our state because further attempts at promoting abortion, invading women’s bathrooms and sports teams (i.e., the Equal Rights Amendment), and eroding religious freedom will not come to fruition. For the next two years, unless a competitive special election arises, St. Paul must give an ear to Minnesotans who have not been listened to and steer back from its extreme progressive turn. This victory is truly a gift of grace over our state—praise God!

The Plan

So what part did Minnesota Family Council have to play? Collectively, we reached out to voters across 17 swing House districts plus the special State Senate election in District 45 (around Lake Minnetonka), and advocated for candidates who would defend life, family, and religious freedom through a multi-prong approach: digital ads (which garnered 4.01 million impressions), a phone banking operation (which made over 37,000 calls), a billboard campaign (spanning 10 districts), and the largest volunteer grassroots initiative our organization has ever undertaken. 

When I set out to recruit members for our grassroots team in August, I was hesitant to believe a group of unpaid volunteers could move the needle in these districts we set out to defend or flip. After all, I had never built or led anything remotely like this, and a fair number of our members had little to no campaigning experience. Thankfully, the support of multiple seasoned campaign professionals and a partner organization helped me get organized and launch our efforts. But by September, I still had only a modest list of interested people, and the election was just two months away.

A Uniquely Driven Team

God soon shattered my expectations by blessing us with an extraordinary team and showed me what can be done when His Church shows up. Our faith-driven volunteers made a combined 9,000 voter outreach attempts door-knocking, 1,500 dropping literature, and over 5,700 calling. That’s—at a minimum—an estimated 33 days straight of combined grassroots activism over 60 days, having only started the weekend after Labor Day.

In total, while only 35 volunteers deployed, with the majority giving a few spare hours when they could, they gave it their all. This small but dedicated group which God blessed us with was composed of passionate, hardworking, and loving individuals from all walks of life, including current and post-college students, retirees, and working parents. The top two volunteers were responsible for almost 3,000 door-knocking attempts, and another three made nearly 4,000 attempted calls. Even those who could not join us in the field were invaluable as we were flooded with their support and prayers.

What differentiated this group from others I’ve been a part of was that, unlike a campaign or party, they were motivated by something deeper than a political win or ideology—they were giving up their time to advocate not only for the good of their family but of people they had never met. Unlike the world, which sees politics as a quest for fame or power, I cherished that our team members were here to serve and recognized our hope was in Christ, not in someone we put into office.

The impact of this heart posture was incredible to witness. Volunteers were willing to drive great distances so their efforts could have the most impact. Another, who joined because he valued our mission to win for families, had the innovative idea of using his bike along canvassing routes. Many others persevered—regardless of poor weather, fatigue, technology issues, or schedule conflicts—to reach people with a family-first message.

Conversations our team had with voters were also on a different level. Each member showed utmost respect to folks at the door, regardless of the response they received. Even when doors were slammed or verbal arrows were shot at our team, they remained positive, composed, and confident that they were advocating for God-honoring positions that would allow Minnesota’s families to thrive. And, because the team genuinely cared for the people they came across, some voters opened up to us in our conversations, exchanging personal testimonies about abortion and other family issues. The whole experience was deeply meaningful for me and others on the team. God truly blessed us with incredible people.

The Election Results

Looking at the results of Minnesota Family Council’s election efforts, it is evident God’s hand was at work. Of the 18 races we engaged in, in partnership with other like-minded groups we defended all eight districts we set out to hold and helped flip two seats (18A near St. Peter and 26A in Winona), and the margin of victory expanded in nine of the ten districts we won. Our grassroots team assisted a five-point swing our way and a margin of victory of over eight points in defense of House District 36A (Rep. Elliott Engen, White Bear), and all 36A precincts we door-knocked performed better than 2022.

Our volunteers also played an aggressive offense in four progressive districts, producing seismic shakeups of progressive strongholds in partnership with our allies. Four precincts we canvassed flipped our way, and we lost those House races by only thin margins: 1.73% in district 32B (Blaine), 3.82% in 35A (Anoka, Coon Rapids), and 0.88% in 48B (Chanhassen, Chaska). In the special SD45 race, Kathleen Fowke went from losing by a 12.6-point deficit in 2022 to only 4.97 points in 2024—that’s over a 7-point shift.

A Turning Point In Minnesota

Having witnessed this election cycle up close, I realize that the results present a large problem for progressives: Minnesota’s political and cultural landscape is shifting. Shockingly, despite being on the top of the ballot as Harris’s Vice Presidential pick and together winning Minnesota by four percent, our governor did not help his allies maintain power back home. Stories shared by members of our grassroots team revealed a growing sense that St. Paul’s progressive policies no longer resonated with certain groups of voters. The flips of seats in St. Peter and Winona give credence to this phenomenon, and most notably, so does the flip of a third Minnesota House seat: House District 7B, a century-long progressive stronghold in the Iron Range home to many blue-collar workers who demonstrated they feel Twin Cities progressives have left them behind. Conservative House incumbents also widened their margins in Minnesota’s Arrowhead, races won by only a handful of votes in 2022. I met a handful of people who up until recently considered themselves somewhat liberal but felt as if progressives had gone off the deep end with gender ideology and equity lessons in the classroom.

Where does this leave us? Well, Minnesota’s shifting winds present us with an even greater opportunity going forward. Our 2024 grassroots team was only a taste of the change Christians can make when shining a light on family issues for their faith and community, and people across our state are beginning to see how hollow a progressive worldview is. I want to see the Church continue pulling this thread. Think of the impact we can make if more believers in Christ took a risk and trusted God by entering the public arena to stand for families, children, and the vulnerable across our state. Imagine the churches of Minnesota at the forefront of political engagement, using it as another lane to serve the least of these. Most of all, look at how a Christian approach to politics—one that does not place its hope in government and treats every person with dignity—could fundamentally influence our state’s divisive political and social landscape by pointing to Christ. God has rewarded our faithfulness in the 2024 election. Now we must be willing to do what he calls us to next, for the good of the North Star State.

Fast Facts About Tim Walz

Click here to view our flier with the truth about Governor Tim Walz’s record on social policy.

Why Should I Participate In My Caucus on Tuesday?

On Tuesday, February 27th, 2024, you have a chance to impact our state by participating in party caucuses. This is a wonderful opportunity to love our neighbors and to be "salt and light" for the direction of a political party and the selection of candidates for office at the most basic level. When we as Christians bring our convictions of life, family, and religious freedom to the caucus process, we have a real chance of improving the political discourse in our state - and I think we can all agree that it must be improved! 

This year, your participation is crucial. You have a chance to influence the choice of candidates for local and statewide office, and the direction of your party for years to come.

Are you ready to learn more about caucusing? Let's get started!

• Click here to download our 2024 Caucus Participation Guide! 

• Find your caucus location here.

• IMPORTANT: choose which party you want to caucus for. Here is a comparison of the two major parties in Minnesota from our friends at FRC Action.

• Remember to show up!  Honestly, this is the most important thing. At this level, the party is quite literally run by those who show up. Visit with your neighbors before and after you sign in at 6:30 p.m.

The caucus should convene promptly at 7 p.m., and as things begin, don’t be shy about asking questions – everybody is a volunteer and, often, half the people in any given precinct are there for the first time.

There will be somebody who convenes the meeting in your precinct, and the first order of business is to elect somebody to run the caucus – it may or may not be the convener. Then there will usually be some precinct organizing done, such as electing a “precinct chair” who will be active for the coming two-year cycle (or longer).  This is also the time and place to submit a resolution to influence your party’s official platform with caucus resolutions.

Okay, let's talk about how to create a caucus resolution.

They often start with “Whereas…” “Whereas” is a way to introduce a reason, or a series of reasons, supporting the action item. They’re a form of persuasion or logical argument; the whereas parts let somebody make the case.

You fill in the form and present it to your precinct caucus chair (or some other volunteer) the particular rules and procedures for adopting them will be made clear by your caucus chairperson, but you can start filling out the form at any time.

Here are three resolutions that will help your party move toward more strongly protecting life, family, and religious freedom:

Combating Physician-Assisted Suicide

Preserving Religious Freedom

Recognizing Pornography as a Public Health Crisis

When presenting your resolution, make sure to use the correct form for your party:
GOP Resolution Form (Updated 2024)
DFL Resolution Form (Updated 2024)

Finally, it's important to note that though caucusing is not difficult, it requires patience and perseverance while everyone gets a chance to have their say, and to follow procedure for an orderly process. Besides voting, it's the most basic level of political involvement; it will take thousands of Minnesotans working together at this level to achieve the changes we want to see in the party platforms - changes that would benefit all Minnesotans who value life, family, and religious freedom – and to choose candidates for elected office who will champion those values if elected!

So, don’t be intimidated or discouraged from attending because you’re uncertain how it will work! Let’s exercise “citizenship worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27) and boldly let our voices be heard and our light shine in the 2024 caucuses! 

Parts of this caucus participation explainer have been adapted with permission from the Minnesota Catholic Conference.

Want to get our regular updates on life, family, and religious freedom? Make sure you're on the list by clicking here.

Your Legislators Return To St. Paul on Monday - Where Do They Stand on the Issues?

The 2024 Legislative Session begins in St. Paul on Monday. With so many important and controversial issues due to be discussed and voted on this year, it's crucial that you know where your legislators stand on the issues that matter.

We’re thrilled to announce that we are now able to tell you exactly where your legislators stand, with Minnesota Family Council's 2023 Legislative Scorecard.

The 2023 Legislative session included votes on a host of controversial issues, so seeing how your legislators voted last year will be a good indicator of how you can pray for and engage with them this year.

For some, this scorecard will be encouraging as you will see that your legislators voted with your values. Please send them a note thanking them, and telling them you will be praying for them through the 2024 session.

Others will see that your legislators did not vote with your values in 2023. Please get in touch with them and ask them to vote to protect life, families, and religious freedom in 2024. Make sure to thank them for serving in the Legislature and, despite your differences, assure them that you will pray for them through the 2024 session.

Please use the button below to receive your free, printable PDF of the scorecard by email. Please share it with friends, family, and pro-life Minnesotans. For this free resource to be valuable, it needs to reach as many people as possible!

Click here to watch this quick video overview showing you how to use the Legislative Scorecard.

Note: two legislators on the 2023 scorecard have resigned from the Legislature and will not take part in the 2024 session. These are Rep. Kurt Daudt (R-Crown) whose resignation goes into effect today, and Rep. Ruth Richardson (D-Mendota Heights), who resigned last fall. Her successor, Rep. Bianca Virnig (D) was elected in special election in December.

The Only Death Minnesotans Should Choose is Death to Sin

From the desk of the Church Ambassador Network

Yesterday at our Capitol, there were gut-wrenching stories told by supporters of assisted suicide. These stories tugged at our heartstrings--one reason being that these testimonies were driven by fear of death and fear of not being able to control death.

At the Church Ambassador Network (CAN), we know that the love of God casts out all fear. Our desire for all Minnesotans, including our legislators and all the testifiers, is for them to come to possess the only thing that can provide a bulwark against this Spirit of fear.

While the Spirit of God is not compatible with the Spirit of fear (Romans 8:15,2 Timothy 1:7), in the Spirit of the Lord there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17). Are our decisions especially towards the end of life driven by fear or love? There is no fear in love for love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). The only fear that is acceptable to the Lord is a God-honoring fear that looks to His wisdom (Proverbs 1:7, Psalm 147:11) and not the wisdom of our times that does not value life or the thoughts of God.

When we look at the perfect love of God that that drives out fear, we see Jesus Christ, the only one who had the right and authority to choose death, and even in his death he shows his perfect love and gives life. (Romans 5:8, John 6:40) And he rose from the grave and defeated death. He gives many life so that we would honor him with our lives and when it is his appointed time, we honor him with our deaths. He chose death so that we would choose life. The only death Minnesotans should choose is death to our sin that we might be united to Jesus' death on the cross so that we would be raised up with Christ, by the Spirit, in newness of life in soul and have abundant life, even eternal life through the freedom of his love.

God gives us freedom to choose life and love. Minnesota, let us not mock God and sow seeds of death that only can reap corruption and more death but let us sow to the truth that leads to life. This life that we write of is driven by love, perfectly displayed by Christ and his perfect love. Therefore, even those who are in suffering towards the end of life that have the Spirit can say along with the Psalmist, “this is my comfort in my affliction that your promise gives me life” (Psalm 119:50).

From the beginning, people have been tempted to act like God and try to take control of their lives. It's a temptation as old as time, stemming from Adam and Eve, but as we can see from the hearing yesterday, we must continue to fight against it. Our hope is that Minnesotans will put sin to death and will choose abundant life in Christ. 

What We Saw Fighting Assisted Suicide at the Capitol

Friends, we’ve alerted you that physician-assisted suicide was on the progressive agenda for 2024, and this week’s unprecedented pre-session hearing shows how high it is on their priority list!

On Thursday, January 25th 2024, progressive legislators held a hearing before the beginning of session in an attempt to get a head start on pushing assisted suicide.

The proposed assisted suicide bill (HF1930) would legalize physician-assisted suicide in Minnesota.

Rebecca Delahunt, MFC’s Acting Director of Public Policy, and Renee Carlson, General Counsel of True North Legal submitted a written testimony urging our legislators to vote against this deadly legislation. You can read that testimony here.

During the hearing, MFC staff live-tweeted on X. Let’s highlight some of the things that were stated, either in opposition or support of the bill.

SUPPORT -

• The first testifier lives with incurable brain cancer. She stated that when no more treatment options are available, "there should be more death options."

• The next testifier was a doctor with Compassion and Choices, formerly the Hemlock Society. He argued that "medical aid in dying laws are working as designed." He also said that "having the option" itself improves quality of life among very ill patients. He further asserted that he has prescribed the medication nineteen times in Colorado and watched the patients die "bathed in love.”

•  One testifier, Thaddeus Pope, a Mitchell-Hamline School of Law professor, asserted there has never been a case of abuse in American assisted suicide cases. That’s an outright lie. Here's just a short list of assisted suicide abuses recorded by a disability-rights group.

• The Minnesota Libertarian Party Communications Director (who is also an ordained minister) testified in support of the bill. In his support, he argued that on the cross, Jesus on the died in several hours instead of a "normal crucifixion which takes several days." The Libertarian Party of Minnesota should be ashamed. This is blasphemy. If the MN Libertarian Party stands by their director’s claim that God offered "assisted suicide" to Jesus on the cross then we sincerely hope that's the end of their support in Minnesota faith communities.

OPPOSITION -

• The bill requires someone to have a 6-month terminal illness diagnosis. As medical doctors made clear in a press conference before the hearing, a 6-month diagnosis is wrongly made in at least 17% of cases (in other words, the patient lives longer, sometimes much longer, than six months).

• Anita Cameron, a disability rights activist testified against the bill based on the fact that it would only worsen existing racial disparities in health care outcomes for black and minority Minnesotans.

• Jean Swenson, who has lived for decades as a quadriplegic, gave compelling testimony against the bill. Jean explained that she is grateful to be alive. When she was first injured in a car accident and fell into deep depression, friends and care providers offered her love and support, instead of assisted suicide. Jean is forever thankful for this.

• Chris Massoglia of Americans United for Life testified against the bill because it is always wrong to intentionally end an innocent human life. He encouraged the state to work on suicide prevention instead of suicide assistance.

• A college-aged Minnesotan who experiences daily migraines, Blessing Griswold, asked the committee: "can a life, even the remainder of a life, be expendable?" This is one of the strongest flaws in the argument for assisted suicide. Why are some lives more valuable than others? Why do progressives (rightly) grieve over suicidal teens yet (wrongly) celebrate assisted suicide for the terminally ill?

• In line with the above point, Dr. Charles Dennis O'Hare, a hospice director, testified that this bill requires "physicians to become the gatekeepers of which suicides are socially acceptable." This is exactly right--we should not put Minnesota’s medical professionals in a position where they become agents of death.

You can watch the full hearing including all the verbal testimonies here. Ultimately, there were stories that tugged at heartstrings on both sides of the issue. Each individual’s experience is different and one’s personal reaction to facing terminal illness varies.

But we must be crystal clear. All life is inherently valuable, from womb to tomb. Furthermore, assisting a hurting individual in murder is not a form of healthcare. Healthcare seeks to care not to kill. Therefore, assisted suicide is the opposite of compassion because it abandons the patient.

At Minnesota Family Council, we say no to assisted suicide. But we’re also saying yes to innovative and compassionate end of life care. We say yes to human dignity and flourishing. And we say yes to God’s sovereign ordering of our lives.

So, let’s have conversations about how Minnesotans can help support one another and celebrate a life well-lived in our last moments. Let’s promote policy that improves end-of-life services such as palliative care. Together, we must speak the truth that when we are dependent on others it doesn’t make us less valuable or our lives not worth living.

Changing our culture starts today and it starts with you boldly speaking up in your community for LIFE.

Our Legislative Testimony Against Assisted Suicide

This week, Rebecca Delahunt, MFC’s Acting Director of Public Policy, and Renee Carlson, General Counsel of our True North Legal initiative submitted the following testimony in opposition to H.F. 1930. Click here for the PDF.

Here's What to Expect in the 2024 Legislative Session

When it comes to what our elected leaders are doing in St. Paul, there’s a lot of noise out there. Our job at Minnesota Family Council is to cut through the noise and give you the facts so that you can stand for truth. We defend your values at our Capitol, in the courts, and in our communities. We also report on the latest wins and attacks on parental rights, the family, children’s bodies, religious freedom, and human dignity.

Due to a small progressive majority in the Minnesota House and Senate, we can expect dangerous pushes for physician-assisted suicide, mutilation of children through so-called “gender-affirming healthcare,” and the erasure of women’s sports. That’s why our policy team is already tracking the bills that progressive legislators will likely try to pass starting this February.

That's where you come in. Together, bold families and individuals in Minnesota can make a difference. Making a difference starts with knowledge. Without further ado, here’s what to expect in the 2024 legislative session.

Equal Rights Amendment HF173/SF37:

• The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) passed the Minnesota Senate by 43-23 in 2023. If it were to pass the House and be approved by a majority of voters in November, the ERA would privilege males who “identify” as women at the expense of the safety and dignity of women and girls.

• Males would have a constitutional right to women and girls’ private facilities, prisons, and athletics.

• In addition, the passage of the ERA would further erode the right to life of the unborn beyond state statute and into our state constitution, ensuring that abortion until birth is Minnesota constitutional right.

Gender-Affirming Rights Act HF2280/SF2236:

• By stating that ‘every individual has the right to determine their own gender and related gender-affirming healthcare,’ this policy exposes children to the gender medical industrial complex by claiming that those children, regardless of age, have the right to make their own healthcare decisions without parental or guardian input

Physician-Assisted Suicide HF1930/SF1813:

• Permits doctors to prescribe a lethal drug overdose when an adult patient has received a diagnosis of 6-month terminal illness.

• The language does not require a mental illness evaluation, a family notification, or a witness to the event.

• Neither are there safeguards against elder abuse or abuse of patients with disabilities. Because healthcare is expensive, and death is inexpensive, at what time does ‘right to die’ become ‘duty to die’? 

Comprehensive Sex Education HF174/SF662:

• Requires the Minnesota commissioner of education to create a model policy of comprehensive sex education for school districts in the state and for school districts and charter schools to implement a comprehensive sex education program for students starting as young as elementary and middle school.

• This program can be taught by individuals from “community organizations” who are not licensed teachers (i.e., employees of Planned Parenthood, the largest provider of comprehensive sex education in the state of Minnesota,) on concepts such as consent, relationships among “diverse sexual orientations and gender identities,” and role play.  

Minnesota’s 2024 legislative session begins on February 12th - that’s less than a month away! Now is the time to share this post with your likeminded friends and family, subscribe to our email list if you haven’t already and follow us on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter @mnfamilycouncil. Remember, proposed bills such as the above are subject to change—which is another reason for you to stay plugged in with our team. Every time there’s a way for you to take action against a harmful bill or support a good one, our team will swiftly alert you on all platforms.

Minnesota Family Council has defended life, family, and religious freedom for over forty years. By God’s grace, we are firmly committed to putting winning messaging in the hands of our allied legislators, championing strong, godly candidates, and partnering with bold Minnesotans like yourself to win for our state for generations to come.

Will you join us?

What You Cared About Most in 2023...

As we hit the ground running this New Year and our team prepares for the 2024 legislative session, we wanted to take a moment to highlight our top content from 2023.

Thank you for your support and for courageously acting with us in faithfulness and shrewdness at our Capitol and in our communities. We’re grateful to partner with each of you—bold individuals and families who speak up and enable us to magnify your voice about the issues that matter most. Together, we are shining the light of Christ throughout Minnesota. And when we’re shining, we’re always winning.

If you find these highlights insightful, please share with your friends and family. Help us get the word out that life, family, and religious freedom are worth protecting in our North Star State! Without further ado, here’s what you cared about MOST in 2023.

Most-Viewed Family Beacon articles:

• Radical Trans Bill Attacks Parental Rights and Hurts Vulnerable Kids

• Minnesota Legislature Considering Extreme Abortion and Infanticide Bill

• Minnesota House Passes Bill Discriminating Against Religious Colleges and Universities

Most Reached Social Media Post:

“Majority of MN Legislative Committee Votes to Legalize INFANTICIDE” (Instagram)

Most Viewed Youtube Videos:

• A “Kidnapping Bill” in Minnesota

• Live From the Frontlines: Fighting the Kidnapping Bill

• BREAKING: MN Students Boycott Church Graduation Venue

• Minnesota Church Replaces Christianity with “Sparkle Creed”

Top Podcast Episodes (data taken from all platforms):

• Losses & Wins from the 2023 Legislative Session

• Roseville Schools Trample on Parental Rights

• Imitating Christ Doesn’t Always Mean “Being Nice”

Top Legislative Testimonies:

• Rebecca Delahunt, Acting Director of Public Policy, Testifies Against HF146/SF63

• Renee Carlson, Chief Counsel of True North Legal, Testifies on HF146

• Renee Carlson Testifies for LIFE in MN Senate Committee
  

Passing the Baton

From the desk of John Helmberger, CEO of Minnesota Family Council & Institute:

The United States track and field teams have a long history of success at the Olympics and in other world competitions, but they have had one consistent Achilles’ heel over the past 18 years: the baton hand-off. 

It seems like such a simple thing to pass a hollow aluminum tube from one person to another, but since 2005 the U.S. men’s 4x100-meter-relay team has either failed to finish or been disqualified from races due to bungled baton hand-offs eight times, including at the most recent Olympics.

The moral of the story? A good transition is harder than it looks.

At our 40th Anniversary Dinner on September 8th, we announced that MFC’s Church Ambassador Network Director Jeff Evans will succeed me as Chief Executive Officer of Minnesota Family Council and Minnesota Family Institute effective January 1st. I will continue to be an integral part of the organization in a part-time advisory role.

I am so excited about this new chapter for MFC, despite all the challenges ahead with our radicalized state government, not only because we have planned it carefully, but also because of who Jeff is and how he will lead this ministry into the future. This is truly God’s faithful answer to many years of prayer.

As Jeff takes on this leadership mantle, I am reminded of the words God gave Moses to commission his successor, Joshua, who would lead Israel across the Jordan to take possession of the land God has promised them:

Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. (Deuteronomy 31:7b-8)

While this was a particular call on the life of Joshua, the themes fit with where we are right now. God is calling Jeff to be strong and courageous as he takes the baton from me and carries forward with the race.

This race isn’t a sprint – it’s a marathon. We’re in it for the long haul, to fight for life, family, and religious freedom year after year, as long as they are challenged by those who choose darkness over light, selfishness over compassion and pride over humility.

Each new year feels like entering into a new land, held by those who have aligned themselves against the Lord’s commands. Each new legislative session is a challenge to take back ground that has been lost … and the Lord knows we lost a lot of ground earlier this year.

That’s why it’s so important for Jeff to be strong and courageous. But not just Jeff – all of us who want to shine a light for Christ in Minnesota. Each of us must be strong in our own communities, to have courage to speak for what is right and good.

As I hand over the reins, I want to remind both Jeff and you of who you are in Christ, of the promise of His presence, His protection, and His victory. So while the name on emails from us will soon change, what matters most never will. We have a firm foundation, a sacred calling to do this work, and a certain future.

We are also blessed to have an amazing team of co-laborers who will work alongside Jeff to carry on the fight for life, family and religious freedom into our next 40 years, and a broad network of friends and supporters who make it all possible.

I am so thankful for how generous you have been during my time as CEO, and with so much at stake, I ask now that you continue that generosity into Jeff’s tenure with a gift of $50, $100, $150, or even more as God leads. Will you encourage him right now, showing him that you will stand behind him just as you’ve done for me?

For Life, Family, and Religious Freedom,

John Helmberger

The Hard-Earned Lesson of the Summer: Go Woke, Go Broke

It’s always been true—pride comes before the fall. This summer, companies proved it like never before. The people spoke, voted with their dollars, and chose family values over corporate America’s virtue signaling. We witnessed companies that went “woke”—from Target to Anheuser-Busch—instantly regretting the backlash they caused and taking backward steps. People are tired of the nonsense, especially when marketing departments promote things like gender ideology that actively targets our children. Let’s review the corporate wokeness we’ve seen in recent months, and what happened next. 

Let’s start local: Minnesota’s own Target Corp. You’ll recall that controversy erupted when Target stores set up LGBTQ displays in late May to prepare for the celebration of “pride” in June. They featured a variety of pride merchandise, such as a kid’s swimsuit labeled as “thoughtfully fit on multiple body types and gender expressions,” “tuck-friendly” swimsuits for men identifying as women, and children’s books titled “The Pronouns Book” and “Bye Bye Binary” among others lining shelves. Last but not least, Target partnered with a “queer” satanic clothing designer, Abprallen, who previously sold “Satan respects pronouns” t-shirts and “Trans Witches For Abortion” badges. The pride merchandise sparked a large flurry of anger from concerned parents and shoppers, leading to mass boycotts across the nation. 

The pressure from its once-regular customers led Target to have an emergency meeting, and some locations removed certain pride products and moved displays to the back of the store. This was just the beginning as Target failed to hit its revenue goal in the second quarter, which ended July 29, for the first time in six years. Compared to the same quarter last year, sales sank 5.4%. As a result, Target lowered its sales and profit forecast for the rest of the year. In addition, online sales had decreased 10.5%, and the average number of dollars spent per transaction fell. Total revenue decreased by 4.9% compared to last year, falling to $24.8 billion. 

On August 16th during an earnings call, Target admitted its mistake. Target’s CFO, Michael Fiddelke, credited backlash to the pride collection as a significant contribution to Target’s negative “traffic and top line trends.” CEO Brian Cornell concurred, acknowledging that the pride campaign led to a “negative guest reaction.” He also mentioned other factors that may have contributed to Target’s unsatisfactory financial performance, including inflation and theft. Walmart on the other hand, saw sales increase 6.4% and beat expectations substantially in their second quarter, leading them to increase their anticipated profit forecast for the year. 

As of this writing, the price of Target’s stock has fallen 20% since the start of the controversy, resulting in almost a $15 billion dollar decline in market value for the Minneapolis-based company, and has shown little signs of recovery. This led JP Morgan to downgrade Target for its stock’s “longest losing streak” in 23 years. The devastating loss also led American First Legal to sue Target on behalf of investor Brain Craig earlier in August, who holds 200 shares, arguing that Target misled shareholders and did not fulfill its obligations to them, instead occupying itself with advancing leftist agendas. Last week, Target’s chief growth officer, Christina Hennington indicated that Target may have learned its lesson in all of this, stating, “The reaction is a signal for us to pause, adapt and learn,” and Target plans to change things for next June. 

Target, however, was not alone in its pride “festivities” as Kohl’s put out pride displays in their locations as well, receiving similar backlash from customers. They too featured LGBTQ onesies among other pride-themed merchandise. One user even tweeted, “Another Company needing Bud-lighting.” This brings us to the most famous brand that went “broke” by going “woke” over the summer—Bud Light—and the numbers show it all. 

It all started when Anheuser-Busch, makers of America’s formerly most popular beer, Bud Light, thought it was a good idea to market its brand by partnering with Dylan Mulvaney—a man identifying as a woman—to celebrate his “365 days of girlhood.” Mulvaney posted a video April 1st of him promoting Bud Light while holding a special beer can sent to him by the company with his face printed on it. This was not intended as an April Fool’s joke. This caused Bud Light customers to question why the company would insert sexuality into its products, leading many to boycott the brand. 

Like Target, Anheuser-Busch saw its stock plummet immediately following the negative response to the Mulvaney partnership. Within six weeks of Mulvaney’s viral post, the stock price fell nearly 25% compared to the same time in 2022, and by mid-June, Anheuser-Busch’s market value remained at that level, a $35 billion decrease from $134.5 billion to $99 billion. Over the same time frame, Bud Light’s competitors saw a boost. Miller Lite sales increased by 21.4%, and Coors Light saw a 25.8% increase. Bud Light was also booted from the pedestal as America’s No. 1 selling beer, with Modelo Especial taking the cake as the most-sold beer by early June. 

After the Fourth of July, Bud Light’s popularity continued to drop, achieving the dismal title of 14th most popular beer. Bud Light practically paid customers over the July 4th weekend to drink their brand, offering $15 dollar rebates to customers who bought a 15-pack of Bud Light or Budweiser. Some 15-packs of Bud Light were being sold for less than $15, so the company basically gave out free beer, presumably to lessen the blow of its declining sales. 

At the beginning of August, we saw the damage that promoting the LGBTQ agenda did to Anheuser-Busch’s earnings in its second-quarter report. In the months of April through June, its U.S. sales dropped by nearly 11% with total profit falling by nearly 30%, and the brand experienced a 34% decline in drink orders. On the flip side, sales for Molson Coors (the parent company of Miller Lite and Coors Lite) were 50% greater than Bud Light’s during the same quarter. Gavin Hattersley, CEO of Molson Coors, stated, “Coors Light and Miller Lite are now 50% bigger than Bud Light by total industry dollars… Last year, Bud Light was bigger than both. Retailers are making space for our brands as demand increases.” Worst of all, the boycotts of the once-iconic brand resulted in the company laying off hundreds of workers. 

Now, according to a new survey from Deutsche Bank comparing results from August and July, “The proportion of former Bud Light drinkers who say they are very unlikely to buy the brand in 3-6 months time has reduced from 18% to just 3%.” However, they also found that 19% of beer drinkers, down from 21% in July, still said they would still not buy Bud Light. Evidence of Anheuser-Busch’s continuous unpopularity was discovered at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally earlier this month, where the Budweiser booth was seen completely deserted. Although the demands for boycotts appear to be cooling off this August, and some die-hard customers may be returning to the beer, the brand’s negativity has likely left a permanent stain on the minds of consumers, which may take years to recover from. 

And then we come to Disney. It’s no secret that Disney has been actively promoting progressive cultural values over the last decade and alienating Christians and conservatives from its fanbase. On Disney+ for instance, back in February of this year, The Proud Family cartoon featured an episode of kids demanding reparations for slavery through a musical number, and in 2022, an obtained video recording of the show’s executive producer, Latoya Raveneau, exposed her explicitly stating she’s pushing a “not-at-all-secret gay agenda” with the show, saying she sprinkles in “queerness” wherever she can. 

This summer, Disney bore the fruit of pushing away customers. Disney’s Pixar released Elemental, an animated kid’s movie that includes a non-binary character, which flopped at its opening, raking in only $29.5 million. To put that in perspective, this was the second-worst opening in Pixar history. Other movies fumbled, including the remake of The Little Mermaid, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, and the remake of The Haunted Mansion. 

Then Disney’s third-quarter report came out. According to Forbes, “Disney+ subscriptions fell from 157.8 million worldwide to 146.1 million, a loss of 11.7 million — more than doubling last quarter’s record decline, and it included a decrease of 300,000 in the U.S. and Canada where subscribers fell to 46 million. It’s just the second time Disney+ has taken a hit in North America; last quarter was the first.” Most of the decline in subscribers came from Disney+ Hotstar in India, where it lost 24% of subscribers largely due to Disney losing rights to a popular cricket league. However, India is still very much a traditional country, and it’s hard to believe Disney’s woke trend hasn’t gone unnoticed internationally, so it’s plausible some in India are also becoming weary of Disney’s progressive direction. 

As of late, some are predicting a “Bud Light” scenario for Disney’s Snow White remake. The actress for Snow White, Rachel Zegler, made headlines over her recent comments about the original film, calling it “weird” and the film’s prince a “stalker.” There are concerns her negativity towards the classic film will tank the remake’s success at the box office, not to mention the fact that she revealed massive changes to the plot, most prominently that Snow White is “not going to be saved by the prince and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love.” Some are predicting that this situation, along with Disney’s new partnership to promote girls’ clothing with a gender-fluid influencer, may continue to hurt the company’s bottom line. 

But it’s not just Target, Bud Light, and Disney. Countless other companies this summer have proven “wokeness” is not good for business, contrary to Mark Cuban’s take. Thousands of people protested outside Dodger’s stadium for hosting the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a drag queen group that mocks the Catholic faith. Skittles sparked online backlash over its “Black trans lives matter” packaging along with more boycott calls. And there are many, many more examples. 

We often don’t realize what we have until it’s taken away. Concerned parents, Christians, and Americans are waking up to the fact that once-beloved brands have become hostile to their values. But it doesn’t matter how big a corporation is. Ordinary God-fearing and family-loving people are choosing to stand for their values in large, unprecedented ways and measurably impacting corporations’ bottom lines. That’s what this summer has shown us.  

I appreciate the words of Matt Fradd, who summed up what I believe many consumers were thinking as they engaged in boycotts this summer: “Our primary purpose in doing this is not to make [companies] hurt financially, but to not participate in evil.” It’s not about deepening the division in America or seeking revenge, as some may see it. It’s about concerned consumers uniting around Christian and family values that corporations have deemed “unprofitable” or “unimportant”—and actively doing something about their convictions by aligning their wallets with their hearts to choose alternatives. 

The lesson companies should learn from the summer of 2023 is greater than “go woke, go broke.” The lesson is this: the myth that traditional values no longer play a large role in American life is busted. Moreover, shoppers, parents, Christians, conservatives, and everyday Americans are not simply standing against something, but they’re now striving toward something: a brighter future for our families established on the bedrock of the truths and values emanating ultimately from the gospel, which brings blessings to everyone. Anyone who tells you otherwise has been drinking too much Bud Light.