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Independence Party of Minnesota

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Independence Party of Minnesota
IPMN.png
Basic facts
Location:St. Paul, Minn.
Type:Political party
Top official:Phil Fuehrer, Chair
Founder(s):Dean Barkley
Year founded:1992
Website:Official website

The Independence Party of Minnesota is a recognized minor political party in Minnesota. The party is the former Minnesota political party affiliate of the national Reform Party and Independence Party. The group is headquartered in St. Paul, Minn.[1][2][3]

Background

The Independence Party of Minnesota (IPM) was founded in 1992 by former U.S. Senator Dean Barkley to work toward electing an accountable, responsible and responsive government. The party gained recognition as a major political party in Minnesota in 1994. The party became affiliated with the national Reform Party in 1996 in order to support the presidential candidacy of Ross Perot. As part of the Reform Party, the IPM later supported the election of former Governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura. The IPM spilt from the Reform Party and joined the national Independence Party in 2008. The IPM eventually left the national party and no longer maintains an affiliation with a national political organization.[4][5][6]

The IPM's major political achievements include the election of former Governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura in 1998, former Minnesota State Senator Bob Lessard's switch to the IPM in 2001, the appointment of U.S. Senator Dean Barkley in 2002 and the election of former State Senator Sheila M. Kiscaden in 2002.[5][7][8]

The IPM lost its major party status and accompanying ballot access in 2014 when its statewide candidates failed to receive at least five percent of the vote. As of February 2016, the IPM was a recognized minor political party in Minnesota. Minor political parties must organize signature petitions to place candidates on the Minnesota ballot.[9][2]

Platform

The party's stated platform is composed of 11 main issues:[10]

  • Authentic and innovative leadership
    "We believe that true leadership demands input and solicitation of opposing viewpoints with fair and open consideration of the same. Debate should be conducted publicly and openly using a variety of methods, including technology, to broaden its reach."
  • Natural resources and energy
    "We encourage renewable energy and investment in its development to ensure our independence from foreign oil and fossil fuels, ensure future generations have adequate access to affordable energy, and to ensure ours and future generations enjoy healthy and robust natural resources."
  • Taxes and budgets
    "We believe in a budgeting process that leads to a clear and transparent picture of the financial health of the state and national government that doesn’t exist today."
  • Economic growth and small business
    "We support policy that creates incentives for entrepreneurship, reduces burdensome start up regulations, provides for opportunities to compete and empowers small business owners to operate as they see fit."
  • National security
    "We believe in maintaining superiority in our strategic systems including technology, space, and cyber warfare. We also believe in honoring our treaty commitments."
  • Criminal justice
    "We believe in a justice system that is fair, wise, unambiguous, swift, affordable, and accessible to all."
  • Election, campaign and government reform
    "We believe, a better election process, including partial public funding of campaigns and alternative voting methods, will lead to more civil campaigns, legislatures that are more reflective of the general populace and, ultimately, reformed government that is inclusive and 'by the people' in a way that doesn’t exist today."
  • Civil rights and equality
    "The Independence Party of Minnesota believes there is no personal freedom without privacy and we should all be free from unwarranted searches, detentions, seizures and mass secret surveillance."
  • Education
    "In the United States of today, we consider education a states’ rights issue, and we favor significant shifts of responsibility and involvement in education issues from the federal government to state governments."
  • Agriculture
    "The Independence Party of Minnesota believes in maintaining agriculture’s traditional role in supporting Minnesota’s economy and recognize its future potential to address the state’s broader natural resource goals."
  • Infrastructure and transportation
    "The Independence Party of Minnesota believes in creating a safe, efficient and predictably and consistently funded transportation system that integrates multiple methods of transportation rather than relying on one system."

Rules and bylaws

Candidate ballot access
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See also: Rules of the Independence Party of Minnesota

The state party is governed by a set of rules and bylaws. Typically, these give structure to the different levels of organization—local, county, and state committees—and establish protocol for electing committee members. The bylaws also typically give details on the party's process for nominating and sending delegates to the national party convention during presidential elections. The following is a summary of the Independence Party of Minnesota's rules. This summary focuses on the structure and governance of the party:[11]

  • The state convention is the authoritative body of the Independence Party of Minnesota.
  • The state central committee is the executive body of the party when the state convention is not in session.
  • Party officers include the chair, state party director, secretary and treasurer.

Convention

As of February 2016, the date of the 2016 state convention for the Independence Party of Minnesota had yet to be determined.[12]

Elections

2016 elections

The Independence Party of Minnesota supported the following 2016 candidates:[13][14]

Leadership

The following individuals hold leadership positions with the Independence Party of Minnesota:[15]

  • Phil Fuehrer, Chair

Recent news

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Independence Party of Minnesota, "Contact us," accessed February 17, 2016
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Minnesota Secretary of State, "Minnesota's major & minor political parties," accessed February 18, 2016
  3. ↑ Minnesota House of Representatives, "House research—minor and major political parties," accessed February 18, 2016
  4. ↑ St. Paul, "Minnesota Independence Party Senate hopefuls force party primary," June 5, 2012
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Libertarian Party of Minnesota, "Libertarian Party or Independence Party, what’s the difference?" November 1, 2014
  6. ↑ Ballot Access News, "Minnesota Independence Party teams up with national Independence Party," January 27, 2008
  7. ↑ Brainerd Dispatch, "Lessard to join Independence Party," January 3, 2001
  8. ↑ Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, "Party control of the Minnesota Senate, 1951-present," accessed February 18, 2016
  9. ↑ MinnPost, "Independence Party of Minnesota selects Mark Meyer as new party chair," June 8, 2015
  10. ↑ Independence Party of Minnesota, "Interim platform," accessed February 17, 2016
  11. ↑ Independence Party of Minnesota, "Constitution and bylaws," accessed February 17, 2016
  12. ↑ Independence Party of Minnesota, "Events," accessed February 17, 2016
  13. ↑ Independence Party of Minnesota, "Our 2016 candidates," accessed August 16, 2016
  14. ↑ The Hill, "McMullin gets on Utah’s state ballot," August 15, 2016
  15. ↑ Independence Party of Minnesota, "The IP Blog," accessed October 17, 2023
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