TwinWest’s Political Action Committee (PAC) provides TwinWest members the vehicle to shape the future of Minnesota’s political landscape.  The PAC endorses candidates for state constitutional, state legislative, and county offices whose platforms support private enterprise and work to improve economic conditions in the Twin Cities and the State of Minnesota.  The TwinWest PAC sends a strong message to legislators that the business community is serious about seeing action on issues that affect us. For more information, call Jason Flohrs, director of government affairs, at 763.450.2225 or e-mail jasonf@twinwest.com.

The TwinWest Political Action Committee has made the following legislative endorsements for 2006:

Minnesota House of Representatives

District 32B – Rep. Kurt Zellers (R)

District 33A – Rep. Steve Smith (R)

District 33B – John Berns (R)

District 42A – Bill Cullen (R)

District 43A – Sarah Anderson (R)

District 43B – Dave Johnson (R)

District 44A – Rep. Steve Simon (DFL)

Minnesota Senate

District 32 – Senator Warren Limmer (R)

District 33 – Senator Gen Olson (R)

District 42 – Senator David Hann (R)

District 43 – Senator Terri Bonoff (DFL)

District 45 – Senator Ann Rest (DFL)

District 46 – Senator Linda Scheid (DFL)

District 47 – Scott Schulte (R)

Candidates were evaluated on the following criteria: electability; response to TwinWest and business community questionnaires; leadership on business issues; voting record; relationship with and support of the TwinWest Chamber of Commerce; and personal and professional experience.



The TwinWest PAC’s major fund-raising event each year is the PACnic, held in June, in partnership with the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.

Here are some quick facts about the TwinWest PAC:

• The TwinWest PAC is an independent organization funded through personal contributions and does not utilize TwinWest membership dollars.
  
• The PAC endorses legislative candidates based on voting record, local business support, pro-business stance, questionnaire responses and leadership on key business issues.
  
• The TwinWest PAC’s goal is to help elect pro-business candidates to the Minnesota Legislature.
  
• TwinWest’s Government Affairs Committee drafts legislative Position Statements from a business perspective and the TwinWest PAC enforces those positions.
  
• The TwinWest PAC has helped elect legislators who passed the historic property tax reforms of 2001 – which significantly compressed property tax rates for commercial and industrial property.
  
• TwinWest was the first Chamber of Commerce in Minnesota to organize a PAC.
  
• The TwinWest PAC’s financial support has helped elect pro-business candidates for the past thirteen years.
  
• The TwinWest PAC represents the business interests of all TwinWest members.
  
• The PAC was formed “in the interest of increasing TwinWest’s legislative influence.”