By SUZANNE ROOK, srook@northfieldnews.com
11/6/2011
Former state Sen. Kevin Dahle (DFL), of Northfield, announced today that he's running to reclaim a seat in the Legislature.
"I believe in possibilities," Dahle wrote on his website.
If elected, Dahle, 51, said he’d look to “compromise and work together,” two things he says were noticeably absent in the current Legislature and highlighted by July’s nearly three-week state government shutdown.
Dahle isn’t the only one to criticize the K-12 education funding shift approved in July. By essentially borrowing from the schools, opponents of the plan have said that the state hasn’t yet learned to live within its means.
“There were a lot of short-term bad solutions (approved by the 2011 Legislature),” he said.
While Dahle, a Northfield High School social studies teacher, is particularly interested in the K-12 funding shift, the economy would be his first priority.
Dahle said he’d also like to give a voice to issues important to Northfield, particularly taxes for properties in historic business districts and lifting a gag order on the Dan Patch railroad line.
"I believe we can meet the challenges and maximize the opportunities that lay before us. What will break the people of Minnesota is not adversity – we’ve been here before … what will break our spirit is thinking that tomorrow is going to be just like yesterday. If we think that government cannot change that which is broken, we lose interest, we lose faith, we lose the people…but worst of all, we lose the future."
Dahle was beaten last November by Republican Al DeKruif of Elysian. In a three-way race, DeKruif took 44.7 percent of the vote to Dahle's 42 percent. Montgomery's John Grimm, who ran as an independent, got 13.2 percent of the vote.
Dahle was elected in a January 2008 special election to fill the seat of former state Sen. Tom Neuville after Neuville was appointed a Third District judge.
Whether Dahle will face off against DeKruif in November isn't yet known. While DeKruif hasn't yet announced his intent to run he'll run, the shape District 25 will take is also in question. Every district in the state is expected to be reconfigured in the coming months as a part of a decennial reapportionment following the 2010 U.S. Census.
The current redistricting plan, put forward in May 2010 by the Legislature, splits Rice County lengthwise generally along I-35. Called Senate district 22, it includes the eastern portion of Steele County along with small eastern sections of Goodhue and Olmstead counties.
Redistricting is expected to be complete by Feb. 21, according to a state Legislature timeline.
The primary is set for Aug. 14. The general election will be held next Nov. 6.
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UPDATED: SUNDAY 6:18 P.M.
Former state Sen. Kevin Dahle (DFL), of Northfield, announced today that he's running to reclaim a seat in the Legislature.
"I believe in possibilities," Dahle wrote on his website.
If elected, Dahle, 51, said he’d look to “compromise and work together,” two things he says were noticeably absent in the current Legislature and highlighted by July’s nearly three-week state government shutdown.
Dahle isn’t the only one to criticize the K-12 education funding shift approved in July. By essentially borrowing from the schools, opponents of the plan have said that the state hasn’t yet learned to live within its means.
“There were a lot of short-term bad solutions (approved by the 2011 Legislature),” he said.
While Dahle, a Northfield High School social studies teacher, is particularly interested in the K-12 funding shift, the economy would be his first priority.
Dahle said he’d also like to give a voice to issues important to Northfield, particularly taxes for properties in historic business districts and lifting a gag order on the Dan Patch railroad line.
"I believe we can meet the challenges and maximize the opportunities that lay before us. What will break the people of Minnesota is not adversity – we’ve been here before … what will break our spirit is thinking that tomorrow is going to be just like yesterday. If we think that government cannot change that which is broken, we lose interest, we lose faith, we lose the people…but worst of all, we lose the future."
Dahle was beaten last November by Republican Al DeKruif of Elysian. In a three-way race, DeKruif took 44.7 percent of the vote to Dahle's 42 percent. Montgomery's John Grimm, who ran as an independent, got 13.2 percent of the vote.
Dahle was elected in a January 2008 special election to fill the seat of former state Sen. Tom Neuville after Neuville was appointed a Third District judge.
Whether Dahle will face off against DeKruif in November isn't yet known. While DeKruif hasn't yet announced his intent to run he'll run, the shape District 25 will take is also in question. Every district in the state is expected to be reconfigured in the coming months as a part of a decennial reapportionment following the 2010 U.S. Census.
The primary is set for Aug. 14, 2012. The general election will be held next Nov. 5.
* * * *
Former state Sen. Kevin Dahle (DFL), of Northfield, announced today on his website that he'll try and reclaim a seat in the Legislature.
"I believe in possibilities," Dahle wrote. "I believe we can meet the challenges and maximize the opportunities that lay before us. What will break the people of Minnesota is not adversity – we’ve been here before…what will break our spirit is thinking that tomorrow is going to be just like yesterday. If we think that government cannot change that which is broken, we lose interest, we lose faith, we lose the people…but worst of all, we lose the future."
Dahle was beaten in November 2010 by Republican Al DeKruif of Elysian. In a three-way race, DeKruif took 44.7 percent of the vote to Dahle's 42 percent. Montgomery's John Grimm, who ran as an independent, got 13.2 percent of the vote.
Dahle, 51, is a social studies teacher at Northfield High School.
Whether Dahle will face off against DeKruif in November isn't yet known. While DeKruif hasn't yet said he'll run for re-election, the shape District 25 will take is also in question. Every district in the state is expected to be reconfigured in the coming months as a part of a decennial reapportionment following the 2010 U.S. Census.
Stay with Northfield News for the latest on this story.
