This is the web version of The Liberty Loon Vol. 1. For the PDF version, please click here.
The Libertarian Party of Minnesota Newsletter – Q3 2025
In This Edition:
From the Chair
Executive Committee Updates
State Fair 2025
Petitions
Statement Regarding Charlie Kirk
Upcoming Events at a Glance
From the Chair
State Fair season is over and overall, I think the sentiment is that it was a success! We signed up quite a few new members, got an opportunity to meet a lot of new people, spread our message of liberty, and make some pretty good connections with people specifically when it comes to our legislative agenda.
I drove from Bemidji to the State Fair and spent a total of four days at the booth. One of my favorite people I met was a lady who walked up to our booth before the Fair was officially open and with a very big personality exclaimed how she was absolutely a Libertarian, loved everything about us, wanted to sign up for all the things, bought some merch, and ended with what a great job we were doing that we should definitely keep up the good work. She was the kind of person that when she walked away, inside my heart was glowing, because she just flowed with hope, encouragement, and positivity.
That is simply my message for today. While we know that our message of personal liberty is the most philosophically consistent message in American politics, we do have a responsibility of spreading it in a way that makes people eager to hear more. We can do that by being the kind of people that when we walk away we leave them with something that our current culture doesn’t have a lot of: HOPE. And while it is very easy to feel black pilled doing what we do, I hope everyone takes time when they need it to sit back to intentionally renew and restore themselves, because our fight is not over, and we need everyone (especially now) to recommit themselves to the uphill battles we face. Every generation has the same dilemmas we do now, it is just simply our time to set the course of the future on the right path. I believe in what we are doing completely, and I am proud to call everyone in this with us friends.
Peace through justice and liberty,
Rebecca Whiting
Chair LPMN
Executive Committee Updates
The Executive Committee (EC) has had an active third quarter. With passing a new resolution, prepping for State Fair, filling a vacancy, providing a statement regarding the death of Charlie Kirk, and already looking ahead to the 2026 Convention for the Libertarian Party of Minnesota (LPMN).
During the July EC meeting a resolution was put before the committee titled, “Resolution in Support of Digital Privacy, Decentralization, and Ending the War on Cryptocurrency” which was the hot topic of the meeting. This resolution was similar to ones passed by other State Libertarian Parties, but with updated language to reflect the then recently passed GENIUS Act.
The EC was encouraged to volunteer for State Fair and a great number of EC members were able to attend as Shift Leads. For some, it was a new experience and a positive one at that! Getting to talk with people and help some sign up as members was a great experience, not to mention all of the great Fair food.
A vacancy occurred mid-August from one of the At-Large spots on the Executive Committee. The vacancy didn’t last long as it was filled during the September meeting. Hayden Oliver is welcomed as an At-Large.
Given the tragic and horrific death of Charlie Kirk, a statement needed to be put out, which can be read in full later in this newsletter. Freedom of Speech is a core tenet of what it means to be American. He leaves behind a wife and two children. At times like these we must remember our core value of the Non-Aggression Principle.
On a lighter note, the discussion of the 2026 Libertarian Party of Minnesota Convention has started to make its way into the EC meetings. A venue has been selected! The Baymont by Wyndham in Owatonna MN will host the convention with a social gathering the evening of March 27th, 2026 and business being conducted March 28th – 29th 2026. More information will be available on LPMN.org/events as the event draws closer, and check your email for updates as well!
State Fair 2025
It’s that time of year again Minnesota! State Fair has come and gone, and the Libertarian Party of Minnesota had another good showing. The Fair ran from Thursday, August 21st to Monday, September 1st 2025. With cool weather this year, it was a great time to get up and get out to enjoy some food and meet people.
The LPMN State Fair booth is still holding strong. It was set up by a dedicated team of volunteers the Sunday before the Fair began. A new party member came to help set up the booth, as these in-person events are a great way to meet fellow libertarians.
There were two new shirt designs this year, which were designed by our Chair, Rebecca Whiting. Both were displayed at the booth. The first being a Thomas Paine quote, which reads, “I prefer peace. But if trouble must come, let it come in my time, so that my children can live in peace.” And it features Lady Liberty walking with a young girl holding a teddy bear as they hold each others hand. The shirt
came in a light blue color.
The second shirt design was a short but eye catching phrase, “Not Left Not Right Just Free” and this was on a grey-backed shirt. The “Not Left” portion was in blue, the “Not Right” was in red, and the, “Just Free” was in yellow.
A new feather flag was designed for the booth as well. This was a collaborative effort within the State Fair Committee between Clinton Toughill (At-Large) and Nick Dugger (Vice Chair). This was selected out of three original designs. A new feather flag was needed as the old one was destroyed in a storm last year.
Inspired by the popularity of hand fans for Rebecca’s campaign at last year’s State Fair, this year featured the launch of the LPMN’s new hand fan design, courtesy of Nick, reading “Not a Fan of War” with an image of a desk fan on it. Despite the cooler weather, we handed out over 500 of them to eager fair-goers.
Speaking of the weather this year, it was perfect for our volunteers. It was a great time to talk with friends and meet newer members. And with this great time of the year, its a fantastic opportunity to get more people signed up as members. We are happy to report we have signed up 38 new members over the course of the Fair.
Though none of this would be possible without our Outreach Director, Eric Thraen (also Secretary of the LPMN). From his dedicated work he steered the State Fair Committee to a successful time at the Minnesota State Fair this year.
Petitions
Two petitions have been making the rounds in local communities. Both spearheaded by LPMN members. The First and more prominent, was by the CD2 Live Free Affiliate’s Vice Chair, Brian Paulson.
The City of New Prague wanted to issue Capital Improvement Bonds to build a new Police Station. This project is more cosmetic than anything and given New Prague’s population is just over 8,000 people, the police station would be more than what would be needed to be support the City.
Brian began a petition stating, “Shall the City of New Prague issue up to $10,415,000 in General Obligation Capital Improvement Plan Bonds, Series 2025A, to finance a new police station, as authorized by Resolution No. 25-06-02-03 on June 2, 2025?”
This would in effect bring it to a vote to the citizens of New Prague. Though Brian ended up getting over 550 signatures for his petition, the City ended up tossing about 25% of his signatures. They also stopped counting at 244 because that was the number of signatures required by their standing.
New Prague went on to not have the public vote on this issue. Instead, they instructed the Economic Development Authority to build the new police station and then rent it to New Prague. The Economic Development Authority is appointed by the City Council, and there is no option to petition them. This is an ongoing issue and Brian is still working at it even though it is now past the petition point. But, as an
upside, he has gotten on the Park Board for the City.
Brian’s journey as also garnered the attention of local and State wide news sources. The New Prague Times, The Star Tribune, Kare 11, Fox 9, and 5 Eyewitness News all ended up posting articles regarding what has been occurring in New Prague. Brian has given interviews for multiple articles regarding these events.
The second petition is currently being worked on by Clinton Toughill, a CD2 resident and LPMN At Large member of the Executive Committee. The City of Hastings has a PFAS problem, and needs to build new water treatment facilities. But the cost of this seems a bit on the higher end at a glance. On top of this, the City is wanting to raise other fees and taxes.
The Hastings City Administrator estimated that water fees would need to increase about 150% between 2024 and 2028 plus the assistance the City is receiving. In addition to this, the City has raised some building safety and electrical fees, tobacco license fee, implemented a special levy tax of 0.0185% for the Hastings Economic Development and Redevelopment Authority (HEDRA), and they are currently proposing an increase of an 8.4% levy for 2026.
Clinton’s petition states, “Petition to pause all increases on fees & taxes pursuant to the City of Hastings Minnesota from January 1st 2026 to January 1st 2028, to ease economic burden upon the local residents” and as of writing this he has 118 signatures.
The City presses how urgent the water issue is, while granting special taxes to HEDRA and issuing grants for art events. Many residents feel as though there voices aren’t being heard about how they don’t want their taxes increasing.
Hastings has no time limit nor minimum requirement for signatures. While the odds of convincing City Council are low, the prospect of getting residents to begin talking about their taxes publicly is higher. Finally budgeting will be conducted for the City in December and the plan for petition submission is looking towards early November.
Neither of these petitions are officially endorsed by the LPMN, but they are in line with the principles of the Party and are being conducted by LPMN members.
Statement Regarding Charlie Kirk
The following is a reprint of a press release issued 9/15/2025, which can be found here.
The Non-Aggression Principle is at the heart of the Libertarian Party. For this reason, every member of the Libertarian Party of Minnesota attests to the following statement when they join:
“I pledge to oppose the initiation of force or fraud (coercion) as a means of achieving political or social goals.”
After the politically motivated murder of Charlie Kirk on September 10th, we reiterate our condemnation of political violence, especially political assassinations. Taking the life of any public speaker, regardless of their expressed views, is an ultimate act of cowardice. As a party, we seek to empower voices, not silence them. Society should do likewise.
A culture that tolerates or promotes political violence is incompatible with peace and liberty. In the wake of House Speaker Melissa Hortman’s assassination, our party’s Chair called for peace. If society will not right its behavior, then we must change society. We cannot and will not abide political violence under any
circumstances. We condemn this heinous act of insensible hostility towards Charlie and his family. Furthermore, we condemn the wretched low-lifes that celebrate his assassination and that mock the grieving widow he left behind. They won’t be, and they probably justify their despicable behavior, but they should be utterly ashamed of themselves. Freedom of speech is the cornerstone of our nation, and a necessary prerequisite for a peaceful and free society. Free speech will have consequences, but violence must never be one of them, and we recommit ourselves to upholding everyone’s free speech equally.
Peaceful ends by peaceful means,
Rebecca Whiting (Chair), Nick Dugger (Vice Chair), Joey Gamache (Treasurer), Eric Thraen (Secretary), Eric Helstad (Affiliate Chair), Jake Dahle (Affiliate Chair), Wayne Wennberg (Affiliate Chair), Keith Whiting (Affiliate Chair), TJ Hawthorne (At-Large), Bob Seifert (At-Large), Clinton Toughill (At-Large), Hayden Oliver (At-Large), Ahmed AlRwazek (Member)
Libertarian Party of Minnesota
Upcoming Events at a Glance
The following is a summary of the upcoming events posted on LPMN.org/events, which is available here for a more up-to-date list of upcoming events. Invitation to Executive Committee meetings, held online only, is available for all LPMN members upon request via email sent to info@lpmn.org.
Special Convention for Hennepin and Anoka Libertarians
October 7th, 2025 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
NE Moose Bar & Grill 356 Monroe St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413
CD4 Liberty October Meetup
October 8th, 2025 7:00PM – 8:30PM
Stout’s Pub & Grill 1611 Larpenteur Ave W, Falcon Heights, MN 55113
CD2 Live Free October Meetup
October 9th, 2025 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Triggers 2920 220th St E, Prior Lake, MN 55372
4th Annual Adopt a Highway Fall Cleanup
October 11th, 2025 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Stone Systems Parking Lot 2425 Waters Dr, Mendota Heights, MN 55120
Bemidji Area Libertarians October Meetup
October 11th, 2025 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Brigid’s Cross Irish Pub 317 Beltrami Ave NW, Bemidji, MN 56601
October Executive Committee Meeting
October 20th, 2025 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Lift Bridge Libertarians October Meetup
October 21st, 2025 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Duluth Green Mill 340 S Lake Ave, Duluth, MN 55802
Bemidji Area Libertarians November Meetup
November 8th, 2025 7:00 PM _ 10:00 PM
Brigid’s Cross Irish Pub 317 Beltrami Ave NW, Bemidji, MN 56601
CD2 Live Free November Meetup
November 13th, 2025 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Fireside Restaurant & Bar 3410 150th St W, Rosemount, MN 55068
November Executive Committee Meeting
November 17th, 2025 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
CD2 Live Free December Meetup
December 11th, 2025 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Triggers 2920 220th St E, Prior Lake, MN 55372
Bemidji Area Libertarians November Meetup
December 13th, 2025 7:00 PM _ 10:00 PM
Brigid’s Cross Irish Pub 317 Beltrami Ave NW, Bemidji, MN 56601
December Executive Committee Meeting
December 15th, 2025 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
