| Previous Women Legislator's Retreats 2004 Women Legislator's Retreat
The Third Annual Minnesota Women Legislators Retreat, co-sponsored with the Center for the Study of Politics and the Humphrey Policy Forum and in partnership with the Women's Foundation of Minnesota, was held on January 21, 2004 at the McNamara Alumni Center. This gathering of Minnesota women legislators focused on civil discourse and conflict management and was attended by 19 women legislators (13 Representatives and 6 Senators). Presenters included Aimee Gourlay, Executive Director and CEO of the Mediation Center for Dispute Resolution, and Mariann Johnson, an organization development consultant, facilitator and mediator for the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and the US Department of Justice Civil Rights Division/ADA Mediation Project.
2002 Women Legislator's Retreat
December 9-10, 2002, 23 women legislators and several special guests convened at the Riverwood Conference Center for the Second Annual Minnesota Women Legislators Retreat. The retreat was organized by the Humphrey School's Center on Women and Public Policy and the Humphrey School Policy Forum, with financial support from the Women's Foundation of Minnesota, The University of Minnesota Extension Service, the Hubert H. Humphrey School, and the Minneapolis Foundation. The goal of the retreat was to encourage legislators to work together more effectively.
Professor Cindy Simon-Rosenthal of the University of Oklahoma shared lessons from political science on the progress, obstacles, and barriers for women in political office. Professor Simon-Rosenthal also shared insights about leadership styles of women and women's work in gendered institutions from her recent book, Women Transforming Congress, as well as her 1998 work, When Women Lead.
Representative Rosemary Mulligan of the Illinois State Legislature spoke of her experience in working across party lines to form the Illinois Women's Conference. Representative Mulligan shared the story of how a few women fed up with being ignored raised money and organized legislators to form what has grown to become a powerful force in the Illinois State Legislature. The Illinois Women's Conference not only offered a women's critique of the budget, but also raises enough money to give scholarships as well as host a local Girl Scout troop.
A media panel, consisting of Mary Lahammer of Twin Cities Public Television, Glenda Holste of the Pioneer Press, and Ashley Grant of the Associated Press, coached the legislators on interacting with the press and bringing their issues to the forefront of media coverage. The media panel agreed that the most effective measure a legislator can take is to walk through the press room weekly. The women also agreed that in order for an issue to make the news, there must be something new about it. Many participants were surprised and pleased by the frankness of the media panel and found the information useful to their legislative careers.
Linda DiVall, a Republican pollster and president of the public opinion research firm American Viewpoint, gave insight to the legislators about polling data from the 2002 elections. DiVall's research, conducted for the Federation of American Hospitals, revealed new gains by Republican candidates into territory previously dominated by Democrats. Topics of polls presented ranged from current issues such as expansion of health care coverage to the likelihood of a women becoming President of the United States. The legislators agreed that information gained from public opinion polls, when translated by skilled political operators, is invaluable.
In order to further the goal of encouraging legislators to work together across party lines, the legislators were encouraged to interact through an icebreaker exercise, a yoga session, and plenty of discussion and social time. Legislators were assigned roommates across political parties and houses to further promote interaction among women who otherwise may not have spent time together.
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