Sure, it was a mostly tough crowd that visited Congressman Erik Paulsen’s town hall meeting Monday in Edina, but from the perspective Jim Meffert, Paulsen’s DFL opponent in November’s election, it’s tough for anyone out there standing up.

There are harsh questions for everybody right now, added Meffert, following the meeting, “and there’s no easy answer.”

Meffert attended Paulsen’s town hall meeting “to hear what’s going on.”

Congressman Erik Paulsen, R-Third District, will host a town hall meeting from 7-8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 2, at the Southview Middle School auditorium, 4725 Southview Lane, Edina.

"Paulsen will provide an update on recent legislation in Congress and share information on some of his other initiatives while taking questions and comments from constituents attending the forum," according to a news release.

Target has been getting a lot of flak recently because of the corporation’s $150,000 donation to MN Forward, a group running ads in support of Tom Emmer, a Republican running for governor. Emmer is not in support of gay marriage and has in fact authored a constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex unions.

Eden Prairie resident Randi Reitan documented her disappointment in Target’s support of Emmer by visiting the Eden Prairie Target last week, purchasing more than $200 in items, then returning the items right away and cutting up her Target charge card.

The following candidates had filed to run for state and federal offices as of Wednesday morning. Filing closes June 1. Election Day is Nov. 2. For more general election information, visit www.sos.state.mn.us.

District 42A

Minnetonka resident Maria Ruud, a DFL-er who represents Eden Prairie and part of Minnetonka in District 42A, filed to run for re-election on May 19.

*The U.S. Census Bureau will begin "Non-Responsive Follow-Up" Operations on May 1 with the 28 percent of households in the U.S. who did not return their questionnaire by mail, according to a news release. "Census takers will visit a household several times in an effort to get the basic information on the 10 questions on the 2010 Census."

Questions about the recently passed healthcare legislation along with fears about the growing national debt were the main topics during a town hall meeting held at the Eden Prairie City Center Saturday morning. The meeting, hosted by Republican U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen, drew a packed house of residents from the Third District.

“The biggest part of my job is just being able to listen to you,” said Paulsen who noted that, during the peak of the healthcare debate, the phones were shut down from the load of calls coming in.
“We’re still getting about 400 e-mails a day,” he said.

With the massive health-care reform package fresh off the burner, expect health care to remain the No. 1 topic for constituents who may attend an upcoming town hall meeting with U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen this Saturday.

Paulsen, the Republican Congressman representing Minnesota’s Third Congressional District, will be holding his first town meeting in Eden Prairie starting at 10 a.m. at the Eden Prairie City Center, 8080 Mitchell Road. The previous town meeting, held in Plymouth last fall, included a raucous group of health-care reform supporters and opponents.

U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen, R-Minn., has announced that high school students in the Third District, which includes Eden Prairie, can submit original artwork for the 2010 Congressional Art Competition, Artistic Discovery.

Submit the artwork to Paulsen’s office for the opportunity to have the work displayed in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol for one year, as well as in Paulsen’s Congressional offices in Minnesota and Washington.

According to a news release from Congressman Erik Paulsen, he has made a friendly wager with Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise.

The two are roommates in Washington, D.C.

Here's the news release:

Washington, D.C. – As the states of Minnesota and Louisiana anxiously await Sunday’s NFC Championship game between the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints, Congressmen Erik Paulsen (MN-03) and Steve Scalise (LA–01) today placed a wager on the results of the game.

Democrats from around Eden Prairie and Southern Minnetonka will gather on Tuesday, Feb. 2, for the DFL Party’s biennial precinct caucuses. The Senate District 42 DFL caucuses will be held at a new location this year, Eden Prairie’s Central Middle School at 8025 School Road.