DFL candidates and causes have received a disproportionate share of contributions from the state’s biggest political givers over the last decade

In May 2009 Jennifer DeJournett, Lisa Belak and a handful of other Republican women from Minnesota attended a seminar in Washington, D.C. focused on the role of women in politics. What they learned was distressing: Virtually all of the advances made by female politicians over the last two decades had occurred on the Democratic side of the aisle.

VOICES of Conservative Women, a new political advocacy group, is honoring eight legislators for their work at the Capitol. The "Voices of Fiscal Conservatism" award winners, all Republicans, are state Reps. Laura Brod (New Prague), Mary Kiffmeyer (Big Lake), Mary Liz Hoiberg (Lakeville), Joyce Peppin (Rogers) and Peggy Scott (Andover), and state Sen. Debbie Johnson (Ham Lake), Amy Koch (Buffalo) and Julianne Ortman (Chanhassen).