The Ad Hoc Standing Committee is an informal policy and political
collective of erstwhile graduate school classmates and current happy hour
consultants. We are committed to
smart, compassionate, ethically-grounded, and evidence-based solutions to the
complex political and social problems of the 21st century. Based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, we have our roots in our
local community with an eye to national and global affairs. We bring our three unique perspectives
to bear on current events, as well as occasionally welcome guest bloggers.
We also welcome comments and feedback, including
disagreement and contradiction, but ask for a certain level of civility and
decorum. We prefer to have a more
enlightened discussion than one might find in a Facebook or Twitter flame
war. Trolls need not apply.
All posts on this blog represent the opinions of the
author(s) in their personal capacities and should not be construed as the
official position of any agency, organization, or contractor by which the
author(s) are presently or have been previously employed.
The Ad Hoc Standing Committee is:
Scott Beutel, MPP
Scott Beutel has been fascinated by public policy and
politics since he was a small child. In fact, his youth spent listening to NPR
and reading the news may actually be a greater qualification than a BA in
political science (Reed College) or an MPP graduate degree (Humphrey School of
Public Affairs). He currently works for the Minnesota Department of Human
Rights in its legislative affairs and public policy department. His primary
interests are human and civil rights, with a longstanding interest in
policing, criminal justice, torture in democratic societies, and state
violence. His more esoteric interests include community engagement, state
procurement practices, Iranian nuclear containment, and the impact of Central
Asian water allocation on regional security.
Scott's past professional experiences include working as a
political organizer, fundraiser, and non-profit development and communications
coordinator. When not working, he rides bicycles, where he often thinks about
public policy. He also enjoys beer and nature, where he often also thinks about
public policy. The views expressed here are most definitely his own, and only
his own.
Melissa Finnegan, MPP
Melissa Finnegan is a public policy specialist with
extensive experience in public health and the Minnesota legislative process. She is especially interested in the
social determinants of health and forging connections between different
"policy silos" to promote integrated solutions to complicated
problems. Melissa believes firmly
in the importance women's political leadership and participation on an equal
footing with men. She seeks to
challenge casual sexism directed at female politicians. Melissa is dedicated to policy
solutions that move the status quo in a positive direction to promote
healthy and thriving communities.
Melissa has over a decade of experience in Minnesota State
government, especially in policy analysis and legislative development. After several years in the Engrossing
Office of the Minnesota Senate, where she became intimately familiar with the
legislative process, she moved to the Minnesota Department of Health, where she
currently serves as Director of Legislative Affairs. Melissa holds a Masters of Public Policy from the Humphrey
School of Public Affairs (2011), where she also completed the Minnesota State
Leadership Institute (2016). She
is a part-time ninja, married to Patrick Finnegan (see below), and
coffee-partner to Scott Beutel (see above).
Patrick Finnegan, MPP
Patrick Finnegan is a writer, editor, and analyst focused on
human rights, political history, and global policy issues. He believes firmly in the power of
language, especially the written word, as a tool of advocacy and social
change. He is especially
interested in the political, economic, and social context of rights-based
claims, as well as the tensions between competing claims. He construes human
rights broadly as an evolving field of advocacy and inquiry concerning how
human beings are and should be treated by authority and by each other.
Patrick worked at the University of Minnesota Human Rights
Center for over a decade, serving as the Center’s Assistant Director from
2012-2015. Patrick was the
Center’s lead staff writer and a key administrator. He currently does an odd patchwork of jobs: he is a Research
Assistant to Professor David Weissbrodt at the University of Minnesota Law
School, an Administrative Associate at The Advocates for Human Rights, and the
founder of FinneComm, a small (read: one-person) writing and policy
analysis firm. Patrick obtained
his Masters of Public Policy from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs in
2011. He is married to
Melissa Finnegan (and considers himself lucky to be so). In his spare time, he is an amateur
musician/songwriter, adequate hiker and biker, aspiring Francophone, cat
butler, and absurdist.
