Minnesota Democrat Farmer Laborer Party: ‘Abortion Rights Under Attack at National Level’

The Minnesota Democrat Farmer Laborer Party (DFL) released a statement on Friday, criticizing all the Republican gubernatorial candidates for their stances on abortion, saying “Abortion rights are under attack at the national level.” The DFL was referencing the Supreme Court case, Dobbs v. Jackson, where the state of Mississippi is challenging Roe v. Wade.

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Minnesota Democratic Lawmakers Respond to First Fully Vaccinated Omicron COVID Case: ‘Get Vaccinated’

Minnesota’s Democrat lawmakers responded to the first Omicron COVID case detected in Minnesota. To date, the case is only the second diagnosed case of the Omicron variant in the nation. The man who tested positive for Omicron was fully vaccinated and had just gotten his booster shot in early November. He contracted the virus while attending a conference in New York City in mid-November, Alpha News reported.

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Minnesota Governor Walz Activates 400 National Guard to Assist with Nursing Home Staff Shortages

Elderly woman looking to the side of her

Governor Tim Walz (D) announced he is activating 400 National Guard members to assist with the growing staff shortage in the state’s nursing homes. “Our long-term care facilities are facing an all-hands-on-deck moment, and that’s why we are taking unprecedented action to support skilled nursing workers, residents, and patients,” said Governor Walz.

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Lt. Gov. Flanagan Shares Post Calling Mount Rushmore ‘Symbol of White Supremacy’

Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan shared a post on social media over the Independence Day weekend calling Mount Rushmore a “symbol of white supremacy.”

“Mount Rushmore is a symbol of white supremacy, of structural racism that’s still alive and well in society today. It’s an injustice to actively steal Indigenous people’s land, then carve the white faces of the colonizers who committed genocide,” said the post, which Flanagan shared on her Instagram.

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GOP State Senators Ask Minnesota Historical Society to Return Columbus Statue to Capitol

Two Republican state senators asked the Minnesota Historical Society to repair and restore a Christopher Columbus statue that was torn down outside the Minnesota Capitol three weeks ago.

Although the incident took place in broad daylight and was recorded by countless news stations and reporters, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety said last week the investigation remains ongoing.

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Two Weeks Later, Investigation Into Toppling of Minnesota’s Christopher Columbus Statue Still Ongoing

It’s been two weeks since a Christopher Columbus statue was toppled outside the Minnesota Capitol, but the Minnesota Department of Public Safety said the investigation remains ongoing.

A spokesperson for the agency told KSTP chief political reporter Tom Hauser that the “investigation continues as the [Bureau of Criminal Apprehension] works to identify other participants in the incident, beyond the leader.”

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After Protesters Tear Down Columbus Statue, Minnesota Lt. Governor Welcomes Removal

The protesters and activists who tore down a statue of Christopher Columbus outside the Minnesota Capitol Wednesday faced virtually no resistance from state leaders or law enforcement.

In fact, after the statue was toppled over, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan said Minnesota “is long overdue for a hard look at the symbols, statues, and icons that were created without the input of many of our communities.”

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Walz Launches ‘Bias and Discrimination’ Helpline for Reporting Incidents to the State

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced Monday that his office has created a “discrimination helpline” amid “rising reports of discrimination from the Asian American community.”

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan claimed that America has a “distinct pattern” of “increased discrimination during uncertain and trying times, of needing someone to blame.”

“This is unacceptable and, as Minnesotans, we must work to break this cycle,” she added.

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Minnesota’s Governor Tim Walz Commits to 100 Percent Clean Energy By 2050 Despite Struggles During Polar Vortex

Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) announced a proposal to make Minnesota a 100 percent clean energy state by 2050 at a press conference Monday morning. “Today I’m excited to be here to propose our One Minnesota path to clean energy—a set of policy proposals that will lead Minnesota to 100 percent clean energy in the state’s electrical sector by 2050. There’s a lot of reasons to be excited about this. Minnesota’s known as a national leader in setting and achieving clean energy goals. There’s now an opportunity to take this leadership to a new level,” Walz said to applause. He said his proposal would build on the success “that Minnesota’s achieved in reducing dependence on fossil fuels, increasing the use of clean energy, promoting energy efficiency, and lowering greenhouse gas pollution produced by the electrical sector.” “The proposal establishes a new standard that requires all electric utilities in Minnesota to use only carbon-free energy resources by 2050, while allowing each utility the flexibility to choose how and in what ways they meet the standard,” he added. Walz also claimed that his proposal would “ensure local hiring and require living wages,” but didn’t elaborate any further. “I have been absolutely clear on…

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Walz’s Budget Calls for $700,000 in Additional Funding for His Own Office

Gov. Tim Walz’s (D-MN) proposed budget for the 2020-2021 biennium calls for a $700,000 increase in funding for his own office to help with “outreach and engagement efforts.” “The Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan recommends a $700,000 FY 2020-2021 biennial General Fund increase to fund a new office of Public Engagement in the Governor’s Office,” the budget proposal states, noting that the funding would amount to a 9.7 percent increase. According to the proposal, the increased funding would help respond to the “large volume of mail, email, telephone calls, and constituent visits.” On average, the budget estimates that the Governor’s Office receives “over 125,000 constituent contacts per year.” “The Office does not have the current capacity to provide additional reactive and proactive outreach and engagement efforts, which are critical to Governor Walz and Lt. Governor Flanagan’s vision for One Minnesota,” the budget claims. As such, Walz’s first budget proposes creating a new “Office of Public Engagement,” whose “primary responsibility is to connect with Minnesotans across the state to make government inclusive, transparent, accountable, and responsible.” “The Office of Public Engagement helps open the two-way dialogue, ensuring that the issues impacting our state’s proud and diverse…

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Governor Walz’s $49 Billion Budget Proposal Will Make Minnesota a ‘Cold California’

Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) unveiled his highly anticipated budget proposal for the 2020-2021 biennium at a press conference Tuesday afternoon. When all is said and done, the two-year budget registers at $49.5 billion with no cuts to any existing spending. “I’ve often said that a budget is far more than a fiscal document; it’s a moral document. This budget reflects the morals and values of the people of Minnesota. This is the budget that Minnesotans voted for in historic numbers in November,” Walz said during his lengthy address.   Walz said his proposal prioritizes three core areas: education, health care, and “community prosperity.” For the first, Walz proposed a three percent followed by a two percent increase in education spending, which is roughly $523 million more. “While some schools have turf fields and a stadium, another school is trying to pass a referendum to fix a leaky roof,” he said. “As a former teacher, I’ve seen firsthand the power of investment in a child.” He went on to lay out a number of health care proposals, including a “OneCare Minnesota” public buy-in option, and the continuation of the two percent provider tax, which Republicans would like to let expire at…

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Minnesota GOP Has Harsh Words for Walz After Pipeline Appeal: ‘This Is a Big Mistake’

Republican members of the Minnesota House and Senate called a joint press conference earlier this week to condemn Gov. Tim Walz’s (D-MN) decision to re-appeal the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline replacement project. “The science is sure that this would be environmentally much safer to replace a 51-year-old pipe with a new pipe, so on every issue there he was wrong,” Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-Nisswa) said in response to Walz’s announcement. “Lawsuits and appeals do not have to be part of the process, and normally shouldn’t be part of the process.” Walz announced Tuesday morning that he would refile an appeal against the controversial project after an appeal submitted by his predecessor, former Gov. Mark Dayton (D-MN), was dismissed by the Minnesota Court of Appeals. “Walz and [Lt. Gov. Peggy] Flanagan are the only ones left in the state that need clarity on this project. It has met every test,” Gazelka added. “Delays are not fair to the workers that want these jobs. Frankly, Gov. Walz, on this issue you’re not listening. This is an issue we’ve had a lot of conversation about. It needs to go forward, and there’s a lot of people that are very upset that…

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Youth Activists Call for ‘Minnesota Green New Deal,’ Pressure Walz to Petition Line 3

Several youth activism organizations gathered at the Minnesota Capitol Monday to protest the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline and call for a “Minnesota Green New Deal.” “We are changing the political landscape in Minnesota and although there is much more work to be done, we are so proud of what we have done. Youth voices matter, and we will continue to make that very clear to our state leaders this session,” a group called “Minnesota Can’t Wait” said in a statement. Video from Monday’s demonstration shows dozens of youth activists gathered in the State Capitol, holding signs that say, “We elected you, meet with us,” and “Minnesota Green New Deal.” “Even though they are not here right now, we’re going to make sure that they hear our message and that they hear our words, because they have to listen to us as public servants serving the state of Minnesota,” one speaker said during the event, referring to Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) and Lt. Gov Peggy Flanagan (D-MN). The following morning, Walz announced that he would refile an appeal against the Enbridge Line 3 replacement project, as The Minnesota Sun reported. “We are extremely glad that the governor has acknowledged the importance…

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Walz Faces Big Decision on Pipeline Project as Both Sides Mount Pressure

Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) has less than 20 days to make a decision on the highly controversial Enbridge Line 3 pipeline project, according to the Minnesota Court of Appeals. On February 5, the Minnesota Court of Appeals dismissed a last-minute appeal of the project made by former Gov. Mark Dayton’s (D-MN) Department of Commerce. The court has given Walz a 20-day window to refile the appeal or allow the project move forward. The court’s decision was mostly based on procedural reasons, saying the appeal was filed “prematurely” since it was made before the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) issued a final order for the project. Now, groups on both sides of the issue are pleading with Walz to support their cause. A group of bipartisan lawmakers sent a letter to Walz Friday morning urging him to support Line 3. “We strongly encourage you to support the project and direct state agencies to complete the permitting process that would allow this critically important project to move forward,” the letter states. “We believe after more than 3 ½ years of review and evaluation of the project by state and federal experts, 65 public meetings by state agencies, three weeks of evidentiary hearings by…

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Ilhan Omar’s State of the Union Guest Says Trump Should be ‘Ashamed of Himself’

Every member of Congress gets one guest ticket for the annual State of the Union address, and it’s often used to score quick political points. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), for instance, invited Linda Clark, an immigrant from Liberia who is at risk of deportation because of President Donald Trump’s decision to terminate the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) program. “Clark came to the United States in 2000, after fleeing Civil War in her home country of Liberia,” a press release from Omar’s office explains. “As a result of Trump’s decision, thousands of Liberian Americans could be removed from the U.S. at the end of March if DED is not renewed. Minnesota is home to the largest community of Liberian Americans of any state in the nation.” Omar said that Clark is “exactly the type of Americans success story we should celebrate,” calling her “someone who came to this country seeking a better life, played by the rules, and built a life for herself.” “I am pleased to have her join me at the State of the Union and urge the Trump Administration to renew DED status for Liberian Americans,” Omar said. “The president himself has expressed open hatred towards people fleeing…

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Professors Call Line 3 Pipeline ‘Science Denial’ During Protest at the Minnesota Capitol

Climate activists are continuing to pressure Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) against approving Enbridge’s Line 3 replacement pipeline, and on Thursday protested in the governor’s reception room of the Minnesota State Capitol. In November, the Public Utilities Commission unanimously voted in favor of green lighting the project, but former Gov. Mark Dayton’s (D-MN) Department of Commerce filed a last minute lawsuit to prevent the project from moving forward. Since his inauguration, activists have been following Walz everywhere he goes, and disrupted both his inaugural reception at the State Capitol and inaugural ball a few days later. A group called Science for the People joined the fight Thursday, and told Walz during a protest that allowing the project to move forward would be the equivalent of “climate change denial.” “If Gov. Walz truly wants to consult the science, we, as scientists, unequivocally state that forwarding fossil fuels infrastructure will have disastrous implications for Minnesota’s ecosystems, agriculture and economy,” Science for the People said in a statement before its Thursday protest. “Building Line 3 is climate change denial.” Christy Dolph, a University of Minnesota professor, encouraged her fellow scientists Thursday to “prevent ‘science’ from being used as cover for cowardly political decisions.” “We…

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Ilhan Omar Only Minnesota Politician to Address Women’s March Despite Group’s Struggles With Anti-Semitism

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) was the only elected official to speak at this year’s Women’s March Minnesota, and was invited to speak despite the organization’s recent condemnation of “those who have engaged in anti-Semitic, anti-woman, and anti-LGBTQ hate speech.” The national Women’s March has been roiled by controversies surrounding anti-Semitic comments made by its leaders, one of whom attended an event hosted by Louis Farrakhan as recently as last year. In response, Women’s March Minnesota issued a January 10 press release “reevaluating its ties to Women’s March, Inc.” “Women’s March Minnesota does not and will not tolerate the language or practice of hate,” the group said. “We will not tolerate anti-Semitism, racism, misogyny, homophobia, and transphobia and we condemn these expressions of hatred in all forms.” The group went on to claim that it was “charting a new course into what 2019 looks like for Women’s March Minnesota.” But during its annual march Saturday, the only elected official to address attendees was Omar, who has been dealing with charges of anti-Semitism of her own, as The Minnesota Sun reported. “We fight because we recognize that women’s rights are civil rights. This June will mark a century since the 19th Amendment was…

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Keith Ellison Says Minnesota Attorney General’s Office Prepared to Take ‘Legal Action’ in Response to Shutdown

Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) was joined by a large cohort of bipartisan lawmakers, top administrative officials, and local faith leaders Tuesday to discuss the impact of the partial government shutdown on Minnesota. According to Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Myron Frans, the state receives roughly $1 billion in federal funding per month, and about a quarter of state agencies are currently affected by the shutdown. The group of state leaders stressed in particular the impact the shutdown is having on programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), veterans health care, and Medicaid. The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a one-month extension for SNAP benefits that will last through mid-February, and Walz has directed the Minnesota Department of Human Services to ensure recipients “are informed about any changes to their SNAP food benefits.” Attorney General Keith Ellison spoke at Tuesday’s press conference and argued that the “literally hundreds of federal streams of income” are “contractually obligated to flow.” “From the attorney general’s standpoint, we’re here and we are busy working to make sure that these promises are kept. And we’re exploring the remedies that we have available to us to make sure the federal government meets its obligations,” he said.…

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Walz Nominee for DNR Commissioner Worked for Activists Suing to Stop Mining Project

Gov.-elect Tim Walz (D-MN) named Sarah Strommen his commissioner for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Thursday in a move some Republicans say raises “red flags.” Strommen has worked in various roles in her more than 20-year career of interacting with the DNR, and most recently served as the assistant commissioner for the divisions of Fish and Wildlife, and Parks and Trails at the Minnesota DNR. But she also worked as policy director for Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, a group that sued the federal government to block a mining project in northeastern Minnesota. In May 2018, the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management reinstated federal leases for a Twin Metals copper-nickel underground mine close to Ely and resting on Birch Lake, a body of water that flows into the Boundary Waters. That has made the project the ire of local and national environmental groups who are suing the federal government to prevent it from moving forward, according to The Star Tribune. In total, three complaints were filed against the Interior Department, one from a cohort of national environmental groups, another from a group of nine local Minnesota businesses, and the last from Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness.…

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Minnesota Politicians Invade State Fair, But Voters Want to Leave Politics At Home

Tom Walz, Jeff Johnson

Each year, the Minnesota State Fair looks more and more like a political convention, but this year fair-goers seem to have had enough of the politicization of the Great Minnesota Get-Together. Both major parties, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party and the state GOP, have booths at the fair with their respective candidates for elected office campaigning all day long throughout the fairgrounds. DFL candidate for governor Rep. Tim Walz and his running mate Peggy Flanagan chronicled their adventures at the fair on Twitter, posting of video of Walz delivering “Sweet Martha’s Cookies” to the GOP booth. “Minnesotans can show this nation that our politics doesn’t need to be narrow and divisive. It can be inclusive, it can be hopeful, it can be visionary, and it can be about one Minnesota gathering together,” Walz said to a crowd of fair-goers. Kicking off the Minnesota State Fair with a visit to the @MinnesotaDFL booth! Together, we can make our vision for #OneMinnesota a reality. pic.twitter.com/Tg52inyLEG — Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) August 23, 2018 Walz’s opponent, Republican Jeff Johnson, is also making his presence known at the annual gathering, which broke its opening day attendance record Thursday with 122,695 Minnesotans in attendance. “Excited to be…

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