Tag: Tim Walz

Minnesota GOP House Leader Calls 2019 Session ‘Least Productive’ and ‘Least Transparent’ in History

Anthony Gockowski

  House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt (R-Crown) had some harsh words for his Democratic colleagues in the Minnesota House after the 2019 legislative session came to an official close Monday at midnight. Party leaders and Gov. Tim Walz agreed on a $48.3 billion biennial budget on Sunday, giving lawmakers hardly a day to wrap things up. By Monday’s midnight deadline, the Minnesota House and Senate had sent just one major budget bill to Walz’s desk—a higher education finance bill. A special session is inevitable, but nobody seems to know exactly when it will start or how long it will take. Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-Nisswa) has been telling reporters that he hopes to have a special session on Thursday and possibly Friday, before Memorial Day weekend. Just ran into Sen Gazelka, he says he’s still feeling good about a Thursday/Friday special session #mnleg @TPT #tptAlmanac — Mary Lahammer (@mlahammer) May 21, 2019 One thing is for sure: Daudt was not pleased with how the 2019 session transpired. “This has been the least productive, least transparent session in the history of this state. Minnesotans should be ashamed of the process at the end of this legislative session. They passed one…

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Despite Budget Surpluses, Tax Increases Still Debated in Minnesota as May 20 Deadline Looms

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by Bethany Blankey   Joint conference committees continue to hash out differences with the hope of reaching the May 20 deadline and closing a $2 billion gap between conflicting budget priorities. Still up for discussion in the Minnesota legislature are proposed fees on drug distributors and manufacturers to pay for opioid addiction, treatment and prevention, which opponents argue doesn’t address the real issue and would only suppress an industry providing medication to people who need them. Instead of targeting businesses, stricter criminal justice measures should be implemented, they argue. Another is allocating federal money toward securing the voting system, a 20-cent gas tax hike on top of additional spending on transportation projects, extending a 2 percent tax on medical providers, known as the “sick tax,” which is set to expire, in addition to increased spending on healthcare programs at a time when extensive fraud was uncovered by the state auditor’s office. The jobs and energy conference committee is grappling with a statewide family leave program paid for through a new tax on employees and employers, and a Senate spending bill that would block cities from passing and enforcing their own employment ordinances. The bill would likely reverse the Minneapolis ordinance…

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Minnesota Budget Talks Break Down as Shutdown Looms

Anthony Gockowski

  Budget negotiations broke down Monday night as a visibly frustrated Gov. Tim Walz emerged from a third round of meetings and blasted Republicans in the Senate. “I don’t have fair partners to work with right now,” Walz said during a 15-minute conversation with reporters. “They cannot stand in front of you with a straight face, no matter how many emojis are behind them.” Walz was referring to Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka’s (R-Nisswa) use of a chart containing emojis to explain the Republicans’ latest budget offer. “Minnesota is in good shape with enough money in our budget, reserves, and surplus. No need for a $12 billion increase in taxes over the next four years,” the Senate GOP wrote on Twitter. Minnesota is in good shape with enough money in our budget, reserves, and surplus! No need for a $12 billion increase in taxes over the next 4 years. 👍🏻 #mnleg pic.twitter.com/km3h8oUI2a — Minnesota Senate Republicans (@mnsrc) May 14, 2019 The Republican-controlled Senate has been unwilling to budge on the 20-cent gas tax increase or the continuation of the medical provider tax. Instead, Republicans would like to pull $75 million for K-12 education, and $25 million for public safety from…

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Conference Committees Meet to Hash Out Tax, Spending Increases in Minnesota Budgets

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by Bethany Blankley   With 17 days to go before the end of session, legislative conference committees began meeting Friday to hash out differing proposals for three of the most contentious omnibus bills yet to be voted on by the full Legislature. The Omnibus tax bill, Omnibus Health and Human Services (HHS), and Omnibus jobs and economic development, energy and climate, and telecommunications policy and finance bills are all expected to be revised through the weekend. Omnibus bills include numerous items that might not be passed on their own and only require a single legislative vote. The House Omnibus HHS bill alone is 1,043 pages long. Both Democratic Gov. Tim Walz’s budget proposal and the Democratic House spending plan raise taxes at a time when the state’s tax revenue is at a record high with an expected billion-dollar surplus. The House plan includes new payroll taxes, new licensing fees and government mandates, in addition to other measures, which the Department of Revenue states would hurt low-income Minnesotans the most. The department’s report estimates that individuals earning less than $14,528 annually would pay an extra $2.37 for every $100 of income, more than double what the highest income earners would pay. On…

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Conference Committees Meet to Hash Out Tax, Spending Increases in Minnesota Budgets

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by Bethany Blankley   With 17 days to go before the end of session, legislative conference committees began meeting Friday to hash out differing proposals for three of the most contentious omnibus bills yet to be voted on by the full Legislature. The Omnibus tax bill, Omnibus Health and Human Services (HHS), and Omnibus jobs and economic development, energy and climate, and telecommunications policy and finance bills are all expected to be revised through the weekend. Omnibus bills include numerous items that might not be passed on their own and only require a single legislative vote. The House Omnibus HHS bill alone is 1,043 pages long. Both Democratic Gov. Tim Walz’s budget proposal and the Democratic House spending plan raise taxes at a time when the state’s tax revenue is at a record high with an expected billion-dollar surplus. The House plan includes new payroll taxes, new licensing fees and government mandates, in addition to other measures, which the Department of Revenue states would hurt low-income Minnesotans the most. The department’s report estimates that individuals earning less than $14,528 annually would pay an extra $2.37 for every $100 of income, more than double what the highest income earners would pay. On…

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Polling Continues to Show Strong Opposition to 20-Cent Gas Tax Increase

Anthony Gockowski

  Veteran political reporter Tom Hauser was chastised in December by at least one state representative when he correctly pointed out that all but one recent poll showed opposition to a gas tax increase. Hauser said at the time that “nearly ever poll,” with the exception of one Star Tribune poll, showed that a majority or plurality of Minnesotans opposed an increase in the state’s gas tax, as The Minnesota Sun reported. He noted that “every KSTP/SurveyUSA poll in the last 15 years” found opposition to an increase. Polling has continued to confirm Hauser’s analysis. A late April poll from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and the Minnesota Business Partnership found that 65 percent of Minnesotans oppose Gov. Tim Walz’s proposed 20-cent gas tax hike. Now, a new poll conducted for the Center of the American Experiment by Meeting Street Research has found similar results. The poll, published in the latest issue of Thinking Minnesota, found that 60 percent of Minnesotans oppose the 20-cent increase, and 45 percent are strongly opposed. Just 35 percent of respondents said they support the increase, and an even smaller 17 percent “strongly” support it. The 20-cent increase, which was approved Monday by the Minnesota…

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Minnesota House Approves 20 Cent Gas Tax Hike, Likely DOA in Senate

Anthony Gockowski

  The Minnesota House approved a 20-cent gas tax increase Monday in a vote along party lines, but the proposal is likely dead-on-arrival in the Republican-controlled Senate. “We’re not going to do a gas tax. I’ve made it very clear that is not a direction we’re going to go,” Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-Nisswa) said Monday, according to The Star Tribune. The transportation bill passed the House in a 74 to 58 vote. Under the bill, the state’s gas tax would jump from 28.5 cents per gallon to 48.5 cents, which is a 70 percent increase. The bill also included a metro-wide sales tax to help fund Light Rail, a vehicle registration tax increase, and a new vehicle tax increase. “The House DFL’s plan to raise excessive tax and fees, including a 70 percent gas tax increase, a metro area sales tax, and more expensive tab fees is reckless and will cause serious financial harm to Minnesota families,” Rep. Jon Koznick (R-Lakeville) said. “Their plan puts Minnesota drivers in reverse.” DFL legislators staunchly defended the tax increases during a Monday press conference held before the vote. “This morning we are joining Gov. [Tim] Walz in offering Minnesotans a choice.…

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Minnesota Dept. of Revenue: Walz Tax Proposals Would Hurt the Poor Most

Anthony Gockowski
Gov. Tim Walz

  A new analysis from Gov. Tim Walz’s own Department of Revenue shows that his tax proposals would hurt the poorest Minnesotans the most. The Tax Research Division of the Minnesota Department of Revenue released its tax incidence analysis Tuesday, and looked at the combined changes that would be made under Walz’s tax, transportation, and health and human services bills. Overall, the report found that the combined increase in tax collections under Walz’s budget proposal is estimated to be $2.372 billion in 2021, of which $2.104 billion is “borne by Minnesota residents.” The average increase in total taxes paid would be 6.52 percent, though the increases would be higher for the bottom five income brackets than the top five. Specifically, the analysis shows that the lowest income bracket would see an 8.5 percent increase in tax burdens while the highest income bracket would see a 4.3 percent increase. Looked at a different way, Minnesotans’ state and local tax burden would increase by an average of 0.76 percent of income. The report, however, states that “the increased tax burden is largest for the lowest deciles and declines at higher income ranges.” The tax burden for the top one percent of earners…

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Poll Finds Minnesotans Overwhelmingly Oppose 20-Cent Gas Tax Increase

Anthony Gockowski

A new poll released last week by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce found overwhelming opposition to an increase in the state’s gas tax. The poll, conducted in conjunction with the Minnesota Business Partnership, discovered that nearly two-thirds of voters statewide oppose Gov. Tim Walz’s proposed 20-cent gas tax hike. The results of the poll show that 65 percent of respondents oppose the increase, while 54 percent are “strongly” opposed. Those numbers are even higher for Greater Minnesota respondents. Seventy-five percent of those surveyed in Greater Minnesota oppose a 20-cent increase, and 63 percent said they were strongly opposed. That’s compared to 57 percent of Twin Cities respondents who said they were opposed, while 40 percent in the metro area support the increase. As an alternative, 64 percent of Minnesotans said they are in favor of dedicating the auto parts sales tax to the transportation budget. Minnesota’s gas tax is currently the 24th highest in the country, and was last raised in 2008. A poll from The Star Tribune in October found that 56 percent of Minnesotans actually support a gas tax increase. That poll, however, asked about a 10-cent increase, as opposed to the 20-cent increase mentioned by the Minnesota…

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Minnesota Democrats Criticized for Not Taking Child Care Fraud ‘Seriously’ After Release of Second Report

Anthony Gockowski

A second report released last week by the non-partisan Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) found that the Minnesota Department of Human Services’ “program integrity controls are insufficient to effectively prevent, detect, and investigate fraud” in the state’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). In March, the OLA released its first report on the issue, which found “pervasive” fraud in the program and confirmed that millions of dollars in government payments went to fraudulent child care centers. After the release of the report, DHS Inspector General Carolyn Ham (pictured, left) was placed on “investigate leave.” The OLA’s second report, released Wednesday, focused more specifically on the “internal controls” in place within DHS to prevent fraud. The 44-page report produced five key findings, including: DHS and county agencies did not sufficiently leverage independent, external data sources to verifying recipient eligibility for CCAP. DHS had weak processes to validate that CCAP provider billings aligned with actual child care provided. Among other functions, MEC² (the payment system for CCAP) was developed to accurately process provider billings and payments; however, MEC² lacked some key controls to identify errors to inhibit, track, and recover improper payments. DHS did not implement sufficient program integrity controls for licensing…

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Walz Calls for Writing a ‘New Story’ of Bipartisanship in First State of the State

Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) delivered his first State of the State Address Wednesday night and called on members of the Minnesota House and Senate to “write a new story” of bipartisanship. Walz stuck to his typical off-the-cuff speaking style, and began his address by taking an implicit shot at President Donald Trump. “We’re not here to send out mean tweets,” he said, though most of his speech focused on a theme of “writing a different story.” To drive his point home, Walz invited several guests who have been impacted by the debates taking place at the State Capitol, such as a former neighbor from Mankato who lost her husband in a car accident. According to Walz, he was “hit head-on on Highway 14 and killed.” “That same highway has killed 145 people in the last three decades. It is the most dangerous in Minnesota,” he said. “My passion is not to pick a fight with you about transportation.” “I will gladly have the debate with you and a compromise to find how we do that. But here’s what I’m telling you: in the 23 years since Charlie has died, that is still a two-lane, dangerous road, and the time has…

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Tim Walz Spoke at Event Sponsored by Group Accused of Terror Connections

Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) spoke Thursday at an event sponsored by Minnesota’s chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) at Metropolitan State University. As The Minnesota Sun has reported, CAIR was listed by the Department of Justice as an unindicted co-conspirator in funding millions of dollars to Hamas, a terrorist organization. The United Arab Emirates listed CAIR as a terrorist organization along with al-Qaeda and ISIS. A recent online petition called on Attorney General William Barr to investigative Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13) for their ties to CAIR. “There’s no doubt that Tlaib and Omar have close-knit ties with Hamas-affiliated CAIR and we, as concerned citizens, call on Attorney General and U.S. Special Envoy for Antisemitism to investigate these ties,” the petition states. After his Thursday event, Walz specifically thanked CAIR for “putting on this event” on how to “challenge Islamophobia.” Hate and Islamophobia have no place in Minnesota. When our Muslim communities thrive, Minnesota thrives. Thank you to @CAIRMN and @Choose_Metro for putting on this event yesterday to address how to challenge Islamophobia. pic.twitter.com/WCctWr9KCZ — Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) March 29, 2019 “Hate and Islamophobia have no place in Minnesota. When our Muslim communities thrive,…

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Elections Omnibus Bill Would Make Minnesota Member of National Popular Vote Interstate Compact

Anthony Gockowski

An omnibus bill that could radically transform elections in Minnesota recently passed out of committee and is making its way through the Minnesota House. Among the most drastic proposals in the bill is one that would make Minnesota a member of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which is an agreement among states to award their entire Electoral College delegation to the winner of the national popular vote. Since 2007, 12 states and the District of Columbia have joined the compact, and several other states are currently considering joining. The agreement wouldn’t take effect until its member states cumulatively possess a majority of the electoral votes. The bill would also place Minnesota on a growing list of states to automatically restore voting rights to felons once they have completed their time behind bars. The omnibus bill incorporates elements of at least 10 bills introduced in the Minnesota House this session, and is sponsored by Rep. Raymond Dehn (DFL-Minneapolis), chair of the House Subcommittee on Elections, who said his proposal would bring “more integrity” to elections. The bill passed out of the House Subcommittee on Elections, and will next head to the House Government Operations Committee, according to a press release.…

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Minnesota Democrats Introduce $53 Million Omnibus Bill to Tackle Climate Change

Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota House Democrats on the Energy and Climate Finance and Policy Committee unveiled a $53 million omnibus bill this week to tackle climate change in the state. According to a House press release, the omnibus package incorporates elements of 16 different bills that have been introduced this session and is sponsored by Rep. Jean Wagenius (DFL-Minneapolis), chair of the committee. While introducing her bill, Wagenius claimed that research from the U.N. shows that “the world only has the next dozens years to sharply reduce carbon dioxide emissions to head off the most catastrophic impacts of climate change.” “The bill before you is a down payment on an effort to give young Minnesotans the kind of future they want and we want for them,” she said. “Dr. Mark Seeley said that Minnesota has experienced the most profound changes in the country due to climate change. He said the pace of change is unprecedented and well documented by science, and he said he could not overstate the problem.” A new $16 million “Solar for Schools” program would receive the most funding from the $53 million bill. The program, initially proposed in a bill sponsored by Rep. Patty Acomb (DFL-Minnetonka), would provide grants…

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Walz’s Revised Budget Proposal Still Includes 20-Cent Gas-Tax Increase

Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) was forced to reexamine his budget proposal “line by line” after the state’s budget forecast came up $492 million short of November’s estimated $1.5 billion surplus. But his recently released revised budget recommendations still include a 20-cent gas-tax hike. “The governor recommends the state commit to a major transportation investment plan to fund the estimated $6 billion gap that exists between funding needs and available revenues over the next 10 years. The governor proposes filling the $6 billion gap in road and bridge funding by initiating a 20 cent gas tax increase, including fuel in distributor storage at the start time of each increase,” the budget recommendations state. Walz is also calling for increasing the registration tax from 1.25 percent to 1.5 percent and increasing the motor vehicle sales tax from 6.5 percent to 6.875 percent. “This is not a choice between whether we want the gas tax or not. It’s a choice between living in a state with the best transportation system in the country or one with crumbling roads and bridges,” Walz said in February when unveiling his initial budget proposal. Overall, Walz’s budget proposal would raise spending by more than $3 billion, increasing…

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Walz Administration Recommends ‘Sensitivity Training’ in Response to Child Care Fraud

Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz wants staffers involved in Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) to undergo “cultural sensitivity and implicit bias” training after a recent report confirmed widespread fraud in the program. As The Minnesota Sun has reported, the Office of the Legislative Auditor’s long-awaited report confirmed that millions of dollars in government payments have gone to fraudulent child care centers, and described a “serious rift” among CCAP officials. The report suggested that some “child care center owners have recruited CCAP eligible mothers by offering to pay kickbacks to entice the mothers to advise county CCAP staff that their children are attending a particular center.” Walz decided to intervene this week, and had Deputy Department of Human Services Commissioner Chuck Johnson deliver a set of recommendations to the Minnesota House Early Childhood Committee. Among them was a proposal to require staffers to “undergo training on cultural sensitivity and implicit bias,” Fox 9 reports. The recommendations are now included in a bill introduced by House Democrats this week. “The commissioner of human services shall develop equity and implicit bias training for state and county licensors and require all licensors to receive this training within 30 days of initial hiring and once every…

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Unemployment Jumps, Minnesota Loses 8,800 Jobs During Walz’s First Full Month

Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development, or DEED, released its monthly jobs report Thursday, and the results weren’t good for Gov. Tim Walz’s first full month in office. According to the report, Minnesota lost 8,800 seasonally adjusted jobs in February, and the unemployment rate climbed from 3 percent to 3.1 percent, compared to a national unemployment rate of 3.8 percent. February 2019 saw 1,364 fewer jobs than February 2018 and was the first month of annual job decline since July 2010. Of the 11 major industries, seven saw job declines, with construction losing the most at 3,800 fewer jobs. “The most significant decline this month was in construction, losing 3,800 jobs—not shocking given the brutal February we had,” DEED Commissioner Steve Grove said in a news release. “Along with that, we know that Minnesota faces dwindling labor force growth—we can’t have job gains without people to fill the positions.” The trade, transportation, and utilities industry dropped 3,000 jobs, while education and health care lost 2,300 jobs, and manufacturing lost 1,600. The largest gain was recorded in the professional and business services industry with 1,300 new jobs, followed by 1,000 new jobs in financial activities, and 400 new jobs in…

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REPORT: 50 Percent Renewable Energy Mandate Would Cost Minnesota $80 Billion by 2050

Anthony Gockowski

A shocking new report from the Center of the American Experiment found that a 50 percent renewable energy mandate would cost $80.2 billion in Minnesota alone by the year 2050. Minnesota’s current renewable energy mandate, or REM, requires that 25 percent of the state’s electricity come from renewable sources by 2025, but some Democratic lawmakers would like to see that number raised to 50 percent by 2030. Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) recently proposed making Minnesota 100 percent carbon-free by 2050. The Center of the American Experiment’s report chose to focus on the 50 percent by 2030 figure since research has shown that “using wind, solar and batteries to achieve 100 percent of electricity generations would be exponentially more expensive than a 50 percent renewable benchmark.” It’s important to note that Walz’s proposal calls for 100 percent carbon-free energy, rather than strictly renewable energy, meaning sources like nuclear energy could still be used heavily. The report’s first finding states that a 50 percent REM would “increase electricity costs by $80.2 billion to meet mandated renewable energy goals and maintain this electric system through 2050.” The report, titled “Doubling Down on Failure,” further finds that a 50 percent REM would “destroy 20,950…

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Efforts to Subpoena DHS Inspector General to Discuss Child Care Fraud Repeatedly Blocked

Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota House Republicans made multiple attempts this week to subpoena Department of Human Services Inspector General Carolyn Ham to discuss the fraudulent activity in the state’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), but those efforts were repeatedly thwarted. On Wednesday, the Office of the Legislative Auditor released its long-awaited report on the fraud allegations against CCAP, confirming that millions of dollars in government payments went to fraudulent child care centers. The report also described a “serious rift” among officials running CCAP, and confirmed that some “child care center owners have recruited CCAP eligible mothers by offering to pay kickbacks to entice the mothers to advice county CCAP staff that their children are attending a particular center.” “I’m outraged at this, and so should Minnesotans be outraged,” Gov. Tim Walz told The Star Tribune in response to the report. “If we allow fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement, we’re depriving people on waiting lists and undermining trust in the system.” Republican lawmakers called for Ham’s resignation upon reading the report. Others raised questions about why her office is housed in the Department of Human Services in the first place, since her main task is to investigate the department’s programs, Rep. Mary Franson (R-Alexandria)…

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

Anthony Gockowski

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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Tim Walz Buried Gun Control Measures in His Budget Proposal

Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz’s (D-MN) budget proposal calls for a one-time payment of $350,000 and $200,000 each year thereafter to implement gun control measures that are currently being considered by the Minnesota Legislature. As The Minnesota Sun reported Friday, both a “red flag” bill and a universal background checks bill cleared the House Public Safety Committee this week. By including these proposals in his budget, however, Walz can sidestep the legislative process and secure gun control in the state through the passage of his budget. Buried in his proposal for the Department of Public Safety is a request for funds “totaling $350,000 in the FY20 and $200,000 each year ongoing for measures to prevent gun violence.” “The funding included in the budget provides resources to implement two proposals currently introduced in the legislature. First, the governor recommends a proposal to create a new requirement for background checks when private parties transfer any firearm. With the exception of immediate family members, private parties must obtain a transferee permit and all transfers will be subject to a background check,” Walz’s proposal states. It notes that an initial amount of $188,000 and an annual amount of $38,000 would be used “to modify and maintain…

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Walz Will Reexamine Budget Proposal ‘Line By Line’ After Forecast Comes Up $492 Million Short of Previous Estimates

Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) will have to reexamine his budget proposal “line by line” after Thursday’s budget forecast came up $492 million short of November’s estimated $1.5 billion surplus. It’s only been nine days since Walz unveiled his first budget proposal for the 2020-2021 biennium, which capped out at $49.5 billion. But after Thursday’s announcement, Walz will need to do some trimming. “Minnesota’s budget and economic outlook has weakened since November. The projected balance for the upcoming biennium is $1.052 billion, which is $492 million less than the November forecast,” Minnesota Management and Budget revealed in a press release. “Slower projected economic growth and lower observed collections compared to prior estimates result in a reduced revenue forecast throughout the budget horizon,” it adds. During a Thursday press conference, Walz acknowledged that he’ll need to “go back through line by line” with his commissioners, but insisted that “today’s forecast validates the approach we proposed in our One Minnesota budget.” “Our budget looks to the future—with investments in education, health care, and community prosperity—and that’s exactly what we need to do when facing slower economic growth,” he wrote on Twitter. Today's forecast validates the approach we proposed in our #OneMinnesota budget. Our…

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Angie Craig Refuses to Condemn New York Abortion Law at Town Hall

Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN-02) hosted her second town hall Saturday in Red Wing, Minnesota, where she was asked about a number of issues, including universal health care and abortion. “The other thing that I wanted to ask you about is we’ve seen states recently that passed laws that legalized abortions up to and including the time of birth. And whether that’s right or wrong or moral or immoral—that’s not the question I have. But do you feel that’s something that should be paid for as a part of health care?” one constituent asked Craig towards the end of the event. But Craig’s response was: “What I want to tell you is that I appreciate the values that your comment is coming from. I don’t believe it is any politician’s role to get in the middle of a discussion of reproductive rights between a woman and her physician. I don’t believe there is a role for the federal government with respect to that question. Craig then proceeded to close out the event and thank her supporters for attending. Earlier in the town hall, the Minnesota congresswoman was asked about universal health, which she said she “absolutely” supports, but clarified that she…

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

Anthony Gockowski

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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St. Paul, Minnesota’s Black Dog Cafe Regularly Hosts Trump Resistance Groups for Political Events

Anthony Gockowski

St. Paul’s popular Black Dog Cafe regularly hosts resistance groups formed in response to President Donald Trump’s 2016 election for political events. A collection of groups calling themselves “The MNLeg Coalition” meet once a month for a “Third Thursdays” event that provides the “progressive-values loving community” a chance to “come together, socialize, strategize, learn, and recharge to continue the good fight for justice and equality in Minnesota.” The coalition says that it is “made up of political resistance groups that started after the 2016 election.” According to the group’s website, at least four of these gatherings have taken place at Black Dog Cafe, including a February 21 event on “climate policy in Minnesota.” “Climate policy in Minnesota is having a moment—and not a moment too soon. Come hear from a range of experts and activists on the statewide movement to save our climate. Learn more about what’s at stake, what’s next, and what we can do locally to stop the damage being done to our climate,” a mailer for Thursday’s event states. Speakers included activists from the 100 Percent Campaign, a group seeking 100 percent renewable energy in Minnesota, as well as MN350, whose representative spoke on resisting the Enbridge…

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

Anthony Gockowski

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 Union Calls for Taxing the Rich to Pay for ‘$4 Billion Infusion’ in Public Schools

Anthony Gockowski

One of Minnesota’s largest teachers unions wants to tax the state’s wealthiest residents to fund a “$4 billion infusion” for public schools over the next two years. Education Minnesota, which boasts a membership of 80,000, called a press conference at the Minnesota Capitol Friday to lay out its vision for fully funding public schools. “These stories remind us that inventive solutions to the challenges facing Minnesota schools cost money, and there’s a price paid in lost learning and burnt-out educators when our society neglects the schooling of its children,” Education Minnesota President Denise Specht told reporters Friday. She said her organization ran “the numbers on what it really means to fully fund K-12 public education,” and found that it would cost “$3.7 billion to $4.3 billion for the next biennium.” “That’s a lot of money. The government will need to raise revenue from the richest Minnesotans and corporations to pay for it, and we believe that the public is on our side,” Specht continued, citing a New York Times poll that found three out of four voters support higher taxes on the wealthy. “Why? It’s probably because the richest one-percent now own 40 percent of our country’s wealth, and the…

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

Anthony Gockowski

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

Anthony Gockowski

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 Joins ‘Extreme Environmentalists’ in Petitioning Line 3 Project

Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) announced Tuesday morning that he would refile an appeal against the controversial Enbridge Line 3 replacement project. Minnesota’s Public Utilities Commission (PUC) unanimously approved of granting Enbridge a certificate of need to move forward with the project last summer. But former Gov. Mark Dayton (D-MN) made a last-minute appeal of the project through his Department of Commerce before leaving office. Dayton’s appeal was dismissed by the Minnesota Court of Appeals on February 5 because the court found that his petition was made “prematurely.” That decision granted Walz 20 days to decide between refiling the appeal or allowing the project to move forward. On Tuesday, Walz announced that he would follow his predecessor in petitioning the project. “Today, [Department of Commerce] will petition the PUC to reconsider its decision on the Enbridge Line 3 Pipeline Replacement Project, continuing a process begun by the Dayton administration,” Walz said in a statement. “Projects that impact our environment and economy must follow the process, the law, and the science.” Walz went on to say that projects “like these don’t just need a building permit to go forward, they also need a social permit.” “Over the past month, my administration has…

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Klobuchar Lays Out Vision for the White House: ‘It’s Time, America’

Anthony Gockowski

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota–Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) officially declared her candidacy for President of the United States Sunday during a snowy rally on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. Several of her Minnesotan colleagues spoke before her, including Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (D-MN) and Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN). Klobuchar’s Senate counterpart, Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), touted Klobuchar’s record of supporting Planned Parenthood, and criticized Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh for his alleged failure to adequately address Klobuchar’s line of questioning during his confirmation process. Prince, naturally, was invoked several times throughout the event and one of his former collaborators, DJ Dudley D, emceed the occasion. https://twitter.com/AGockowski/status/1094671348801175552 “Hey, if Prince could do that halftime show in all that rain, I can do this in this snow,” Klobuchar joked. Despite the blizzard-like conditions, Klobuchar managed to attract a massive crowd that was estimated at around 9,000 people. She began her address by thanking her “amazing and incredible team and staff for putting this together.” Leading up to her announcement, Buzzfeed News and Huffington Post released separate reports detailing Klobuchar’s abusive behavior toward her staff, which included claims that she “yelled, threw papers, and sometimes even hurled objects.” Klobuchar’s speech “We are gathered…

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

Anthony Gockowski

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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DFL Lawmakers Introduce House Bill 420 to Legalize Marijuana in Minnesota

Anthony Gockowski

DFL lawmakers took the first concrete steps to legalize recreational marijuana in Minnesota Monday by introducing companion bills in the Minnesota House and Senate. House File (HF) 420, sponsored by Rep. Mike Freiberg (D-Golden Valley), and Senate File (619), sponsored by Sen. Melissa Franzen (D-Edina), would make it legal in the state of Minnesota for a person “ 21 years of age or older” to “cultivate, possess, purchase, transfer, use, and consume cannabis, cannabis products, and cannabis accessories.” The House version of the bill already has 15 co-sponsors, while the Senate version has just two, though one is Republican Sen. Scott Jensen (R-Chaska). The bills would allow employers to adopt a policy that “prohibits the consumption of cannabis or cannabis products in the workplace” or working “while under the influence of cannabis.” They would not, however, allow an employer to “discipline or discriminate against an employee or prospective employee because the employee or prospective employee has metabolites of cannabis in the employee’s or prospective employee’s blood.” Additionally, with some exceptions, residential landlords would not be allowed to prohibit “the possession of cannabis or cannabis products or the consumption of cannabis or cannabis products by nonsmoking means by a tenant who…

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

Anthony Gockowski

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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Pro-Legalization Protesters Mock and Shout Down Minnesota Mother Who Lost Son to Impaired Driver

Anthony Gockowski

A Wednesday press conference at the Minnesota State Capitol kicked off what is sure to be an emotional and divisive debate over the legalization of marijuana. The press conference was called by Smart Approaches to Marijuana Minnesota, and both Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom and Dakota County Sheriff Tim Leslie were in attendance. But supporters of legalization repeatedly mocked and interrupted the speakers throughout their remarks, and essentially hijacked the news conference by the end of it. In one case, Sandy Melville, a woman who lost her son to an inebriated driver, was shouted down by protesters when she attempted to discuss how the issue has personally impacted her. “Minnesota road safety will be compromised even further by impaired drivers if this ridiculous initiative passes. Alcohol is legal, easy to get, hence the 24,000 DUI arrests a year. Legalizing recreational marijuana will likely cause a huge increase in DUI arrests,” Melville said, but was interrupted by sarcastic jeers from protesters. “It should be illegal. We should be a dry state,” one protester exclaimed. “If you can’t support cannabis, you can’t support alcohol,” another added. “You can’t support cigarettes either.” Melville went on to reveal that her son was “thrown 51-feet”…

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

Anthony Gockowski

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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Minnesota’s Betty McCollum Introduces Constitutional Amendment to Make Health Care a Right

Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN-04) recently introduced an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would make health care a right for all American citizens. The Health Care for All Amendment, H.J. Res. 17, is currently co-sponsored by Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI-02) and states “health care, including care to prevent and treat illness, is the right of the people and necessary to ensure the strength of the nation.” “The Congress shall have power to enforce and implement this article by appropriate legislation,” the amendment states. In a press release announcing the amendment, McCollum bashed “the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans” for “actively and intentionally sabotaging our health care system,” while stating that “pharmaceutical companies are gouging consumers to extract huge profits.” “Strengthening the Affordable Care Act, expanding federal Medicare and Medicaid programs, protecting women’s reproductive rights, and working to build a system of universal health coverage are some of the steps Congress must take to ensure that the American people have the assurance and stability they deserve when it comes to receiving health care,” McCollum said. She went on to lament the treatment of health care as “a commodity driven by profit” that should not have to “be restricted or rationed according…

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Minnesota Receives ‘C’ Grade From Center for Education Reform, Cautions Against Walz’s ‘Authoritarian’ Approach

Anthony Gockowski
students in class

Minnesota received an overall C grade in parent empowerment on the Center for Education Reform’s annual Parent Power Index, which factors school choice, charter schools, personalized learning, teacher quality, and transparency into its grading system. With two school-choice programs, Minnesota received an F grading in the area of school choice, but still managed to score above the national average. Only one state, Florida, received an A for its school choice programs. Minnesota currently offers a K-12 Education Credit, which is an individual tax credit program that “offers families refundable tax credits for non-tuition educational expenses like tutoring, educational after-school programs and books.” The state also offers an Education Deduction program that allows “parents to deduct educational expenses, including tuition, tutoring, books, and more.” Overall, Minnesota ranked fourth on the Parent Power Index, which states that “only a lack of private school choice prevents this star from rising as high as it could.” “Like its North Star name suggests, Minnesota is truly a stellar state for education innovation. It was the first state to pass a charter school law, and it is now at the forefront of digital and personalized learning. Minnesota also offers many choices for high school students to…

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Senate DFL Introduces Slate of Identity Politics Bills, Seeks to Loosen Prevention of HIV in Blood Donations

Anthony Gockowski

The Minnesota State Senate plans to introduce 92 new pieces of legislation Monday, several of which are backed by the DFL, and focus on LGBT or race issues. Senate File (SF) 95, for instance, urges President Donald Trump and Congress to direct the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to “revise its current blood or plasma donor deferral policy related to men who have had sex with a man and to women who have had sex with a man who has had sex with another man within the previous 12 months from the most recent contact.” The resolution, co-authored by five DFL senators, argues that the United States is “facing a critical shortage of blood donations,” which could be offset by revising an FDA donor deferral policy that “prohibits approximately 19 million American men and women from donating blood and plasma.” “Advances in HIV donor testing have reduced the risk of HIV transmission from blood transmissions to about one in 1.47 million transfusions,” the bill continues, calling for a revised policy “based on individual assessment of the risk posed by the donor.” SF 107, meanwhile, calls for the establishment of a “Council on LGBTQI Minnesotans,” which would consist of “two members…

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Minnesota’s Republican-Controlled Senate Introduces 91 Bills, Seeks to Punish Sanctuary Cities

Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota’s Republican-controlled Senate hit the ground running Thursday by introducing 91 pieces of legislation. Many of the items correspond with the top five priorities Republicans outlined at a Tuesday press conference, though there were several noteworthy outliers. Senate File (SF) 80, for instance, would impose “aid reductions” on sanctuary cities in Minnesota. The bill defines a sanctuary city as any city that prohibits or restricts local public safety officials from enforcing federal immigration law, or any city “designated as a sanctuary jurisdiction” by the Department of Homeland Security. “Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, a city may not receive aid payment under sections 477A.011 to 477A.03 if it is determined to be a sanctuary city,” the bill states. Cities such as Minneapolis and Rochester have declared themselves sanctuary cities for illegal immigrants. Republicans also introduced what is often referred to as a “stand your ground” bill, which allows for the use of deadly force in life-situations and is generally pushed by pro-Second Amendment activists. “An individual taking defensive action pursuant to subdivision 2 may use all force and means, including deadly force, that the individual in good faith believes is required to succeed in defense,” SF 72 states, noting…

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Tim Walz Confronted by Pipeline Protesters at Capitol Hours After Inauguration

Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) faced his first test Monday just hours after being sworn in when protesters opposed to the Enbridge Line 3 Pipeline project disrupted his reception at the State Capitol. This isn’t the first time anti-pipeline activists have caused a public disruption. In November, they shut down a performance in Minneapolis after the Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously in favor of approving the project to replace Line 3. Activists say that replacing the aging pipeline, which crosses through northern Minnesota, could present the risk of an oil spill in the Mississippi River, and will contribute to climate change by adding high rates of carbon to the atmosphere. Now former Gov. Mark Dayton (D-M) made a last minute appeal of the project in December through his Department of Commerce, which said that Enbridge “failed to provide a future demand forecast for its product.” On Monday, activists with Stop Line 3 and Cooperation Northfield disrupted Walz while he delivered a speech to a crowd gathered at the State Capitol after his inauguration. The protesters began by draping banners from the Capitol rotunda containing riffs on his campaign slogan of “One Minnesota.” “Hey, Tim. We only have one Minnesota. Stop Line…

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

Anthony Gockowski

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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Ilhan Omar’s Daughter Leading Protest to Ask Walz for Executive Order on Climate Change

Anthony Gockowski

Rep.-elect Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN-05) daughter helped organize an upcoming rally at the Minnesota Capitol to urge the incoming governor to “issue an executive order limiting greenhouse gas emissions.” In a recent tweet, Isra Hirsi announced that “young people from across the state” will protest on January 9 to ask Gov.-elect Tim Walz (D-MN) to support their climate proposals and “demonstrate to us that protecting our futures will be a top priority for his admin.” On Jan 9th at 4pm inside the MN capitol, young people from across the state will ask Gov. @Tim_Walz to issue an executive order limiting greenhouse gas emissions, & demonstrate to us that protecting our futures will be a top priority for his admin. This event is 100% youth led! pic.twitter.com/tbHdJGWt0x — isra hirsi (@israhirsi) December 31, 2018 Hirsi, Omar’s daughter, claims that the “event is 100 percent youth led,” and is sponsored by the MN Can’t Wait climate-change organization, a self-described “movement of youth activists from all over Minnesota pushing for bold, necessary changes in our state to protect our futures from the climate crisis.” According to an event description for next week’s protest, student protesters will “be going to Gov. Walz’s office to send…

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Second Amendment Groups Vow to Fight Minnesota DFL’s Gun Control Efforts

Anthony Gockowski

The only thing barring Democrats from total control of Minnesota’s government is a one-seat Republican majority in the Senate, but that might not be enough to block gun-control efforts during the upcoming session. Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-Nisswa) recently indicated that he has “some openness” on the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party’s gun-control proposals, but insisted that he’s a “strong supporter of Second Amendment rights.” https://twitter.com/paulgazelka/status/1075130258813280258 But his December 18 tweet sparked some optimism among DFL legislators, who now believe they “have a pretty good chance this year of convincing suburban legislators who might have been reluctant in the past to vote for these bills,” Sen. Ron Latz (D-St. Louis Park) told KSTP. Latz said the DFL is looking at two specific gun-control policies, namely universal background checks in the state as well as a “red flag” law, which allows the state to temporarily seize guns from people who are deemed a danger to themselves or others. As Battleground State News reported Thursday, House Speaker-designate Melissa Hortman (D-Brooklyn Park) said a “gun violence prevention measure” can be expected in a package of bills introduced in January. Rob Doar, vice president and political director of Minnesota’s Gun Owners Caucus, noted that there…

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Gov.-Elect Lee, Other New Governors Meet With President Trump

Jason M. Reynolds

Gov.-elect Bill Lee met with President Donald Trump Thursday. Lee was among a group of 13 newly elected Republican and Democratic governors who met the president at the White House to talk about the workforce, veterans, infrastructure and other issues, WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News reported. At least five Cabinet secretaries were in attendance. Vice President Mike Pence also was in attendance, Fox 17 News reported. Trump tweeted, “Today, it was my honor to welcome our Nation’s newly elected Governors to the @WhiteHouse!” Today, it was my honor to welcome our Nation’s newly elected Governors to the @WhiteHouse! pic.twitter.com/LCpFIoRglp — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 13, 2018 The White House released a statement on the meeting which provided some of the comments the participants made. The president started off praising the newly elected governors: THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you very much. We have invited the nation’s — our great nation’s newly elected governors. And some really terrific people. They’re going to do a wonderful job. The president went on to call the governors-elect winners. Later in the meeting, the president congratulated Lee on his election: GOVERNOR-ELECT LEE: And I’m honored to be here today with you and with Mr. Vice President.…

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EXCLUSIVE: MyPillow’s Mike Lindell Opens Up About Trump, Crack, ‘Evil’ Ellison, and More

Admin
Mike Lindell

Mike Lindell, founder and CEO of MyPillow, first met President Donald Trump the summer before the 2016 election. “When I met him, I go: ‘Wow, there’s nobody on this planet I’d rather have be my president than Donald Trump,’” he told The Minnesota Sun, a state-focused news site that, like The Tennessee Star, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Star News Digital Media. Lindell was launched into the political scene after that summer meeting when he came out in support of then-candidate Trump. “First of all, let me get it straight. I was never a politician. I didn’t know a conservative from a liberal before I met Donald Trump,” he said in an interview. “I went all-in to back him and to get behind him to be our president. That’s when I actually had to learn what liberal is and what conservatism was. I had to learn all this.” Since then, Lindell has doubled-down on his support for the president, and has done so proudly. The MyPillow founder was recently chastised on social media for refusing to pull his advertisements from Laura Ingraham’s Fox News show. “I didn’t back down. I advertise across the board,” Lindell said, noting that he’s…

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

Anthony Gockowski
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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Republican Jeff Johnson Closing In On Tim Walz In Minnesota Governor’s Race

Anthony Gockowski
Jeff Johnson, Tim Walz

The latest poll out of Suffolk University shows that Republican gubernatorial candidate Jeff Johnson (pictured, left) trails his opponent Rep. Tim Walz (pictured, right) by only five points in the race for Minnesota’ governorship. The poll, conducted between August 17 and August 20, surveyed 500 Minnesotans on their opinions of candidates running in the upcoming gubernatorial and senatorial races, all of which are guaranteed to be high-stakes races for the typically blue state. Recurring physical and mental health issues have sidelined Gov. Mark Dayton, who will not seek reelection, leaving the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party endorsement open for Rep. Tim Walz, who is leading Johnson by a small margin of five points, according to Suffolk. In the governor’s race, Minnesota voters ranked healthcare as the most important issue facing the state, with gun control measures placing near the bottom at just 4.8 percent. The economy and taxes both tied for second at 16 percent. Among those polled, 47 percent answered that they are “extremely interested” in the race,” while another 32 percent responded that they are “very interested.” 90 percent of respondents said they will “almost certainly” vote in the upcoming midterm elections. Looking at the two Senate races in Minnesota,…

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Democrat Congressional Candidate Dean Phillips Supports Making Minnesota A Sanctuary State

Anthony Gockowski
Dean Phillips

In a heated first debate, incumbent Rep. Erik Paulsen squared off against his Democratic challenger Dean Phillips in their battle for Minnesota’s Third Congressional District. Although Paulsen has safely held the seat since 2009, Minnesota’s Democractic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party is hopeful that their candidate can pull off an upset, since the district went to Hillary Clinton during the 2016 Election. At one particular tense moment of Tuesday’s debate, Phillips was cornered into revealing that he would support gubernatorial candidate Rep. Tim Walz’s plan to declare Minnesota a sanctuary state, but only after insisting that he’s “in favor of law enforcement.” “I believe we need comprehensive immigration reform because we need more thoughtful laws and regulations that are decent, that take into account all the dynamics and the context in which they exist. And we need to hold people accountable in all of our laws and regulations,” Phillips responded to the question, saying he believes “laws in this country should be followed.” Phillips’ answer prompted the moderator to repeat his question, to which the DFL-backed candidate admitted that he would offer “short term” support of a sanctuary state option. “I believe humanity transcends nations,” he continued. “Yes, humans come first in my…

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Johnson and Walz Spar Over Taxes, Refugee Resettlement In First Minnesota Gubernatorial Debates

Anthony Gockowski
MN Governor Debate

It’s been just one week since Rep. Tim Walz and Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson won their respective primaries, but the two are already hitting the debate circuit in their race for Minnesota’s governor seat. On Friday, the two went head-to-head in front of a live audience in Nisswa, Minn., showing right off the bat that the fundamental differences between the two candidacies will come down to taxes and diversity-related issues. Johnson, on the one hand, promised not to raise a single tax, prompting his opponent Walz to criticize him for closing “the door on any potential negotiation.” He put himself “in a box that does not allow you ideologically to have that discussion,” Walz suggested. While both agreed that costs of healthcare in the state are too high, their visions of a solution were far different. Walz expressed support for a single-payer healthcare system, while Johnson favored a free-market solution. “I don’t believe that as governor I should be able to tell someone that if you think limited coverage is best for you, I know better. Let’s give people more options and choice,” Johnson commented, though Walz retorted by revealing that he believes “healthcare is a basic human right.”…

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