Tag: Minnesota Senate

Republicans shift to limit, not undo, Minnesota governor’s emergency powers

They want to limit, not undo, Walz’s authority.

After spending most of last year trying to undo Gov. Tim Walz’s emergency powers, Republicans in control of the Minnesota Senate are trying a new strategy.

They’ve introduced more than half a dozen proposals this session that would not end the peacetime state of emergency outright but would dramatically change how long the governor could wield executive power without legislative approval and limit his ability to shutter schools and businesses in response to the corona­virus pandemic.

“It’s one of our strongest messages that we’ll push this year,” said Sen. Andrew Mathews, R-Princeton, whose measure would allow businesses to fully reopen if they have a COVID-19 safety plan in place. Continue reading.

Senate DFL Week in Review: January 22, 2021

Clean Cars rules
and everything happening in the Legislature this week

Clean Cars rules continue to be topic of discussion in Republican Senate

Senate Republicans held two hearings this week to once again discuss Governor Walz’s proposed Clean Cars rules, despite having held hearings on the topic within the past year. A joint hearing was held by the Environment and Natural Resources Finance Committee and the Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Legacy Finance Committee, and another hearing on the topic was held later in the week by the Transportation Committee. Read more >>

Minnesota vaccination plans prep for expansion

The Health and Human Services Committee received an update from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) on vaccine rollout and the new community pilot program that started this week.  Vaccinations in nursing homes and assisted living facilities are moving steadily, either through a federal pharmacy program or in partnership with local vaccinators. Read more >>

Continue reading “Senate DFL Week in Review: January 22, 2021”

Senate DFL leader asks Majority Leader Paul Gazelka to resign his leadership post amid virus outbreak

Accused of hiding GOP outbreak, Senate leader tested positive himself. 

Hours after Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka said Sunday that he has tested positive for COVID-19, the DFL called on him to resign from his leadership post, saying he mishandled an outbreak among the GOP ranks.

Gazelka, R-East Gull Lake, said he has been in quarantine since experiencing symptoms Nov. 9 and “will remain in quarantine as long as my doctor advises me to.”

DFL Senate Leader Susan Kent said GOP gatherings led to an outbreak and that the information wasn’t shared with Senate DFLers or nonpartisan staff. Continue reading.

As virus cases surge, Republicans let Walz keep powers without a fight

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA. (FOX 9) – As the coronavirus surges in Minnesota, Republican lawmakers let Gov. Tim Walz keep his emergency powers without a fight during Thursday’s unprecedented sixth special session of 2020.

More than 60 percent of senators decided to vote from home Thursday. Republican Sen. Dave Senjem told FOX 9 he tested positive over the weekend after developing a slight cough, and was isolating at home in Rochester but feeling better. 

Senjem said he attended Senate Republicans’ leadership election last Thursday before feeling symptoms. He said he likely got the virus before that, while campaigning in his district last week. Continue reading.

Minnesota Senate DFL End of Session Review

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SPECIAL SESSION #1

Governor Tim Walz extended his peacetime emergency, which fostered the need for a special session that started June 12 and provided the opportunity to pass several important provisions such as police reform and accountability, a robust bonding bill to build a stronger, more equitable economy, and the distribution of millions of dollars in federal assistance to local units of government from the CARES Act.

Hundreds of protesters gathered at the Capitol on Friday — the Juneteenth celebration of the end of slavery — to demand passage of the House DFL’s criminal justice package. It would add more officer training, boost community-led alternatives to policing, and raise the threshold for using deadly force from “apparent” to “imminent” threats to officers and others. Unfortunately, Senate Republicans didn’t listen to people from the community, the POCI Caucus, or recommendations from the taskforce, and this important legislation did not pass as a result.

Senate Republicans also held up negotiations on a bonding bill – leaving jobs on the table as Minnesotans are facing the economic storm brought on by COVID-19.  A bonding bill is an economic development tool that will create thousands of much-needed jobs across the state, put more Minnesotans back to work, boost our economic recovery with shovel-ready projects, protect our state-owned assets, and make sound investments that Minnesota communities are asking for. A Special Session agreement was never reached so a vote never took place on the floor in either body. The chairs in the House and Senate had indicated that they will continue to work together to find an agreement that everyone can support. Continue reading “Minnesota Senate DFL End of Session Review”

Gun safety group plans to spend $1M to flip Minnesota Senate

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A major gun control group with ties to former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Tuesday it plans to spend at least $1 million to try to flip the Minnesota Senate to Democratic control and keep the Minnesota House in the hands of lawmakers who back its positions.

The Everytown for Gun Safety Victory Fund has targeted the state Senate because Republicans hold just a three-vote majority there. But GOP senators have blocked legislation supported by the Democratic-controlled House and Democratic Gov. Tim Walz for universal background checks on gun sales and a “red flag law” that would allow courts to temporarily confiscate guns from people judged to be an imminent threat to themselves or others.

The fund and an affiliated group, Moms Demand Action, are focusing on 12 Senate districts now held by Republicans, mostly in the Twin Cities suburbs, Rochester and St. Cloud. They’re also targeting five GOP-held House districts while trying to defend a dozen legislative seats held by supporters. Their first ad attacks GOP lawmakers for refusing to consider the two gun control bills. Continue reading.

DFL Party Blasts Senate GOP for Voting to End State of Emergency

DFL to Paul Gazelka: Emergency Is Not Over

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, Minnesota Senate Republicans voted to end the state of emergency that Minnesota is using to combat COVID-19. Prior to that vote, Senator Paul Gazelka declared that “the emergency part of this pandemic is over.”

This comes despite the fact that over 3.3 million Americans, or 1 in every 100 Americans, has tested positive for COVID-19, and despite the fact that the United States is regularly breaking records for the number of positive cases that come in every day. Amidst this surge, the COVID-19 death rate has started to increase again after months of slowly declining. Continue reading “DFL Party Blasts Senate GOP for Voting to End State of Emergency”

DFL Party Launches Digital Ad Campaign Targeting Senate GOP on Police Reform

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party is announcing a digital ad campaign on Facebook and Instagram targeting key Republican Senators standing in the way of passing real police reform. The ads launched on Thursday and will run into next week.

The ad campaign is targeting Senators Dan Hall, Paul Anderson, Warren Limmer, Karin Housley, Jerry Relph, David Senjem, Carla Nelson, and Jason Rarick. Each ad directs a Senator’s constituents to a website encouraging them to call and write their Senator to demand real police reform.

Examples of DFL Party police reform digital ads: Continue reading “DFL Party Launches Digital Ad Campaign Targeting Senate GOP on Police Reform”

Senate DFL: End of Session Review

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The 91st legislative session ended on Sunday, May 17, 2020 with the Minnesota Legislature adjourning sine die.

The 2020 legislative session began on February 11 with a positive budget balance of $1.5 billion and a strong economic outlook for Minnesota. By mid-March, the COVID-19 pandemic had completely upended the state’s economic forecast and forced the Legislature to change how it did its work. Virtual committee hearings became the norm, and floor session changed dramatically with social distancing and some members voting remotely. A normal year became laser focused on measures to keep Minnesotans safe and to address the fallout of COVID-19.

With the costs of dealing with the pandemic rising and less revenue coming in for the state, Minnesota’s initial positive budget outlook swung to a $2.4 billion projected budget deficit. The updated May budget outlook confirms what we suspected: COVID-19 has created unprecedented economic disruption. This $4 billion swing in the economy presented a clear contrast on how to respond. Senate DFLers favored direct aid to help families and small businesses to weather this storm through support for housing, health care, education, and economic grants. Senate Republicans instead doubled down on costly tax cuts that would only make a dire situation worse. Continue reading “Senate DFL: End of Session Review”