DFL Party Responds to GOP Contract on Minnesota

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA  – On Monday, the Minnesota DFL Party slammed the plan released by Minnesota Republicans to disregard the COVID-19 pandemic and allow for a total reopening of the state of Minnesota. 

In releasing their “Contract to Open Minnesota”, Republicans doubled down on their reckless disregard for the pandemic that has killed over 223,000 Americans and 2,200 Minnesotans by proposing to permit restaurants, bars, and other venues to completely reopen with no capacity, social distancing, or masking requirements.

DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin released the following statement:

“Make no mistake, the Minnesota Republican Party’s plan to entirely ignore COVID-19 is going to get people killed. Republican leaders like Donald Trump, Paul Gazelka, Kurt Daudt, and Jennifer Carnahan have already exposed Minnesotans to COVID-19 through their reckless campaigning and this plan will only make things worse.

Continue reading “DFL Party Responds to GOP Contract on Minnesota”

DFL Party Responds to Daudt’s Promise to Block Bonding Bill

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, Republican House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt declared his intention to block a bonding bill, leaving thousands of Minnesotans out of work, until the state of emergency ends in Minnesota.

Daudt’s declaration comes despite the fact that 76% of the American people support a continuation of the Stay at Home Orders that top medical experts say have saved countless lives nationwide. It also comes despite the fact that over one million Americans have contracted COVID-19 and almost 70,000 have lost their lives in the span of a few short months.

Ken Martin, Chairman of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party released the following statement in response to Minority Leader Kurt Daudt’s promise to block a bonding bill: Continue reading “DFL Party Responds to Daudt’s Promise to Block Bonding Bill”

Speaker Hortman on conclusion of investigation into Rep. Long’s employment at the University of Minnesota

House DFL logoSAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — On September 20, Speaker Hortman directed House Research to retain an outside investigator to review, on behalf of the House, questions raised by Rep. Swedzinski and Rep. Daudt about Rep. Jamie Long’s employment at the University of Minnesota’s Energy Transition Lab. The House retained Amy Schwartz of the law firm Ballard Spahr for this purpose. The investigation has been completed and found no wrongdoing on the part of Rep. Long.

House Speaker Melissa Hortman released the following statement:

“The report we received from a neutral third party completely exonerates Representative Long from all allegations of impropriety made by Representatives Swedzinski and Daudt.”

The full report can be found here.

Rep. Kurt Daudt joins lobbying-linked firm, will still serve as lawmaker

He is the Minority Leader in the Minnesota House of Representatives.

Minnesota’s House Minority Leader, Rep. Kurt Daudt, has been appointed the Director of Public Affairs for a firm that connects clients to government lobbyists, but says he will continue to serve as a lawmaker.

Daudt, the former House Speaker and the Republican representative for House District 31A, has joined Virginia-based Stateside Associates, which seeks to coordinate advocacy and influence policy on behalf of its clients at the state and local government level across the U.S.

The announcement on Friday says that Daudt’s role “does not involve lobbying,” and it’s a part-time position that allows him to continue to serve in the Minnesota Legislature.

View the complete November 22 article by Adam Uren on the Bring Me the News website here.

MN Supreme Court says Mark Dayton’s veto of legislative budget was constitutional

The following article by Rachel E. Stassen-Berger was posted on the Pioneer Press website September 8, 2017:

Credit: Steve Mullis, MPR

The Minnesota Supreme Court on Friday decided that Gov. Mark Dayton’s veto of the House and Senate budgets earlier this year was constitutional.

“We hold that the governor’s exercise of his line item veto authority … was constitutional,” Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea wrote. “This conclusion, however, does not end the matter.”

The justice wrote that the court does not believe it has the authority to order the Legislature funded, as did a previous district court, while the dispute goes on. Therefore it ordered Dayton, a Democrat, and the Republican Legislature back into talks with a mediator. Continue reading “MN Supreme Court says Mark Dayton’s veto of legislative budget was constitutional”

Rep. Daudt’s Flip Flop on Remodeling Money

Flipo FlopsPatrick Condon with the StarTribune published an article in the August 25, 2015 issue of that paper titled “Speaker says additional Capitol restoration money he sought should be spent where it’s most needed”.  In it, Mr. Condon details Rep. Daudt’s comments at the State Capitol Preservation Commission meeting.  Even with a written e-mail chain showing the money request for the House Majority Caucus space upgrades came from his office.

Sounds like a pretty visual and loud flip flop to us.

You can read the original article here.

Speaker Daudt Cannot be Trusted

08.21.15.daudtleftThis week Minnesotans learned that Speaker of the House Kurt Daudt lobbied for $2 million in furniture for the Minnesota Capitol, including $10,000 for a door for his new “Speaker’s suite.”

“Daudt couldn’t find $30,000 to help Minnesota’s deaf children, but he wants to turn our Capitol restoration into his personal version of HGTV’s ‘Property Brothers’ using taxpayer dollars,” said DFL Chairman Ken Martin.

Once again Daudt has shown he cannot be trusted, Martin said. Daudt promised to rein in government spending, but in addition to his $10,000 door voted for the largest budget in state history. Daudt promised to make rural communities a priority, and then zeroed out funding to expand broadband. Daudt promised to fix our roads and bridges but did nothing to make this a reality.

“Minnesotans deserve a leader who will be responsible with state resources and take the steps to grow Minnesota’s economy and open the doors of success to everyone.”

House GOP Upped Budget for Capitol Furniture $2 Million

Ornate DoorThe Democrats are the party of spending taxpayers money according to the Republicans, right?  Not really.  Especially if you think you’re keeping the spending on the down low, it seems.

In this year’s legislative session, the House Republicans “quietly pushed to bump up the furnishings allocation by $2 million, or 45 percent.” the Associated Press reports.  In addition to more “historically compatible furniture in spaces, higher-end upholstery, refinished hardwood flooring rather than carpet in leadership offices” there’s that $10,000 for a door on House Speaker Daudt’s office suite. (That must be some door.)

Speaker Daudt’s position is this is “to take it back as close to 1905 as we could.” If that’s the case, why did they bury the increase in a borrowing plan that “emerged just days before it was voted on in a June special session”?

As WCCO reported:

“Emails and other agency documents obtained under a government records request the AP made in late June reflect how top aides for Daudt approached state officials about going beyond the original scope. In response, the officials prepared estimates: $1 million to go from mid-range to high-end seating in committee rooms and other parts of the Capitol; $20,312 to refinish oak floors in four leadership offices rather than laying down carpet; and $10,033 for the door and custom hardware.

While the estimates were discussed internally, agency officials spoke in broader terms about $1.3 million in extra costs for upgraded features. Daudt said the GOP opted to set aside $2 million in case bids come in higher. “If we don’t need it, we don’t need it,” he said.

By comparison, the construction budget for the new Senate Office Building — a major priority of Bakk’s — projects about $4.6 million will be spent on desks, tables, chairs and other furniture and fixtures. Senators will move in early next year.”