Minnesota Legislature , CD3 DFL

‘Do your job’: Was Line 3 message from powerful Minnesota legislator a form of intimidation — or ‘respectful’ advocacy?

A voicemail from Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka to then-MPCA Commissioner Laura Bishop about Enbridge’s controversial oil pipeline project offers a rare glimpse of political machinations at the Minnesota Capitol.

In the fall of 2020, Laura Bishop, then commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, got an unusual voicemail.

Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, a Republican from East Gull Lake, had called her to urge the approval of a key water-quality permit for Enbridge Energy’s planned Line 3 oil pipeline. For years, the 337-mile pipeline across northern Minnesota has been one of the state’s most controversial environmental issues, and Enbridge needed what’s known as a 401 certification before construction could begin.

Listen: Gazelka’s voicemail to Bishop

“I just can’t stress enough how important it is that you do your job with these and that the permits get issued,” Gazelka told Bishop.

Today at 5:30pm: Majority Leader Winkler meets with violence prevention group EMERGE

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA. — House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler is meeting with violence prevention groups to discuss a new state grant program dedicated to innovation in community safety. The new state budget appropriates $800,000 for organizations that provide youth, young adult, and family anti-violence outreach programs; offer community healing and wellness; and help address mental health needs.

Members of the press are welcome to attend and should RSVP to matt.roznowski@house.mn to receive details about location of meetings.

What: Meeting to discuss new grant program for innovation in community safety
When: Wednesday, July 28 at 5:30pm
Who:

Majority Leader Ryan Winkler
Members of EMERGE

Today at noon: Frontline Worker Pay Working Group meets for the first time

Saint Paul, Minnesota — Members of the Frontline Worker Pay Working Group are scheduled to meet for the first time today at 12pm. An agenda and pre-submitted public testimony are available here. Live video will be available here.

The working group was established during the June 2021 special session to make recommendations to the Legislature on how to disburse $250,000,000 in direct financial support to frontline workers. In developing its recommendation, the working group must consider factors including a frontline worker’s increased financial burden and increased risk of virus exposure due to the nature of their work.

The working group must submit proposed legislative language implementing its recommendations to the Governor, Speaker of the House, and Senate Majority Leader by September 6, 2021. The Legislature would need to meet in a special session to pass and send a bill to Gov. Walz.

What: Frontline Worker Pay Working Group holds its first public hearing
When: Wednesday, July 28 at 12pm
Where: Minnesota Capitol, Room G-3
Who: Members of the Frontline Worker Pay Working Group

Today at 5:30 pm: Majority Leader Winkler meets with violence prevention group We Push For Peace

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Starting today, House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler is meeting with violence prevention groups to discuss a new state grant program dedicated to innovation in community safety. The new state budget appropriates $800,000 for organizations that provide youth, young adult, and family anti-violence outreach programs; offer community healing and wellness; and help address mental health needs.

Members of the press are welcome to attend and should RSVP to matt.roznowski@house.mn to receive details about location of meetings.

What: Meeting to discuss new grant program for innovation in community safety

When: Tuesday, July 27 at 5:30 pm

Who:

Majority Leader Ryan Winkler
Rep. Frank Hornstein
Members of We Push For Peace

Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: July 23, 2021

Dear Neighbors,

With the dust settling on the 2021 legislative session, I wanted to share a series of “Top 10” lists with you this summer, based on our work this year. This week, I’m starting with the laws we passed in our new two-year state budget. Despite being the only divided legislature in the nation, we were able to secure a compromise on a strong budget that prioritizes those most impacted by the pandemic – families, workers, students, and small businesses.

Top 10 Legislative Victories for Minnesotans:

Frontline Worker Pay Working Group schedules first public hearing for July 28 at 12:00 p.m.

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA. — Members of the Frontline Worker Pay Working Group are scheduled to meet for the first time Wednesday, July 28 from 12-2pm. An agenda is under development and expected to be finalized closer to the meeting date. Members of the public who are interested in testifying at this meeting or providing written testimony should email Sandy Most at sandy.most@lcc.leg.mn no later than 4pm on Tuesday, July 27. Please include your name, email address, the group of workers or organization you represent, and whether you are requesting to testify in-person or remotely.

Rep. Kristin Bahner (HD34B) Update: July 21, 2021

Dear Neighbors,

First and foremost, I want to say thank you to all who made Maple Grove Days such a success! While I may not have had the opportunity to speak with each of you one on one, once again with a grateful heart, I say thank you.

Rep. Bahner and "Lion" — *Lots of laughs and smiles at the Maple Grove Days Parade!*

Maple Grove Days Historical Preservation Society Exhibit — While this years Maple Grove Days festivities fade, our sweet memories do not. Thank you to the Maple Grove Museum and the Maple Grove Historical Preservation Society for these great memories of our heroes that served their country valiantly and enticed our community through sharing these memories so that we shall never forget.

DFL Party Calls on Representative John Thompson to Resign Immediately

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, the Minnesota DFL Party is calling on Representative John Thompson to resign after recent reporting revealed numerous allegations of domestic violence against Thompson.

DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin released the following statement:

“Numerous allegations against Representative John Thompson have recently come to light that show an incredibly disturbing pattern of violent and abusive behavior. The reports that Thompson physically assaulted multiple women, often in the presence of children, are absolutely sickening. Physical and sexual violence are anathema to everything we stand for as DFLers and as Minnesotans, and nobody credibly accused of such heinous acts has any place in elected office. I am calling on Representative Thompson to resign from office effective immediately.”

Rep. Andrew Carlson (HD50B) Update: July 16, 2021

Dear Neighbors,

With the end of the special session, my House DFL colleagues and I were able to push for a number of budget bills to help address the needs of all Minnesotans and small businesses. Vaccination numbers in Minnesota remain as one of the leading states in the nation, and group gatherings, festivals, and parades are showcasing the vibrancy of our community more than ever.

The bipartisan budgets passed to ensure Minnesotans can access resources, investments and recover from the impacts of this pandemic will be beneficial to the overall recovery of our state. If you’d like to get caught up on the bills we’ve passed, you can find nonpartisan summaries of the bills and the process around them here:

DFL Debrief: Budgets Aren’t Actually Boring! ft. Majority Leader Ryan Winkler

On this week’s episode of the DFL Debrief Podcast, we sat down with DFL House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler to discuss all things budget! DFLers managed to secure some big wins in this year’s budget despite intense opposition from Minnesota Republicans. Listen to the podcast here.

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