State Issues 7 , CD3 DFL

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: June 18, 2021

Governor Walz Proclaims Juneteenth Freedom Day in the State of Minnesota

Governor Walz, Lieutenant Governor Flanagan celebrate new federal holiday

Governor Walz has proclaimed June 19, 2021 as Juneteenth Freedom Day in the State of Minnesota. This comes a day after President Joe Biden signed a law recognizing June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day, creating a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

“Juneteenth is an important opportunity for all communities across our state and Nation to celebrate freedom, honor African Americans and their history, and commit to growing from the tragedies of the past,” said Governor Walz. “It is important that as we celebrate this year’s Juneteenth, we recognize that there is still work to be done, here in Minnesota, nation-wide, and globally.”

DFL Debrief: The Fight for LGBTQ Rights in Minnesota

Minnesota Republicans continue to attack LGBTQ rights, Democrats in the Senate are divided on the filibuster, and we’re still missing key information about the 1/6 insurrection. We cover all that and more on this week’s episode of the DFL Debrief!

Listen here.

Minnesota Republicans Continue to Threaten Free and Fair Elections

More than 8 months after the November 2020 election, Republicans are still trying to falsely claim that fraudulent activities took place. These accusations are bogus. And, they’re not holding up in court.

On Wednesday the Minnesota Supreme Court struck down Republican Donna Bergstrom’s election contest suit against DFLer Jen McEwen who won the race by a two-to-one margin. Bergstrom lost the race by more than the votes she received.

Chief Justice Lorie Gildea wrote that Bergstrom’s case is “simply too vague to warrant embarking upon the discovery and trial process she seeks.” This decision also determines that the MN Supreme Court won’t order widespread inspection of ballots, lists of eligible voters, and election materials unless evidence can be reasonably argued in court. As Republicans across the country have exaggerated election fraud claims to an extreme degree, this MN Supreme Court ruling draws a line for how far these accusations can go.

‘People of Praise leaders failed me’: Christian group tied to Justice Amy Coney Barrett faces reckoning over sexual misconduct

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — In December, Katie Logan called the police in this Minneapolis suburb to unearth a buried secret: Her high school physics teacher had sexually assaulted her two decades earlier, she said. She was 17 and had just graduated from a school run by a small Christian group called People of Praise. He was 35 at the time, a widely admired teacher and girls’ basketball coach who lived in a People of Praise home for celibate men.

Logan told police she reported the June 2001 incident to a dean at the school five years after it happened. Police records show the dean believed Logan and relayed the complaint to at least one other senior school official.

But the teacher, Dave Beskar, remained at Trinity School at River Ridge until 2011, when he was hired to lead a charter school in Arizona. In 2015, he returned to the Minneapolis area to become headmaster of another Christian school. Beskar denies that any inappropriate sexual activity took place. Continue reading.

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: June 11, 2021

Governor Walz, Lieutenant Governor Flanagan Respond to Minnesota’s Strong Revenue Report

On Thursday, Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan released statements on the State of Minnesota’s monthly revenue report issued by Minnesota Management and Budget:

“Minnesota’s economy is strong, and we’re working to make sure it’s even stronger than before. This strong economic outlook proves the people of Minnesota are resilient, and we should continue to invest in them. With this news, I expect our state’s legislative leaders to come together to pass a budget for all Minnesotans. Minnesota’s COVID-19 Recovery Budget will allow us to continue to rise and rebuild by supporting working families, students, and small businesses while further driving our state’s economic recovery,” said Governor Walz.

“While we are still enduring the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, today’s revenue report shows that Minnesota has the resources to make responsible and meaningful investments that help those who were hit hardest recover. Whether it’s helping students catch up on learning, supporting small businesses across the state who made sacrifices to keep people safe, or creating economic security for working families struggling to pay bills and put food on the table after job loss, we can build a budget that invests in the future of Minnesota’s children and families and gets us back to better,” said Lieutenant Governor Flanagan.

8 Months After Election, MN GOP Refuses To Say It Wasn’t Stolen

GOP continues to give credence to conspiracy theory that led to assault on U.S. Capitol

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Yesterday, in an interview with the Rochester Post Bulletin, Minnesota Republican Party Chairwoman Jennifer Carnahan refused to affirm the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election. Per the Post Bulletin:

Asked whether the election was “stolen” from Trump, Carnahan declined to say one way or the other, but said the “concerns that people have should not be overlooked.”
“If there’s ever any question or doubt, or people don’t feel that they have the full transparency on enough things, what is wrong with just looking into things and answering those things?” she said.

DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin released the following statement in response:

“It is both disgraceful and dangerous that the Minnesota Republican Party is giving credence to a conspiracy theory that fueled an insurrection against the United States. Refusing to condemn the Big Lie will only serve to further radicalize a segment of the Republican base against American democracy.

“The reason the Republican base has questions about the election is because they have been lied to by cowardly politicians who care more about their careers than our democracy. If Republicans make questioning the legitimacy of free and fair elections a regular feature of American politics, it will lead to another attack on our government.

“Minnesota Republican leaders at all levels must denounce this inflammatory and radicalizing rhetoric from Jennifer Carnahan. This has to stop.”

DFL Legislators, Housing Advocates emphasize the need for an Eviction Moratorium Off-Ramp

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, DFL Legislators were joined by local officials and housing advocates to emphasize the dire need for a suitable off-ramp for the current eviction moratorium. As budget negotiations continue, DFL legislators are proposing an orderly transition away from the eviction moratorium that would prevent a wave of evictions while ensuring landlords are made whole for rent that is owed to them.

“Governor Walz’s eviction moratorium has saved lives by reducing the spread of COVID-19 and protecting the most vulnerable Minnesotans from the threat of losing their homes, and we cannot afford to replace this pandemic with an untenable wave of evictions,” said Rep. Alice Hausman (DFL – Saint Paul), chair of the House Housing Finance and Policy Committee. “The DFL is standing with both renters and landlords to ensure they have the opportunity to take advantage of federal assistance, and it’s our responsibility to provide that pathway without putting their financial or physical health in jeopardy.”

Policy makers and advocates emphasized the need for a roadmap to transition off the current residential eviction moratorium which would ensure renters have enough time to access federal funding for rental assistance when the COVID-19 related peacetime emergency ends and provide clarity to the process. Renters and landlords can access rental assistance at renthelpmn.org.

The DFL Debrief: A Minnesota Politics Podcast

The Attack on Voting Rights in Minnesota ft. State Rep. Emma Greenman

Minnesota Republicans are pushing for voter ID, Dr. Scott Jensen doesn’t want kids vaccinated, and the national battle for voting rights – we cover all that and more on this week’s episode of the DFL Debrief alongside special guest State Representative Emma Greenman.

Listen here: https://dfldebrief.buzzsprout.com/1789166/8644970-the-attack-on-voting-rights-in-minnesota-ft-state-rep-emma-greenman?link_id=29&can_id=0d2b434b1a6055982e13eeecb674723c&source=email-mn-dfls-in-the-know-june-8-2&email_referrer=email_1200964&email_subject=mn-dfls-in-the-know-june-9

Articles discussed on this week’s episode:

– https://www.twincities.com/2021/05/27/mn-republican-governor-candidate-scott-jensen-goes-to-court-to-stop-youth-covid-vaccinations/

– https://www.pinejournal.com/news/government-and-politics/7011658-Voter-ID-requirement-passes-Minnesota-Senate-faces-hurdle-in-the-House

– https://www.sctimes.com/story/opinion/2021/05/28/your-turn-voter-id-solution-search-problem-built-lies-ken-martin-dfl-chairman/7454972002/

The DFL Debrief is a podcast put on by the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. It is prepared and paid for by the Minnesota DFL Party, Ken Martin, Chairman. https://dfl.org

You can contract the podcast at podcast@dfl.org.

Our theme song, The Other Side, was generously provided for us to use by Minnesota musician Brian Highhill, who goes by the stage name Lumpy. Listen to more of his great music at http://bryanhighhill.com.

Rep. Mariani Statement on Status of Public Safety Budget Negotiations

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Rep. Carlos Mariani (DFL – Saint Paul), Chair of the House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Committee, issued the following statement regarding ongoing efforts to reach a Public Safety budget agreement:

“Minnesotans are counting on state legislators for both the policy solutions and the necessary funding to ensure all communities can live with true public safety while being treated with dignity and respect. To stop the senseless trauma that too many people, families, and neighborhoods continue to experience – especially communities of color – at this critical moment in our state’s history, Minnesotans deserve a fair and thoughtful approach to better policing. Contrary to recent Republican rhetoric, the House DFL Public Safety budget both better funds police work and better increases accountability than the Senate Republican proposals. Most significantly, it does so by including the voices of people of color who are the most impacted when police practices go wrong. Their views are vital to help us all to understand the need for the changes they are rightly demanding. As part of the legislative conference committee, I call on Senate Republicans to stop the non-helpful posturing and find an agreement with us that will meet the needs of our communities.”

Many long-haul COVID-19 patients report improvement after vaccination, surprising experts

Some plagued by COVID-19 symptoms months later are helped, while others are not

CHICAGO – Wendy French of northwest suburban Lake in the Hills used to run 10 miles a day several times a week before she caught COVID-19 in September, which left her fatigued and suffering from a variety of symptoms for months after the virus was supposedly gone.

The previously healthy 45-year-old stopped running and even began dreading typical household chores such as doing laundry, because it required standing up for so long that she grew tired.

But after French got her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine in mid-April, she described feeling healthy for the first time in more than seven months. The second dose in May brought greater improvement. Continue reading.

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