Tag: Paul Gazelka

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

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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.

Senate DFL Leader Susan Kent statement on Senate Republicans refusing to adjourn sine die in order to consider commissioner confirmations

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Today, the Senate Republicans refused to adjourn the special session, even though the House adjourned sine die, and all 2of the budget bills have been signed by the governor, including the tax bill. On the Senate floor this morning, it was confirmed that the Republican Majority is planning to take up commissioner confirmations next week and extend the special session indefinitely. 

In response to this news, Senate DFL Leader Susan Kent (DFL-Woodbury) released the following statement:

“The Senate has been in session consistently over the past 18 months. Our members and staff worked tirelessly to create and pass a $52 billion budget for the people of Minnesota and were ready to adjourn sine die, as the House did early yesterday morning. We were surprised to hear that the Senate Republicans plan to keep the Senate in session indefinitely to consider confirmations of commissioners from the Walz administration.” 

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DFL Party Statement on the Resignation of Laura Bishop

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Saint Paul, MINNESOTA – DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin issued the following statement regarding the resignation of Commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Laura Bishop ahead of her likely ousting by Senate Republicans:

“Today, Minnesota has lost a dedicated public servant due to the despicable behavior of Senate Republicans. Laura Bishop worked tirelessly as head of the Pollution Control Agency to defend our environment, protect public health, and hold polluters accountable, and I am tremendously grateful for her service to our state.

“Let us be clear about what happened today: Senate Republicans forced the resignation of the Commissioner of our Pollution Control Agency in order to defend big polluters, exact revenge on Governor Walz for his strong leadership during a once-in-a-generation public health crisis, and harm our ability to be responsible stewards of our environment. Senator Paul Gazelka’s pathetic temper tantrum just goes to show that Republicans will not let divided government work for the people of Minnesota.

“Paul Gazelka is profoundly misguided if he thinks trying to break our state government will help his run for governor.”

MN Senate stays in session to review Walz commissioners

The Minnesota Senate is back in action Tuesday to consider the job status of several agency leaders — potentially voting on removing commissioners from Gov. Tim Walz’s administration.

Rather than adjourn a special session as the House did last week, GOP Senate leaders extended their stay to conduct performance reviews.

Majority Senate Republicans said the reason they did not end the special session was that they wanted to be sure Walz would sign the budget and tax bills passed during the marathon days leading up to the July 1 start of the new fiscal year. Continue reading.

Gazelka and GOP Continue To Play Politics With Pandemic, Public Health

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At every turn, Senate Majority Leader Gazelka and the GOP have spread misinformation and mislead the public on the state of the pandemic 

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Following Governor Walz’s timeline to roll back nearly all state COVID-19 restrictions, Senate Majority Leader Gazelka responded by putting politics ahead of public health. Unfortunately for Minnesotans, this is nothing new for Gazelka and his Republican colleagues, who repeatedly pushed to completely reopen Minnesota during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gazelka has continuously misled the public about the state of COVID-19 at virtually every turn. Almost a year ago, on July 13, 2020, he falsely claimed that “the emergency part of this pandemic is over.” Since this statement, the U.S. has lost more than 440,000 people to COVID-19. 

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MN Senate passes public safety bill without DFL-backed police reform measures

Democrats say the bill doesn’t do enough to address police accountability.

The Republican-controlled Senate has passed a public safety omnibus bill without police reform measures. 

The public safety and judiciary funding bill that cleared the Senate on a 44-23 vote Thursday includes money for the court system, prisons and makes changes to sexual assault laws, including closing the “voluntary intoxication” loophole that was highlighted by a recent state Supreme Court decision. 

“Senate Republicans are committed to keeping Minnesotans safe and fully funding our public safety institutions,” Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-East Gull Lake, said in a statement. “This bill provides justice to victims and protects Minnesotans. I understand that Minnesota is in the spotlight. Last summer we passed several major reforms to police accountability, and we will look at additional reforms this session.  Continue reading.

Senate Majority Leader Gazelka Under Fire For Refusing To Hold Hearings On Police Reform

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Following the death of Daunte Wright, Senate Majority Leader Gazelka committed to holding hearings on police reform proposals then he changed his mind. 

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Following the death of Daunte Wright, who was fatally shot by a police officer in Brooklyn Center, it was widely reported that Senate Majority Leader Gazelka was “committed to having hearings” on police reform. On Friday, Gazelka walked back this commitment, refusing to hold hearings on meaningful reform, instead, standing in the way of progress while Black Minnesotans suffer tragic outcomes at the hands of police officers. 

Meanwhile, Senate Republicans are pushing for a bill that would impose harsher penalties against people arrested while protesting, make them ineligible for food stamps, and subject to loss of student financial aid and other government benefits.

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Senator Latz pushes back on the canceled hearings for police reform

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Senator Ron Latz (DFL-Saint Louis Park), ranking DFL Lead on the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee releases the following statement in regards to the police reform hearings that Senate Republicans have promised to hold this session:

“Yesterday, the POST Board voted in favor of banning officers from serving who belong to extremist organizations including those groups espousing white supremacy. An amendment to do just that was defeated by Senate Republicans when offered to the Judiciary bill. Senate Republicans said they condemn white supremacists but wouldn’t vote to do so. Hate groups don’t get a say in our state. We must keep moving forward to enact reforms like the Minnesota POST Board did.

“Sen. Gazelka has now walked back on his promise to our citizens. Pushing the issue into a conference committee is a cop out: it will have limited participation and essentially cuts out a large contingent of Senators who deserve to be heard on these issues. Nevertheless, I continue to be ready to do the work we are elected to do and will do so in the conference committee as well.”

Daughter of late state Sen. Jerry Relph who died of COVID-19 calls on Senate GOP leader to apologize for his role in father’s death

The daughter of the late state Sen. Jerry Relph, R-St. Cloud, is calling on the Minnesota Senate majority leader to apologize for holding an in-person election victory party last month, which is how her father likely contracted COVID-19 weeks before he died, she said. 

“It was a frivolous and vain action,” said Dana Relph, referring to the Nov. 5 dinner party at a Lake Elmo event center hosted by Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-East Gull Lake. “I’m sorry, but celebrating holding onto the Senate in the middle of the pandemic? They were spending money on something like that and then putting people in danger.”

Relph, 42, spoke with the Reformer a day after her father succumbed to complications from the disease, the first Minnesota lawmaker to do so. COVID-19 is particularly deadly to the elderly and those with underlying health conditions. Jerry Relph was 76.  Continue reading.

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.