Tag: Sen. 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.

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. 

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

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.

Continue reading “Senate Majority Leader Gazelka Under Fire For Refusing To Hold Hearings On Police Reform”

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.

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”

Statements from Speaker Hortman and Majority Leader Winkler on Republican Senate removing Commerce Commissioner Steve Kelley

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SAIN PAUL, MINNESOTA — Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler released the following statements on the Republican Senate removing Commerce Commissioner Steve Kelley.

“Governor Walz and his administration are trying to combat a global pandemic and instead of working with him, Senate Republicans are actively making it harder to fight this virus,” said Speaker Hortman. “It’s irresponsible for Republicans to continue to target individuals over a political disagreement with the Governor.”

“Sabotaging government agencies during a pandemic is as dangerous as it is shameless,” said House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler. “The GOP should be using this special session to work on bipartisan COVID relief for Minnesota families and businesses – not to brag about executing hostages and undermining public health. This reckless vote is proof that the Republican majority is unfit to lead the Senate during the greatest crisis of our lifetimes.”

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”