Tag: Paul Gazelka

Commentary: EV Mandates Could Mean California-Style Backouts in Minnesota

Minnesota Sun Staff

California recently announced a ban on all gas-powered vehicles by 2035. This is a decision that will have wide ranging negative implications for Minnesotans.

Residents in the Gopher state may be curious how an administrative decision made halfway across the country will affect them, but the answer is relatively simple: last year Governor Tim Walz and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) unilaterally finalized a rule to cede their regulatory authority over automobile emissions to regulators in the Golden State. 

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Minnesota State Senate Republicans Announce ‘Parents’ Bill of Rights’

The Center Square

Four Senate Republicans announced bills they called the “Parent’s Bill of Rights.”

In a morning press conference, Sens. Justin Eichorn of Grand Rapids, Michelle Benson of Ham Lake, Paul Gazelka of East Gull Lake, and Roger Chamberlain of Lino Lakes announced the bills they said would increase school transparency.

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Republican Candidates Respond to St. Paul, Minneapolis Vaccine Mandate

Hayley Feland

Several Republican candidates responded to the recently announced COVID vaccine mandates in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The mandates will go into effect on Wednesday, requiring restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and any other place of “public accommodation” where food or drink is served to only allow vaccinated patrons inside.

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Several Straw Polls Inconclusive Regarding Minnesota Republican Gubernatorial Candidate

Hayley Feland

Several recently conducted straw polls regarding a Republican gubernatorial candidate for the 2022 election have been inconclusive. One poll, conducted by delegates for the party, had State Senator Paul Gazelka (R-East Gull Lake) in the lead. Another poll conducted by the Minnesota Family Council after a gubernatorial debate, favored business owner and doctor, Dr. Neil Shah.

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Minnesota Governor Walz Calls Biden Vaccine Mandate ‘The Right Move’

Hayley Feland

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) tweeted out on Friday that the Biden Administration COVID vaccine mandate was “the right move.” Walz said that the mandate “will help ensure we’re keeping each other safe and healthy.”

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Minnesota State Senator Jeremy Miller Elected to Replace Former Senate Majority Leader Gazelka

Hayley Feland

State Senator Jeremy Miller (R-Winona) was elected to replace former Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka on Thursday. In a press conference announcing the decision Miller said, “I’m certainly not the only one that could be standing up here today because of the amount of talent we have but I did it because I know I have the opportunity to unite our caucus and at the same time work together with colleagues on both sides of the aisle in the House and Senate to get things done.”

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Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association Responds to Ramsey County Attorney Saying He Won’t Prosecute Felonies

Hayley Feland

The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association responded to Ramsey County Attorney John Choi’s announcement that he will no longer be prosecuting “most felony cases arising from low-level traffic stops.”

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Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association Responds to Ramsey County Attorney Saying He Won’t Prosecute Felonies

Hayley Feland

The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association responded to Ramsey County Attorney John Choi’s announcement that he will no longer be prosecuting “most felony cases arising from low-level traffic stops.”

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Former Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka Announces Gubernatorial Bid

Hayley Feland
Paul Gazelka

Former Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-East Gull Lake) announced his gubernatorial bid on Wednesday morning. Gazelka stepped down from his position as majority leader last week, as a precursor to his campaign for governor.

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Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka Steps Down

Hayley Feland

Minnesota State Senate majority leader Paul Gazelka stepped down on Wednesday in what some are saying is a likely precursor to entering into the race for governor. A statement from Gazelka said that he will be a part of Minnesota’s “future success” as he pursues “the next chapter” in his “political life.” Gazelka has held the majority leader position for five years. His letter, announcing his stepping down from the position, listed his accomplishments. He said that, “These accomplishments were possible because we stuck to our principles and communicated directly with the people of Minnesota.”

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Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka Steps Down

Hayley Feland

Minnesota State Senate majority leader Paul Gazelka stepped down on Wednesday in what some are saying is a likely precursor to entering into the race for governor. A statement from Gazelka said that he will be a part of Minnesota’s “future success” as he pursues “the next chapter” in his “political life.” Gazelka has held the majority leader position for five years. His letter, announcing his stepping down from the position, listed his accomplishments. He said that, “These accomplishments were possible because we stuck to our principles and communicated directly with the people of Minnesota.”

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Minnesota Republicans to Pitch Plan to Spend Federal Stimulus Money on Hard-Hit Industries, Unemployment Fund, and Infrastructure

The Center Square
Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka and Sen. Zach Duckworth

Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-East Gull Lake, and Sen. Zach Duckworth, R-Lakeville, on Friday announced a package aiming to spend billions of federal dollars on hard-hit industries, filling the unemployment fund, and infrastructure plans.

“These one-time funds provide us with the chance to set Minnesotans on a path for long-lasting growth. By targeting our spending for maximum impact, we are setting Minnesotans up to rebuild their community connections, invest in their families, and help our businesses recover and grow.” Duckworth said in a statement. “Most importantly, these investments are being made without increasing taxes on Minnesotans who have already sacrificed so much in the last year.”

The bill language, expected to be released next week, seeks to direct $2.5 billion of the American Rescue Plan to Minnesotans hardest hit by the pandemic and promote economic growth, according to a press release.

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Sen. Gazelka Challenges Gov. Walz on COVID Measures and Meetings: ‘There is No Longer an Emergency’

Corinne Murdock

Senator Paul Gazelka (R-Nisswa) continues to challenge Governor Tim Walz’s emergency executive powers, even after their private meeting Thursday. The two disagree about the necessity of Minnesota’s continued state of emergency.

Their meeting marked the 175th day of Walz’s orders.

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Sen. Gazelka Challenges Gov. Walz on COVID Measures and Meetings: ‘There is No Longer an Emergency’

Corinne Murdock

Senator Paul Gazelka (R-Nisswa) continues to challenge Governor Tim Walz’s emergency executive powers, even after their private meeting Thursday. The two disagree about the necessity of Minnesota’s continued state of emergency.

Their meeting marked the 175th day of Walz’s orders.

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Minnesota Senate Rejects Gov Walz’s Commissioner Appointee Nancy Leppink

Corinne Murdock

The Minnesota Senate rejected Governor Walz’s appointee for the Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) Commissioner Nancy Leppink in a close vote 34 to 32.

Following the four hour session on Wednesday, the governor’s office issued a news release sharing Leppink’s lengthy career and its successes, as well as statements from various councils and organizations who support her.

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Governor Walz’s Plan Defers to Schools for Campus Openings

Corinne Murdock

Governor Tim Walz announced Thursday that Minnesota schools will have the majority of authority on if or how they open campuses, based on discretionary assessment of their district’s localized data.

According to Walz’s Emergency Executive Order 20-82 and the accompanying “Safe Learning Plan,” schools must watch the spread of COVID-19 in their communities to determine the learning model that will suit their needs. These models are also subject to change throughout the school year, a protocol that Walz refers to as “dialing back [or] forward” in his executive order.

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Minnesota Lawmakers Pass Police Accountability Package

The Associated Press

The Minnesota Legislature passed a broad slate of police accountability measures early Tuesday that includes a ban on neck restraints like the one that was used on George Floyd before his death in Minneapolis.

The package also bans chokeholds and so-called warrior-style training, which critics say promotes excessive force. It imposes a duty to intercede on officers who see a colleague using excessive force. It changes rules on the use of force to stress the sanctity of life. It makes changes in arbitration rules affecting police unions. Officers will get more training on dealing with people with mental health issues and autism. The measure also creates a new advisory council for the state board that licenses officers.

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DFL Targets State Senate Republicans on Police Reform in New Ad Campaign

Anthony Gockowski

The Minnesota DFL Party launched a new ad campaign this week targeting key Republican state senators who are accused of “standing in the way of passing real police reform.”

Jason Lewis, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, said in a recent interview that Democrats don’t “want reform” so much as they “want a political issue.”

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Lt. Gov. Flanagan Shares Post Calling Mount Rushmore ‘Symbol of White Supremacy’

Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan shared a post on social media over the Independence Day weekend calling Mount Rushmore a “symbol of white supremacy.”

“Mount Rushmore is a symbol of white supremacy, of structural racism that’s still alive and well in society today. It’s an injustice to actively steal Indigenous people’s land, then carve the white faces of the colonizers who committed genocide,” said the post, which Flanagan shared on her Instagram.

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Minnesota Board of Medical Practice Investigating Republican Senator for Speaking Out on COVID-19

Anthony Gockowski

State Sen. Scott Jensen (R-Chaska), a practicing physician, revealed Sunday that anonymous complaints were filed against him with the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice for his public comments on the coronavirus pandemic.

“This is one of the most important videos I’ve made and one of the hardest,” Jensen said in a video posted to Facebook. “Less than a week ago, I was notified by the Board of Medical Practice in Minnesota that I was being investigated because of public statements I had made.”

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State Senators to Hold Oversight Hearings on Handling of Minneapolis Riots, Ask DOJ to Investigate Police

Anthony Gockowski

Three Republican state senators called on U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr and the Department of Justice to investigate the Minneapolis Police Department and its response to recent unrest in the city.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-East Gull Lake) announced plans to hold a series of legislative oversight hearings beginning July 1 on state and local responses to the riots.

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Minnesota Business Owners Call for Reopening Economy During Press Conference at the Capitol

Anthony Gockowski

Several small business owners called for reopening the economy during a Monday press conference at the Minnesota Capitol.

“We desire to honor our God, and our government and governor. We think we can do both. But we have no idea how to get a plan approved, to whom to submit it, or if anyone needs to or will consider it. The church needs to gather, we are more the church when we gather than at any other time. Please, Gov. Walz, help us by providing clear ways for plans to be approved and for us to meet,” said Rory Martin, pastor of the Liberty Baptist Church in Eden Prairie.

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Gov. Walz Refuses to Take Down ‘Communist’ Hotline for Reporting Stay at Home Violations

Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has rejected requests from Republican lawmakers to suspend a “communist” hotline that allows residents to report violations of the governor’s stay-at-home order.

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Senate Leaders Signal Disagreement with Walz’s ‘Unilateral and Unchecked’ Coronavirus Actions

Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz has issued 12 executive orders in response to the coronavirus pandemic, but Senate Republicans think some of his actions aren’t within his constitutional authority.

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Republicans Say DFL ‘Marching Left’ After Suburban Democrat Ousts Iron Ranger for Leadership Role

Anthony Gockowski

  Sen. Susan Kent (DFL-Woodbury) defeated Sen. Tom Bakk (DFL-Cook) for the role of Senate DFL minority leader during a Saturday meeting, a move Republicans think signals the party’s shift to the left. Kent (pictured above) emerged victorious Saturday evening after the 32-member caucus met at the Carpenters Union Hall…

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Minnesota’s Senate Republicans Unveil 2020 Agenda, Includes Consideration of Red Flag Laws, Clean Energy Proposals

Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota Senate Republicans unveiled their “2020 Vision” agenda during a Monday press conference, highlighting their priorities for the upcoming legislative session.

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Walz Asks Senate Republicans to ‘Suspend’ Effort Seeking Information on Fraud in Government

Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz has asked Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-Nisswa) to “suspend” a Senate Republican effort seeking information on “abusive or fraudulent behavior” in the state government.

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Tim Walz Open to Calling Special Session to Resolve Insulin Drama

Anthony Gockowski

  It was a rare point of agreement in the Minnesota Legislature – something needed to be done to address the skyrocketing costs of insulin. The Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Act, named for a 26-year-old Minnesotan who died trying to ration his last vial of insulin, was going to be…

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Court Orders Portion of Line 3 Pipeline Environmental Impact Statement to Return to Minnesota Public Utility Commission for Reconsideration

Jason M. Reynolds

  The Minnesota Court of Appeals on Monday overturned a portion of the environmental impact study of Enbridge Energy’s Line 3 oil pipeline replacement project. The court’s ruling is available here. The ruling says: Although we reject most of realtors’ assertions of error, we agree that the FEIS is inadequate…

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No Gas Tax Increase for Minnesota

Anthony Gockowski

  An omnibus transportation budget bill is on its way to Gov. Tim Walz’s desk without any gas tax increase. After clearing the DFL-controlled House Friday evening, the bill passed out of the Senate later Friday night in a 54-13 vote. It’s official…no gas tax increase in Minnesota. Senate just…

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Minnesota Teachers Union Calls for Voting in a ‘New Senate’ After Education Budget Released

Anthony Gockowski

  Education Minnesota, the state’s largest teachers union, urged Minnesotans to “vote in a new Senate” after an education budget agreed to by party leaders was released. “This is a lukewarm outcome to a legislative session that had a lot of potential for Minnesota students,” Education Minnesota President Denise Specht…

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Walz’s Revised Budget Proposal Still Includes 20-Cent Gas-Tax Increase

Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) was forced to reexamine his budget proposal “line by line” after the state’s budget forecast came up $492 million short of November’s estimated $1.5 billion surplus. But his recently released revised budget recommendations still include a 20-cent gas-tax hike. “The governor recommends the state commit to…

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Walz Will Reexamine Budget Proposal ‘Line By Line’ After Forecast Comes Up $492 Million Short of Previous Estimates

Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) will have to reexamine his budget proposal “line by line” after Thursday’s budget forecast came up $492 million short of November’s estimated $1.5 billion surplus. It’s only been nine days since Walz unveiled his first budget proposal for the 2020-2021 biennium, which capped out at $49.5…

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Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus Rallies at the Capitol Amid Renewed Gun Control Efforts

Anthony Gockowski

The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus hosted a rally at the State Capitol Saturday to “defend the Second Amendment” and take a stand against gun-control legislation making its way through the House. “Michael Bloomberg’s out-of-state gun control agenda is already out in full force during the 2019 legislative session after spending…

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Minnesota Republicans Continue Pro-Life Push With Several Pieces of Legislation

Anthony Gockowski

Several pieces of pro-life legislation have been introduced by Republicans in both the Minnesota House and Senate. While they all face uphill battles against a Democratic-controlled House and a progressive in the Governor’s Mansion, pro-life leaders think that at least some of the measures should attract bipartisan support. Senate File…

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Governor Walz’s $49 Billion Budget Proposal Will Make Minnesota a ‘Cold California’

Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) unveiled his highly anticipated budget proposal for the 2020-2021 biennium at a press conference Tuesday afternoon. When all is said and done, the two-year budget registers at $49.5 billion with no cuts to any existing spending. “I’ve often said that a budget is far more than…

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Minnesota GOP Has Harsh Words for Walz After Pipeline Appeal: ‘This Is a Big Mistake’

Anthony Gockowski

Republican members of the Minnesota House and Senate called a joint press conference earlier this week to condemn Gov. Tim Walz’s (D-MN) decision to re-appeal the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline replacement project. “The science is sure that this would be environmentally much safer to replace a 51-year-old pipe with a…

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Minnesota Republicans Stand Against ‘Barbaric’ Pro-Abortion Bills

Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota’s Republican legislators called a press conference Thursday in the lobby of the Minnesota Capitol to oppose the radical pro-abortion measures being passed across the country. As was widely reported, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) signed the Reproductive Rights Act into law last week, clearing the way for abortions up to…

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Minnesota Pro-Lifers Warn Against Constitutional Amendment on Gender Equality

Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota’s pro-life organizations are warning against a 2020 state ballot proposition that would amend the Minnesota Constitution to provide “equality under the law” on “account of gender.” House File (HF) 13 was introduced January 10 and would place the following yes-or-no question on the 2020 ballot: “Shall the Minnesota Constitution…

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