by Judah Torgerud
State Rep.-elect Erik Mortensen (R-Shakopee) has promoted a proposal calling for the suspension of Gov. Tim Walz’s pay until Minnesotans are back to work.
Mortensen, who was elected in November to the Minnesota House, posted a “bill” on Facebook calling for the suspension of Gov. Walz’s pay. The bill calls for Walz’s pay to be suspended until his COVID-19 emergency orders restricting businesses are revoked.
“Finally found the perfect present for Governor Tim Walz,” reads Mortensen’s post. “When a Governor orders people out of work, he shouldn’t receive a paycheck either.”
The bill was posted with the hashtag “#StandUpToWalz,” which Mortensen has repeatedly used while promoting his protests against the governor’s orders. His protests have included inviting friends over for Thanksgiving and an 800-mile tour to four different restaurants that are open despite lockdown orders.
Mortensen is not the only Republican to call for cutting Walz’s salary. Earlier this year, State Rep. Steve Drazkowski also called for the governor’s salary to be suspended, saying it was “only right that he feels the pain of the economic damage he has caused.”
“I look around the state and I see businesses which were supposed to temporarily close but are now permanently shut down,” Drazkowski said. “Workers who were supposed to be furloughed for a short time have now lost their jobs entirely.”
The same day that Mortensen posted his “present” for the governor, he released a letter to all elected officials in Minnesota.
“As a life-long Minnesotan, I look forward to standing shoulder to shoulder with my neighbors across the state and fight to shield one another from these unconstitutional over-reaches from ever happening again,” the representative-elect wrote. “Will you join me?”
– – –
Judah Torgerud is a freelance journalist working with Alpha News to keep the people informed and bring the truth to light.
Image “Erik Mortensen” by Erik Mortensen.
