Minnesota News Network

Governor Tim Walz today announced a COVID-19 action plan to relieve Minnesota’s increasingly crowded hospitals and provide new rapid testing opportunities for Minnesota families. As part of the plan, Walz is putting the National Guard on alert to provide staffing support at Minnesota’s long-term care facilities. Walz is also expanding access to the COVID-19 Emergency Staffing Pool, which allows long-term care facilities to request short-term emergency temporary staffing if they’re experiencing a staffing shortage due to an outbreak of COVID-19 at their facility. And Walz is directing the Department of Human Services to free up capacity at state long-term care facilities.

U-S Senator Tina Smith is co-sponsoring legislation to expand the U-S Supreme Court from nine justices to 13. It comes in the wake of the Trump administration adding two conservative judges to the court. Smith says she’s been “very disturbed to see the Supreme Court become increasingly politicized you know we don’t want the court to be a political entity, we want it to be an arbiter of the facts and the law.” Asked about Republicans’ claims that Democrats are politicizing the Court, Smith responds: “the court has been politicized by the Republican party–we have two justices on the Supreme Court right now one who was rushed through just days before the election of President Biden and another who ended up on the Supreme Court after Republicans in the Senate held open a Supreme Court for over a year.” Senator Smith says “balance must be restored to the court.”The bill would also end what Smith calls the “arcane” Senate filibuster rule. The size of the court has been changed by congress 6 times, including two instances of shrinking the court. No effort to change the size of the court has succeeded since 1869. Here’s more with Senator Smith.

 

Former Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka made it official today at the State Capitol announcing he’s running for governor.  Gazelka told supporters that the thing that makes Minnesota great is its people. Gazelka says he’s “concerned about the direction in which the state is headed” and says he is running for governor to change that direction. Specifically, Gazelka went after current Governor Tim Walz for his handling of COVID, saying “Walz’s irresponsible shutdown, based on his lack of understanding of the scientific data closed hundreds of restaurants and small businesses across the state bankrupting many of them.” Gazelka also hammered Walz for his handling of unrest in the wake of George Floyd’s death and said “Tim Walz says he wants one Minnesota, but I’ve never seen Minnesotans more divided, angry and afraid than they are today.” In response, the DFL says Gazelka’s decision to hold a maskless superspreader event led to a COVID-19 outbreak among lawmakers and Senator Jerry Relph died from COVID-19 complications from the event. And the DFL accuses Gazelka of putting his political agenda over the health and safety of Minnesotans. Several other Republicans have announced their candidacies, including fellow State Senator Michelle Benson and former state senator and physician Scott Jensen. Governor Tim Walz has not said whether he will run for re-election.

 

Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka today announced he’s stepping down as Leader. In a statement, Gazelka says “five years ago, under bittersweet conditions, I was honored to be elected leader of the Senate Republican Caucus. I have those same bittersweet feelings today as I announce my intention to step aside.” Gazelka says leading the caucus has been one of the most rewarding experiences of his life. Gazelka says he plans to be a part of the future success of the party, but he looks forward to letting someone else take over serving as Leader while he pursues the next chapter in his political life. Today’s announcement is stoking speculation that Gazelka is going to announce a bid for governor. Here’s more with Senate Majority Leader Gazelka:

Controversy continues to swirl around the state’s Republican Party Chair. Jennifer Carnahan denies any wrongdoing after friend and party donor Anton Lazzaro was indicted last week for sex trafficking. State Senator Roger Chamberlain of Lino Lakes is among the Republicans calling for Carnahan to step down. Chamberlain says Carnahan “crossed the line. I want nothing to do with a party that’s failed to address these allegations of sexual harassment, assault, of intimidation and bullying, this is not an organization that anybody should trust.” Chamberlain says in order for the party to move forward “we need an organization we can trust and is transparent and accountable and that is not where we’re at with this party right now, it is sad to say the least, to see the condition of the party.” Carnahan says she won’t resign and it will be up to party activists to remove her. Carnahan has not responded to several requests for comment. Here’s more with Senator Chamberlain:

 

Pressure continues to mount on Minnesota GOP chairwoman Jennifer Carnahan to step down after controversy about party finances, non-disclosure agreements and the indictment of a significant donor on sex trafficking charges. Republican State Senator Michelle Benson from Ham Lake says “in order for donors, in order for party advocates, in order for candidates to move forward with this party, I think Jennifer Carnahan needs to step aside for the good of the party.” So far, Carnahan says she won’t step down. The controversy began late last week when Tony Lazzaro was indicted on sex trafficking-related charges. Carnahan has not responded to requests for comment. Here’s more with Senator Benson:

 

Officers, deputies and troopers from 294 agencies across Minnesota reported 17,205 speeding citations during a July 1st – 31st enforcement campaign. That’s up over a thousand from last year’s campaign at the same time. The Office of Traffic Safety’s Mike Hanson says “what those numbers tell us is that we have a significant problem with speed violations on Minnesota roads and while the enforcement activity paints one picture, the other picture is a lot bloodier–and that’s what is resulting from drivers who are choosing to speed.” Hanson says so far this year, there’s been about a 40% increase in speed attributed fatalities on Minnesota roads “so roughly 100 of the fatal crashes that have taken place so far on Minnesota roads this year have been the direct result of the driver making the decision to speed.” Hanson says every death related to speed is preventable–and even one death is too many. Here’s more with Mike Hanson:

Suni Lee of St. Paul is a gold medal winner. Lee took the top spot in the women’s gymnastics all-around at the Tokyo Olympics. State Representative Kaohly Vang Her has known Suni’s family for years and she was at the Lee family and friends’ viewing party in Oakdale when Lee won the Gold. Her says “when [Lee] stuck that landing in bars, we knew, you could tell in that space, we knew that something great was going to happen and we still kind of held back a bit and when that floor routine came up was electric we could not contain ourselves.” Representative Her says it was “like we carried all of our hopes and our dreams of our ancestors through Sunisa” and her win was “amazing.” 18-year-old Lee is the first Hmong American to make a U-S Olympic team. Here is more with Rep. Her.