In the wake of the state losing its bid for Amazon’s second corporate headquarters, Senate Republican Majority Leader Paul Gazelka says lawmakers need to look at why Minnesota was not on the company’s “top 20” short list. Gazelka says the state has “a great education system. We have a well-trained work force. We have the trees, the lakes, everything that people love about Minnesota — even the Vikings. But we have to look at our tax structure and how we regulate… if we’re gonna attract the businesses that are the high-paying jobs.”
Some Republicans, including Andover Representative Peggy Scott, are calling on the Dayton administration to release details of the state’s failed bid, but Commissioner Shawntera Hardy says “not at this time…. We submitted a strong proposal, and the work that we put in the proposal, it was a private conversation. And that’s the approach that we took, and we are gonna work that proposal.” Representative Scott argues Minnesotans deserve transparency.